[Edu-sig] OLPC news

[kirby urner]

> (rushing off to a New Year's party with XO in hand to show...)
>
>
> -Jeff

Hah, Rushing is rushing, I suspected as much (just kidding).

XO has a lot of support in Oregon, features in lots of parties
(also Portland Barcamp [1]) but we've got Intel here too,
pushing more traditional options for adults.

I don't see this as a clash, as adults, set in their ways, are
not the primary clientele for XOs, deliberately "for children"
in their toy-like design, small keys, Shrek-like coloration.

As I was explaining to Tara, this was done on purpose, to
convey a "hands off" message to the field (don't steal
candy from children).

But of course in the cocktail party context G1G1 (give one
get one) means lots of adults have these show and tell
items, plus more than a few are bona fide developers
and/or tech support types, starting to answer real needs
from the field, where XO penetration, though smattery,
is nevertheless real.

Cynics among us think the little green monsters are little
more than recruiting devices for MIT and its open source
courseware.  I don't deny that name recognition is part of
it, but hey, Python benefits by the same token, as does
Smalltalk, once our clientele starts browsing a little,
absorbing the history.

Some of our PPUG members are XO developers, others
work at Intel.  I suppose we might see cross-platform in
some dimensions, as py is py, just as html is html (yes,
an oversimplification I realize).

Per my recent posting on OLPC, G1G1 is pushing out
through coffee shops on flatscreens in this neighborhood.[2]
LA is a hotbed of open sorcery, I've come to discover,
maybe not up to Portland's level in some respects, but
nothing to sneeze at (Hollywood feeds in -- many celebrities
are banking on the success of our design science futurism,
although that's not a namespace all would use).

Re parties, mine is kinda dweeby this evening, featuring a
ball falling at 9 PM (midnight Philadelphia time).  We Quakers
are fixated on Philly for historical reasons (long story).

Then I'd plan on doing something rad, but I'm a fish out of
water in LA (Whittier) -- I don't really know Halle Berry that
well.[3]

Kirby Urner
City of Angels

[1] http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2007/05/qyoobin.html

[2] http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/2007-December/008385.html

[3] http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2137134480771470882