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>>>This is where the Raspberry Pi can save us: it’s now affordable for the government to equip any child in this country with a machine which they could take ho
by mikecane 15y ago
>>>This is where the Raspberry Pi can save us: it’s now affordable for the government to equip any child in this country with a machine which they could take home with them and play with.
I have a problem with idealism like that. Andrew Carnegie thought if we had public libraries, it would enable people to help themselves. And where are we today? Education is free too, and where are we today?
I'm not saying that it might not help a small crucial group of children who -- through their own motivation -- will go on to do great things that will change their lives. But recognize that is the likely reality instead of pining for a universal enrichment that is never going to happen.
A chicken in every pot sounds good, but not everyone knows how -- or wants to learn how -- to cook.
- pm90 15y agoYou are greatly underestimating the value of public libraries. Even if we agree that only a few motivated individuals actually used the libraries, that itself is enough justification for their establishment (IMO). For instance, Richard Feynman used the public libraries extensively, and he has been a source of motivation for many generations of physicists/ engineers (including myself). (Being from India, when I was younger, I really did feel the disappointment of not having access to a public library.)
- wladimir 15y agoI don't really understand your negativity. I agree it's impossible to help everyone. But what could be the possible downside to trying? Why is idealism a dirty word these days? I mean it is the idealism that motivates him to do this in the first place, if it turns out the raspberry pi motivates a few kids to become great engineers/inventors/scientists, that's great right? Would it have been better if he was cynical about it?