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There's two arguments that can be made: 'teach a man to fish' is basically what providing Internet access would do, it could enable a whole new generation of pe

There's two arguments that can be made: 'teach a man to fish' is basically what providing Internet access would do, it could enable a whole new generation of people access to information and allow them to significantly improve their lives, or for them to fully realise their potential. How many of them may actually be able to contribute directly to improving their lives, and the lives of millions of others if they had the resources? But Gates isn't wrong, providing Internet access isn't what they need right now. They need safe water, and a cure to malaria, and improved medical services, and dozens of other things. Where Gates argument falls down is that it doesn't need to be a single focus, why not have the Gates foundation solve malaria cures why another goes after safe water, and another goes after Internet access. A multi-pronged attack to improve lives, and to give them the tools to improve their own.

melling 13y ago
Definitely. There's enough time and resources for everything. People just need to coordinate and spend their time more wisely. Pissing your day away on HN debating what Bill Gates said about malaria and the internet for the second time in three days is probably not one of those worthwhile contributions. The world isn't going to be any different after our discussion. It will be a little better because Bill took action.
jedrek 13y ago
I get the feeling that people in most developed countries have a pretty naive view of poor countries, especially in Africa. The striking images of the famines of the 1980s in Ethiopia are what that most people recall, when they think of "poor Africa". That thinking is completely disingenuous and quite hurtful to Africa's development. Technology has made incredible inroads in the continent. While we fret over Facebook running slow on 2010-era Android phones, micro-economies are thriving thanks to feature phones in Africa's poorest regions. Children who leave to work in the city are able to transfer money back to their village. They top up the village cell phone owner's pay-as-you go account, the owner then pays out that amount (in cash) to the family there. Farmers are able to get up-to-date info on crop prices, helping them from getting short-changed by opportunistic buyers. Yes, there are parts of Africa where fresh water and basic medicine are the biggest need, but there are also much larger parts where those needs are (to some degree) met. There are many forms of charity and humanitarian aid, they can all have a massive positive impact on the communities that receive them.
- nicholassmith 13y ago
  I was reading about how in Africa they've built their own networks with just basic phones, and it fascinated me. What they've managed to achieve with what we view as obsolete technology is fantastic, which is why I'd be curious to see what they could do with more technology and how it could shape their lives. Like this guy: http://gizmodo.com/313408/nigerian-man-builds-working-helicopters-from-junk http://gizmodo.com/313408/nigerian-man-builds-working-helico... that's just an awesome hacker ethic.
hsuresh 13y ago
Well, it is not a great question to start with. From the article: >> But asked whether giving the planet an internet connection is more important than finding a vaccination for malaria... You cannot spend all your resources just on one problem. Governments spend on space exploration while spending a much bigger sum on poverty eradication, health and so on. Also, internet penetration can be a great tool in fighting some of the problems mentioned.

melling 13y ago

Definitely. There's enough time and resources for everything. People just need to coordinate and spend their time more wisely. Pissing your day away on HN debating what Bill Gates said about malaria and the internet for the second time in three days is probably not one of those worthwhile contributions. The world isn't going to be any different after our discussion. It will be a little better because Bill took action.

jedrek 13y ago

I get the feeling that people in most developed countries have a pretty naive view of poor countries, especially in Africa. The striking images of the famines of the 1980s in Ethiopia are what that most people recall, when they think of "poor Africa". That thinking is completely disingenuous and quite hurtful to Africa's development. Technology has made incredible inroads in the continent. While we fret over Facebook running slow on 2010-era Android phones, micro-economies are thriving thanks to feature phones in Africa's poorest regions. Children who leave to work in the city are able to transfer money back to their village. They top up the village cell phone owner's pay-as-you go account, the owner then pays out that amount (in cash) to the family there. Farmers are able to get up-to-date info on crop prices, helping them from getting short-changed by opportunistic buyers. Yes, there are parts of Africa where fresh water and basic medicine are the biggest need, but there are also much larger parts where those needs are (to some degree) met. There are many forms of charity and humanitarian aid, they can all have a massive positive impact on the communities that receive them.

nicholassmith 13y ago
I was reading about how in Africa they've built their own networks with just basic phones, and it fascinated me. What they've managed to achieve with what we view as obsolete technology is fantastic, which is why I'd be curious to see what they could do with more technology and how it could shape their lives. Like this guy: http://gizmodo.com/313408/nigerian-man-builds-working-helicopters-from-junk http://gizmodo.com/313408/nigerian-man-builds-working-helico... that's just an awesome hacker ethic.

hsuresh 13y ago

Well, it is not a great question to start with. From the article: >> But asked whether giving the planet an internet connection is more important than finding a vaccination for malaria... You cannot spend all your resources just on one problem. Governments spend on space exploration while spending a much bigger sum on poverty eradication, health and so on. Also, internet penetration can be a great tool in fighting some of the problems mentioned.