Gates and Howard launch project to breach digital divide

By AAP
28 June 2004 11:47 AM
Tags: digital, gates, john, howard, divide, bill

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Talkback 3 comments

    Oh, what a wonderful idea. We' ...Anonymous -- 29/06/04

    Oh, what a wonderful idea.

    We'll bridge the digital divide by offering access in special centers to software that low income Australians could never afford in their own home.

    So while most Australian families sit down at their own desktop, or laptop, allowing Australia's poorest to use the same expensive software on a time share basis at a few 'centers' is somehow going to bridge the divide and put low income families on an equal footing.

    Yeah right!

    Maybe what they Australian government should try the same approach as Extramadura in Spain. As the poorest region of Spain, Extramadura supplied citizens with a customized copy of Linux and recently boasted that their schools nows have a ratio of one computer to two students. Australia couldn't come close to boasting that and we're far richer here.

    Mr Howard should stop promoting foreign software that low income Australians can't afford and start looking at realistic ways in which to bridge the digital divide. Getting low income families addicted to software file formats they can't afford isn't going to help, but giving to better access to software with open file formats which is freely available just might.

    Another example of John Howard ...Anonymous -- 30/06/04

    Another example of John Howard "SELLING OUT" to the multinationals. $40m is just petty cash to Bill Gates and he's bought Howard and is trying to buy those that can least afford the expensive, flaky products that passes for M$ product suite.

    Credit where credit is due, ok ...Anonymous -- 02/07/04

    Credit where credit is due, ok then, Brendon Chase is an !%&$-l*@#$%. If Brendan can't see how Gates is just profiting from the stupidity of silly little people like Johnny H & pandering to them in an attempt to become the benevolent father figure then he is infantile. Grow up! This is an exercise that should be undertaken by the Gov't of the day but monopolies like that of Microsoft should not be given an open-slather invitation to take over the training policies of a nation, especially one that prides itself on being a stand & deliver group of people.

    Little Johnny becomes a pissant apostle of the "wonderful Americans" all over again after bumming-up to George W.

    I'm so proud that I didn't vote for the )%*@#

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