Hi, Keeping in mind the long discussion that was posted a few weeks ago with regards to the merits (or lack thereof) of the One Laptop Per Child project, I thought this may interest subscribers of this list: HRD rubbishes MIT's laptop scheme for kids http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1698603,curpg-1.cms So India has decided against the One Laptop Per Child Project (for now). Two arguments that stood out for me: 1. Poor rural children often have health problems that may be exacerbated by laptop use, especially those affecting eyesight and children's backs. 2. No developed country has universalized laptops for children, so why should India? I must say that the first argument is a perfect example of how people in developed countries often lack the foresight and local knowledge required to adequately decide whether a technology truly is "appropriate". Forget the merits to education or the potential for employability skills -- those are secondary to the potentially negative health effects of the laptops. Thanks, Wojciech Gryc -- Five Minutes to Midnight: Youth on human rights and current affairs http://www.fiveminutestomidnight.org/