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In my work as a software developer, I have found that it is often more important to know where to look for information, rather than having all possibly relevant information memorized. The first step, then, is to allow greater access to information.
At first glance, the internet would be perfect for this. The sum total of humanity's knowledge, available for the taking, mostly free of charge. However, accessing the internet requires a huge cost in infrastructure. The required infrastructure can be broken down as follows:
- A device capable of accessing the internet, usually a computer of some variety
- An active network connection
The first requirement can be satisfied by something like the OLPC Project's XO Laptop. This is a computer which is designed to be used in the middle of nowhere, capable of being powered by a foot-treadle similar to old-fashioned sewing machines. It is capable of surviving shocks and drops that would cause a normal computer to die, as it has no moving parts. It is also capable of both 802.11b/g networking (the type of wireless access many of you no doubt have in your homes) or 802.11s "mesh networking", to allow users to connect to the internet over much further distances than normal by routing the signal through other connected machines. The laptop is available through a unique "buy one get one" plan, where the only way someone in a developed country such as Canada, the U.S., or most of Europe can buy a machine is by also donating one to a developing country such as most of Africa.
The second requirement, however, is much more difficult to satisfy. The underlying network infrastructure that we all take for granted is horrendously expensive to create and maintain, and most companies aren't willing or able to dedicate the time and money required to install it in developing countries where the potential subscriber base is low and the income of the average person is lower. The obvious choice is satellite-based communications, with one sat-modem capable of being shared between many XO Laptops, however bandwidth pricing on satellite communications is still very expensive, and very slow especially for a shared connection. This can be ameliorated somewhat with a filtering proxy sitting on the remote end of the connection -- a system which strips all images, videos, and other high-bandwidth data out of the connection unless an administrator overrides it, leaving only plain-text which can be easily compressed to minimize data usage. The above setup would allow people to search for things like plans for an artesian well, and only download the diagrams which are actually needed to complete the project.
Global access to information is becoming more and more important as time goes on. Some countries, such as France, have even declared access to the internet a basic human right. Despite this, there are many problems which must be addressed before such access can be made truly universal. This is one solution; what is yours?
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