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Still More on Connecting Laos

Posted by michael on from the water-buffalo-barbeque dept.

Rackemup writes "A story on Wired has some updated information on the progess made by the Remote IT Village Project attempting to connect several isolated villages deep in the Laotian Jungle to the rest of the world using wireless networks, pedal-power and Laonux (customized Linux installs translated into the Laotian language). Power surges can be a hassle when the nearest computer store is hundreds of miles away, but they're shooting for a May 18th "go live" date."

14 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. bicycles? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    the first bicycle powered linux computer?!?

    don't they have hamsters in Laos? or are they lacking hamster wheels?

    1. Re:bicycles? by mrseigen · · Score: 2, Funny

      IANAHT (I am not a hamster trainer), but: The uptime on hamsters and similar rodents is actually disturbingly low. The little buggers abruptly stop for some reason. Someone really should try breeding a hamster that has nothing to think about than running on that little wheel. Then we'll have a great energy source*!

      *As long as we can keep them fed

    2. Re:bicycles? by ReverendRyan · · Score: 2, Funny

      There's prolly some British animal rights group picketing all over the country, protesting thier potential use of hamsters. It is, of course, ok to use people to power computers, as long as you dont harm anything with fur in the process.

    3. Re:bicycles? by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's a lot easier to post a scathing diatribe to slashdot while pedaling than to masturbate, if you're male. Females can just lean forward and pedal harder. Perhaps this will lead to a reversal in which gender watches the most streaming porn.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  2. Just hope... by c_oflynn · · Score: 4, Funny

    No one posts the IP of these networks to slashdot....

  3. What would you rather have? by confused+philosopher · · Score: 3, Funny

    What would you rather have?
    The Internet, or a flush toilet and potable drinking water?

    I know what you will say: INTERNET!

    Once again the Internet is more important than anything else. Do these people even want to be subjected to emails from AOLiens, spam from Japan, and know it all Canadians?

    --
    Why slashdot? Why not?
    1. Re:What would you rather have? by confused+philosopher · · Score: 2, Funny

      I admit is isn't all bad:
      "He also told them, in the most amazing lecture I have ever heard, what had happened and how a computer works. The kids were totally there. "

      However there are people there teaching children "valley girl" english.

      And what happened to short wave radios, and satellite phones for long-long distance calls?

      --
      Why slashdot? Why not?
    2. Re:What would you rather have? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      spam from Japan, and ...

      That's spam from Korea, not Japan. May not seem important to you. Then again the distinction between Indians from Dakota and Indians from Bangalore is probably fuzzy for you.

  4. The Effect by mao+che+minh · · Score: 3, Funny

    They better hope that their web server isn't running on a server in a remote Laos village - because here we come!

  5. ugh.... by intermodal · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can only sit in horror as I realize the idiocy that is to come once Stallman gets a Laotian dictionary and find their word for "GNU/Laonix".

    --
    In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
  6. I guess the netowork by geekoid · · Score: 1, Funny

    compression is Laosless.
    buda b=ing, buda boom.
    I'll be here all week!Tip the wait staff.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  7. Poll connection? by GQuon · · Score: 3, Funny
    Slashdot Poll
    Favorite Shutdown Method?
    • Start/shutdown
    • Ctrl-Alt-Del
    • Press button on box/power strip
    • shutdown -h now
    • Ctrl-Command-Option-Power
    • Wait for power outage
    • Cat chews through cord
    • Just stop pedaling


    Has this story been sitting in the queue long enough for the poll to be made? No, the poll is almost a week older than the Wired story.

    So the new poll people are both pre-scient and don't care about CowboyNeal? Mommy, I'm scared.
    --
    Irene KHAAAAAAN!
  8. Re:Game consoles make good net access platforms he by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I bet you are a fat fuck who lives in your parents basement and jerks off to your white trash sister fucking some guy in her side of the room. God I hate you. I hope you die... you are the worst troll ever.
    You probably smell funny too, bitch tits.

  9. King of the Hill by spatrick_123 · · Score: 2, Funny

    HANK: So, are you Chinese or Japanese?
    KAHN: I live in California last twenty years, but first couple, Laos.
    HANK: Huh?
    KAHN: Laos. We Laotian.
    BILL: The ocean? What ocean?
    KAHN: We are Laotian. From Laos, stupid! It's a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It's between Vietnam and Thailand, okay? Population 4.7 million.

    HANK: So, are you Chinese or Japanese?