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Linux Advocacy in Ethiopia: A Traveller's Journal

Posted by michael on from the i-met-a-traveler-from-an-antique-land dept.

Jutta Horstmann writes "At the Horn of Africa, little is known about Open Source. To change this, Jan Muehlig and Jutta Horstmann (relevantive AG, authors of last year's Linux Usability Report) set out to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Read their traveller's journal and get more information on Linux and Open Source in Ethiopia at relevantive.de/ethiopia." Their travel report is the most interesting section.

3 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Re:interesting by DunbarTheInept · · Score: 4, Informative

    You end poverty by making the economy better, and you do that by making the country less dependant on foriegn aid and more able to participate as an equal in world trade. To that end, technology is highly relevant. You can't fix the problem by trying to first fix poverty and then second trying to improve the technology. If you don't work on the technology, you'll never fix the poverty. As far as why open source is important - it's important because it allows the people of the country to participate as equals in the development of the technology instead of just as consumers of the technology.

    Look to the model India used to launch itself onto the world stage and become a real force to be reckoned with. When adapting technology from overseas, it would always opt for trying to buy the right to use the technology behind a product, rather than just buy the rights to use the end-product. It's still got poverty, but it's a lot better off than it once was, because its sucessive governments since independance have frequently pursued a policy of metaphorically wanting to be taught to fish, instead of just being given fish.

    --

    Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.

  2. Re:Won't happen by dbIII · · Score: 3, Informative
    The Christians have been trying to convert Ethiopians for decades now.
    How's that for ignorance - there have been Ethiopian Christians for a lot longer than there have been english Christians.
  3. Will work if you bundle Linux with MS Office by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Most Ethiopians are very brand conscious, and no one will buy a computer in Ethiopia if it does not come with MS Office. And every corner you see a computer training schools that has introductory courses for Word/Excel/Access for like 10 - 20 dollars that span a few months.

    We tried selling Compaq computers a few years ago, and failed. Now our supplies are limited to the UN, OAU and Embassies.

    And besides local assemblers sell a computer most of it based on SIS chipset/motherboards for about Birr 4000 about 450 dollars including a 14" monitor. And these come with all sorts of software including Win XP, MS Office,etc.