Filed under: Open Source
Just came across this via my Google Alerts feed on a post from Rebekah Kendal and found it really interesting. The Shuttleworth Foundation has placed Freedom Toaster kiosks in various locations throughout parts of South Africa in an effort to increase citizen access to Open Source software, digital photography, and music files. The project started as an effort to overcome challenges users from the region face when trying to obtain Linux and Open Source software components via South Africa’s restricted telecommunications network. The system’s limitations, according to the Freedom Toaster site, make it impossible for people from certain regions to download large pieces of software.
The Freedom Toaster concept has the potential to vastly increase access to Open Source software for individuals living in developing countries, where the cost and other restrictions make it difficult to obtain software. According to Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Thwate and person responsible for the 2004 launch of Ubuntu Linux, ” Open standards, open source and software libre make it possible to jump onto the information highway without having to pay a toll. They give
people the tools to build amazing infrastructure, and to reshape those
tools in the ways that they need without having to ask permission.”
About the Shuttleworth Foundation:
The Shuttleworth Foundation, founded by Mark Shuttleworth in 2001, is passionate about social development. The organization drives social and policy innovation in the fields of education and technology, through policy dialogue and practical projects, and is currently focused on five broad themes:
- Educational leadership & management
- The promotion of communication & analytical skills
- Wireless & telecommunications regulation
- Collaborative content creation
- Intellectual property rights
Technorati Tags: open source, software
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