An interview with Bill Gates

Re:An interview with Bill Gates by Zigurd on Saturday November 02, 2013 @09:37AM (#6659128)

You might be surprised at the priorities of the poor themselves. Internet access means knowing the market price rather than being ripped off by a middleman for your crop. Getting the market price might mean being able to afford indoor plumbing, but maybe a scooter comes first so grandma can be taken to a doctor when needed.

Curing malaria is inherently a top down priority. Acquiring communications is bottom up.

To take another example, providing a robot chauffeur maybe a solution to a first world problem, but cars kill twice as many people as malaria, so don't knock the robot chauffeur if he cuts traffic accidents by half or better.

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Re:An interview with Bill Gates by philliphaydon on Saturday November 02, 2013 @10:32AM (#6659300)

Have you actually been to a 3rd world country? If you had, your comment makes no sense at all...

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Re:An interview with Bill Gates by dodyg on Monday November 04, 2013 @06:15AM (#6667962)

"Internet access means knowing the market price rather than being ripped off by a middleman for your crop."

This is a classic tale that got retold over and over again for the positive impact of communication. Farmers know the market price - that's not a problem. The problem is they might not be able to sell their crops at market prices due to logistical choices and availability.

If there are only a few trucks today to deliver your produce to the faraway market, you take whatever price the middle man gives you - regardless of the market price - because the other choice is leaving them rotten on the field.

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