OLPC-toting Rwandan students flock to airport for free WiFi
By Donald Melanson 
posted Feb 23rd 2009 4:33PM
posted Feb 23rd 2009 4:33PM
OLPC may be facing some tough times as of late, but there's no denying that the little-laptop-that-could has made an impact where it's been distributed, as evidenced by this latest indication of the project's reach in Rwanda. Apparently, in addition to helping students with their schoolwork, the laptop is also teaching them the fine art of finding free WiFi, and this particular group seems to have quickly discovered that the Kigali International Airport is one of the best spots in town. And just what are they using the laptops to look up in their time outside the classroom? Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme, who, coincidentally, also brings the world together in his own special way.
[Image courtesy Anna Koblanck / DN.se, thanks Jonas]
[Image courtesy Anna Koblanck / DN.se, thanks Jonas]
These are the faces of Ebay frauds...
The guy in the blue shirt is a Rwandan prince.
yeah, stirring words for the third world kids who are finally joining the global community. fuckers.
That's not racist at all. Only a real asshole would look at a child and assume because of the color of his skin and where he was born that he'd become a criminal. Go to hell.
why is it that every other race but white is allowed to be racist and its funny...but when a white person says something racist its wrong?
You know that's not true.
I'm black and find this whole thing amusing... Continue on guys...
When people make fun of the Scots for being cheap and having sex with sheep you don't see me bitching. Now if you'll excuse me I have a date and I gotta go withdraw $5 bucks to pay for it.
how is this racist? YOU are the one who associated the joke with skin color.. i associate it with people stealing wifi.
This isn't racist.
All of those kids are Angelina Jolie's.
...now.
Perhaps it was not a comment on skin color, but on continent of origin. I'm not sure about you guys, but I haven't received an Australian general scam email for awhile.
yeah, i guess it's more reasonable to automatically assume that any person from a given continent is a criminal than to be racist
I think the ebay scam country is called Nigeria...Hes googling AK-47 :)
@Steve, Please turn down your overactive sensitivy meter and put away that damned race card.
I believe he's referring to the geographic location of Rwanda where a lot of internet fraud comes from and not the ethnicity of the people.
We can't even get food into the region without it being stolen. How hard do you think it would be for them to spot the only green thing in the region and confiscate that for terrorist purposes against their own people? But then again could we take a terrorist seriously if they were spotted using the little green machine for evil purposes?
ah, internet porn finding its way on to the OLPC. finally they get to experience what its like being a 13 year old male in the western civilization
Worse yet, the discovered etrade and now go on red bull fueled day trading sprees.
BUY! SELL! CRAP, I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE SHORTED FDO!
I am voting you + only because I feel i can relate to your joke, and know what you are talking about. I doubt many else will.
so heres your +.
[+]
That's the little bugger who's wants to send me $100,000,000 for safe keeping.
hahahaha that is the funniest thingi have seen all day!!
Man that made me laugh...lol
And really, how can you say not to that face?
That widdle iddle biddle faaaace.
is that slickdeals they're on?
No, Engadget; they are eyeballing what gadgets to buy once they have conned more Westerners out of credit card details.
wow...why can't we all be happy that they're getting to experience what we do day in and day out?
haha instead we scoff at the scams that the country produces
(for the record, I laughed too...)
It's possible to be happy for them and have a sense of humor at the same time. It's not like the story is about them dying from AIDS and making fun of that.
So this is how people from nigera keep sending me spam emails...
I'm sure they are looking at Engadget in that picture.
in after racists
In after the douche bag who thinks he's smarter than the room.:)
in this case i do think that yes
in after the room
You're a moron. People aren't making racist comments.
Who's the more racist? Someone who cracks a non-racial joke about some people that happen to be black, or the person who sees racism in a joke that has none simply because the subjects are black?
i'm gonna say it's the commenters who can't see black kids taking an interest in technology without thinking of nigerian e-mail scams
Come on you guys! Haven't you ever seen Avenue Q?
"Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes! Doesn't mean we go around committing hate criiiiiiimes."
confusing Rwanda for Nigeria != racism.
I upranked you.
Its not stringing people up and burning them but its subconscious racism when the first thing you think of is scammers.
Its a little funny yes, but on the whole, unnecessary.
@Mike10010100
Yes, and it also says "The Internet Is for Porn". Surprised I haven't seen more of those jokes.
The one in the blue is trying to figure out how to tweak his ferocious OLPC to handle Crysis
do they have OLPC's with Windows yet? if so they could at least play Starcraft.
Smart kids.
It's funny how quickly people adapt.
An orangutan could pose the same picture...these little turds don't have a clue what they are doing and you are ignorant for giving them such undeserved credit. Who do you think you are, I mean, really?
I just don't understand why they NEED to have internet access, or computers in general. Obviously they will flock to locations where it is free, rather than work a nine to fiver and entertain the thought of actually paying for such it. It's like the beings in these third world cultures have a free pass to rely on hand outs. This same culture I speak of has carried on fine with out technology, why now do we feel obligated to show them such generosity when they have shown us so little.
I guess I just long to see a day when people will get what they put it. Don't get me wrong, these degenerates deserve a chance at a better future, but the internet is crowded as it is..if it's something they can live without, I think we are doing more harm than good.
no offense to you patrick,
but GO TO HELL.
Patrick, you are a fucking moron, these kids having internet access provides them with access to a whole world that to date, they have been completely unaware of. They should have an opportunity to access knowledge, develop their ideas and dream just like we did. I mean lets be realistic, what have you done to be deserving?
Better that they're wardriving than being driven to war.
I smell piratebay franchise!
That's right, every african is either a 419er or a prince...
Hah, well way to go. Seriously though, Microsoft needs to get their s**t together and put XP on those XO-1s, so that at least the kids can learn what actual computers do ;p
I agree.
Instead... they are probably getting on Myspace.
OLPC-FM... One Laptop Per Child - For Myspace!
"put XP on those XO-1s, so that at least the kids can learn what actual computers do"
you disgust me.
I think I'm pissed/jealous that they get free wifi at the airport! It's usually a fee at most airports in the US for wifi!
That's just because data networks in the US are crap, because they didn't have the earlier infrastructure of wired connections, a lot of 3rd world countries now have far better wireless coverage than the US. Hooray for being early adopters?
The male brain is very creative when it comes to finding.... stuff these kids aren't supposed to watch yet.
And his screen says,
Hello Friend, I am a Rwandan Prince and I would like your help moving $50 Million dollars into the United States. You can keep %10 for your help. I only need your checking account numbers to send you this certified check for the money.
Beautiful. Nice to see the Internet being more available in the corners of the world.
Seek the Truth, Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.
Probably trying to download Majestic Windows 7.
Greetzz
Genius kids. One kid plays games, the other holds the wifi adapter and the other one works the pedal to charge
Funny these same kids will grow up and scam CitiBank, Wachovia, Chase, and all the rest for $100 mil.
meanwhile you will either end up in jail for gang related violence, or just dead.
The next thing you know, these kids are gonna be walking down the runway trying to find the "best" signal. Not only pilots will have to dodge cows but kids as well.
where have all the witty engadget readers gone?....we did have them!
all we get is the most obvious weak joke you could apply to this photo...
(even after is already been posted a bunch of times already)
"email scams" HAHAHA LOLZ
What I find so funny, living in South Africa, is that people seem to think that basic infrastructure doesn't exist in Africa. To those thinking this - you do realise that the laptops are being distributed to the poorest of the poor, right? There are poor people in every country. It's not a third world thing in the least.
In fact, most third world countries tend to have better infrastructure due to its implementation being more recent. People seriously need to start getting their facts straight as ignorance is never a good thing. The current trend is to judge Africa by looking at its poor. If that was the case globally, we'd all be viewing the US through the likes of those living in the slums of New York and beyond. Not a much better existence, is it?
*zooms in*
Is that....KaZaA?????
roflahf
What no Chuck Norris search?
He's hiding behind the OLPC ready to deliver a bag of hurt.
Who knows maybe this is a pic of the next Rwanda president.
Internet Porn for the world....
Wow! The ignorant asses are coming out of the woodwork. America HAD a president who ran up record deficits, launched an illegal war, there are major corporations that have been scamming Americans for decades, yet there are idiots trying to link a person with dark skin to scams and future crimes. It's nice to know who the ignorant folks are.
Yeah, you! Lighten up.
And America now has a President breaking record deficits with stimulus packages that stand a 40-60 chance of actually working.
BTW Iraq is much better off than Rwanda... go figure.
You're telling ME, to lighten up? Yet, you provide this garbage... "And America now has a President breaking record deficits with stimulus packages that stand a 40-60 chance of actually working.
BTW Iraq is much better off than Rwanda."
*Pot-meet-kettle*
You're correct, "go figure."
Dear sir,
Hello, I am youre friend Mbeke. I have 1000 OPLC laptops redy to be handed out to many scoolkids, but need $10,000 Amarican to free them from the diktator's palace....
Angry old man:
"You kids get off the runway! Dang young 'uns these days. No respect, I tell ya. Why in my day, we stayed off the runways. We walked everywhere we went. And we liked it!"
well i'm still waiting for that 10 or 20 dollar laptop yo!
WHY SO MUCH ENVY??
they are kids and are playing with pc's cheaper than a EEE PC, and you know what is the BEST PART? eventually they will learn ways to use those little pc's in ways we can even conceive.. and even if not. THEY surely will get more satisfaction than most of --you-- US get from our 600$ - 1k$+ laptops..
btw I'm not black or African..
Your probably right about them enjoying it more than we enjoy our $1000 machines. That's how it begins.
Finally, they have unrestricted access to their swiss accounts, and can really set up a meaningful give and take with universities around the globe. I can't wait until our western universities can finally tap the unbridled intellectual prowess and research method that has been ongoing in rwanda. Soon globally, the entire world will know what secrets and proven research the rwandans have been sitting on. Why, our understanding of physics, science, humanity, and the earth itself cannot help but feel such a sudden influx of untapped knowledge now flooding the internet. It's an exciting time folks, I'm sure those rwandans will not disappoint in any way.
I'm tempted to comment on the irritating comments posted earlier, but since I originally wanted to point out how cute it was that those boys hang out and look at pictures of Bruce Lee and Jean Claude, I'll stick with that. But seriously, I laughed out loud when I read that article. There are some things that resonate with 13 year old boys everywhere, I guess!