Archive for August, 2007
Software and the New Colonialism
Friday, August 31st, 2007A colleague of mine recently attended a meeting between the Ministry of Education and representatives for a new initiative sponsored by Microsoft. On the face of it, the offer on the table was compelling: Microsoft Windows and Office licenses for sale at about 700 vatu each for educational institutions. Huge investment in flagship schools in [...]
A Matter of Trust
Friday, August 10th, 2007“We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know, because they have never deceived us.” These words belong to Samuel Johnson, a wise man indeed. St. Augustine looked at things from the other side and famously observed, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”
We in Vanuatu have a distinct advantage over our neighbours in other countries. Our [...]
Pink Dolphins
Friday, August 3rd, 2007Pink dolphins are my idea, and I refuse to let anyone else think of them. Anybody who does think of pink dolphins must pay a royalty fee for each time they think of pink dolphins, multiplied by the number of pink dolphins they think of.
That last paragraph is a simple – and absurd – example [...]