Wow mods! How did this get "Redundant"? It's the first post on more than just the privacy issue.

I actually came to /. looking for discussion on the provisions in Section 7 since, as a security professional I would be affected.

Both of these bills are problematic, and for a lot more than just the privacy concerns.

Demeaning to you is different than to the GP. Make a list of jobs you could perform with no significant education, experience or skills. Most of them would meet your definition of demeaning. The GP argues that any honest work carries a certain level of respect in his eyes.

And really, you think fast food is the bottom? Have you ever seen Dirty Jobs? Maybe spend some time with migrant laborers? How about hotel maid? Prostitute? I could go on.

My daughter is looking forward to turning 16 so she can get a job in fast food - she sees it as an opportunity to make money, and believes that relative to other fast food workers she will excel and be promoted. In fact, McDonalds is rightfully proud of the number of franchise owners that started out as line workers. Any job that has a boss has an opportunity for promotion.

Just because you see the world from an elite tower of opportunity doesn't mean everyone else does. Come on down, and see life from the ground up - it really makes you appreciate what you have.

I know this is Slashdot, but have you considered sleeping with her (Charli)? In the movies it always works. :)

There's more to the third world than just dirt-poor villages in rural Africa. In both Africa and South America, there are cities where the standard of living is beginning to approach 1st world standards. Now, obviously, these ClassmatePCs are not suitable for the poorest of the poor, in places where technology must take a back seat to basic survival needs. That's a place where the OLPC has a better chance of helping to provide a better education. That doesn't mean there isn't a middle ground, where a cheap laptop can be useful.

Now, I think the OLPC beats the Classmate across the board in terms of hardware, infrastructure requirements, and overall utility, but that doesn't mean there is no place for some competition. One of the links in the summary leads to a discussion of how the Classmate has forced Negroponte to deal with smaller orders and with less insistence on only talking to heads of state. Really, what's the down side of Intel producing these things? If they won't work for a given market, they won't sell well there.