Raspberry Pi

I am really into computers. One of my favorite acronyms is CMC, which stands for computer-mediated communications. I see computers being very sophisticated hammers, and I want as many humans as possible to have the tools to express themselves.

So, of course my child will have lots of gadgets. Even if they don’t care about them the way I do, they will be fortunate enough to be born into a family that both values and can afford their access to the internet, through a variety of devices (over time, because that is how we roll).

It breaks my heart, a little bit. I want all children to have access to the information and culture on the internet. All of it. Wikipedia, search engines, 4Chan, pr0n, YouTube. As Cory describes it, I am a techno-optimist, and I believe that exposure to new ideas is important for human development.

That is why I am excited by Raspberry Pi, the $25 computer.

Thinking about the possibilities for this is mind-boggling. Of course we want to get every kid in the world a computer, but I wouldn’t stop there. They are only going to get better and cheaper. I dream of a day when I can walk around with a handful of computers in my pocket and give them away to anyone that wants one, let alone needs one. I am sure it will be helpful in developing the Freedom Box, as well.

I also imagine that the work we do in computer literacy is going to be more important, since it is going to have to scale quickly. That is a challenge I look forward to.