OLPC Used to Browse Porn 338
youthoftoday writes "The OLPC project to bring the internet to third world has worked well — too well, it seems. Yahoo reports that Nigerian Children are already using the OLPC to browse for porn." This is why as kids we couldn't look at National Geographic issues without being supervised. A rep from OLPC said, understandably, that the laptops would now be fitted with filters.
Re:understandably? (Score:5, Informative)
Remember, morality is relative.
OLPC is a state-subsidized educational program for children.
If you want OLPC to succeed you do not create problems in the classroom, you do not embarrass its local sponsors.
Nigeria is a mix of Islam, evangelical Protestant, conservative Catholic, and tribal religion. Tolerance of pornography - and the exposure of children to pornography - doesn't figure prominently in any one of them.
Porn on the Internet is framed in terms of the Western stereotypes of the dominant male and the subservient [often promiscuous] female. In the Nigerian setting, this comes at a price:
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. It is a country on the brink of an AIDS disaster. And its dominant religions - traditional religion, Christianity, and Islam - all proclaim the superiority of males to females. These three aspects are closely linked.
In traditional Nigerian society, there is no separation between the laws governing secular and spiritual spheres. What the gods say is sanctioned by society and forms the norms of the community. They cannot be challenged, especially by women. This divinely ordained male dominance forms the ultimate basis of patriarchal entrenchment in Nigerian culture.
The siege of patriarchy encompasses all spheres in Nigerian society including practices like female genital mutilation, child marriage, widow inheritance, rape, and polygamy. Talk about sex is considered immoral; sexual issues are not open to discussion. This secrecy surrounding sexual relations, combined with the religious and cultural expectations that subjugate women, largely explains women's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in the country. No effort to curb the spread of AIDS in Nigeria can afford to ignore the influence of religion and culture. Women in Nigeria: Religion, Culture, and AIDS [iheu.org] [2002]
On a fundamental level, Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have similar views on the why HIV continues to spread: both groups see promiscuous behavior as the root cause of the HIV crisis. Promiscuity is frowned upon heavily because of religious teachings and because of underlying cultural traditions within Nigerian society. Even before Christianity and Islam were introduced, Nigerian cultural tradition emphasized the importance of sexual discretion and believed that sex should be reserved for marriage. Leaders in both the Christian and Muslim communities discourage their followers from pre-marital and extra-marital sex, and teach that procreation is the main reason for sex. Religion and HIV/AIDS in Nigeria [globalengage.org]
Inaccurate (Score:5, Informative)
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/booby-trap/kids-use-us
The OLPC manufacturers were just asked about what they'd do. That was there only relation to the story.
Re:Porn is inevitable (Score:2, Informative)
No. The internet was meant to allow scientists to share information and computational resources.
Re:The end of 419 scams? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Porn is inevitable (Score:2, Informative)
No. The Internet was meant to allow the military to maintain reliable communication in the face of a devastating nuclear attack. The scientists-sharing-resources aspect is a side benefit in support of the military's main goal.
Not OLPC (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Then it is true (Score:1, Informative)