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235 points ChrisArchitect | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.212s | source
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kuwze ◴[] No.16850840[source]
There is a huge history of how much aid has hurt African countries[0].

After doing a bit of research, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to help poor people is to give away phones. I think it would really help people keep in contact with friends and family as well as help bootstrap innumerous businesses and really help the GDP of these countries. Sadly I have yet to find a service that lets me send new (cheap) smartphones to people in need.

Although I do not like a tiered internet, I do like the premise of Zuckerberg's Internet.org project. I think that access to Wikipedia in particular should be a right these days. For some reason I always idolize it (along with Kindles) as being the path towards creating a Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy for everyone.

[0]: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Aid-Working-Better-Africa/dp/037...

replies(3): >>16851176 #>>16851587 #>>16857797 #
1. avhon1 ◴[] No.16851587[source]
> I do like the premise of Zuckerberg's Internet.org project. I think that access to Wikipedia in particular should be a right

Until February 2018, Wikipedia had a similar zero-rating program called Wikipedia Zero [0].

> [Wikipedia] (along with Kindles) as being the path towards creating a Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy for everyone

The WikiReader [1] tried to get even closer to this -- a physical Wikipedia device. Too bad it failed commercially, it was another really nifty gadget.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Zero

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiReader