Fundraising idea for OLPC

not sure whether it is sane or not, but i am writing it down as it comes to me when i am thinking of social fundraising

please feel free to steal the idea... or else i might end up doing :)

the idea is based on: 

  • social interaction (donor-beneficiary engagement) 
  • group push (multi-donors per laptop)

each olpc has 1,080,000 square pixels (1200 x 900) - a small but visible facebook/twitter user icon/avatar is 576 square pixels (24 x 24), a normal one is 5776 square pixels (76 x 76) - donors can buy up avatars to contribute to the cost of a laptop

donors who contributed would appear on the virtual wall in the laptop (easily accessible in navigation)

donors messages/comments are also included in the wall

assuming the rate is at $0.001 cent per pixel, a small avatar costs only ~$0.05 and a normal avatar costs only ~$0.50

the whole screen can accommodate about 186 normal sized avatars

why this is interesting:

  • the child recipient and donors can interact when the child browses through the wall (via facebook, twitter)
  • the donor walls are also accessible on the web
  • donors would also be informed of "filtered" activities carried out in the laptop (olpc has activity log feature) which would be posted on to the wall (get donors involved)
  • as it is micro-donation happening across social media platforms, i guess there is some viral element and the group push effect

related prior examples:

http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/

http://fixoutlook.org/

http://www.chapter.org/redevelopment/brick.html

http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/RebeccaHall/sponsor-a-brick-lego-house

http://blamedrewscancer.com/

similar idea:

http://www.slideshare.net/michaelsprague/olpc-micropayment-strategy

 

Mesh Network

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Though one could easily figure out what these two words mean, I happened to come in touch with the terminology only when I had a chance to really touch an XO laptop about 10 months ago.

There are a lot of magics at work in connecting these green nodes. It is very interactive to see those nodes visualized on the screen. And social exchanges happen through that visualization.

I have very keen interest in means of relaying information anonymously through mobile phones under heavy surveillance from restrictive regimes such as Iran and Burma. The best is to be able to setup spontaneous and fluid network within a trusted group.

Mesh network setup among XO laptops intrigued me to wonder if it would be applicable among mobile phones.

After a few googlings, I got a lead - bluetooth. I personally think bluetooth is a under-utilized feature because I have never used it from my mobile. And now it is even more impossible with my current very basic Nokia phone with no bling bling but a handy torchlight.

Bluetooth has limitation in range though; bluetooth in usual phones can communicate within 10 meters range only.

I have a few ideas on possible usages in for information centers in rural areas and among activists. To be continued.