Re: [Bricolabs] Anyone Know About The CDI Network?

dyne.org open discussions
Author: ricardo ruiz
Date:  
To: Bricolabs startup mailinglist
Subject: Re: [Bricolabs] Anyone Know About The CDI Network?
CDI is crap

CDI - Crazy Dudes for money

do the labs work?
no, not at all. and they also use windows

they keep the imaginarium of the poor guys, they are so poor.

they don't strenght a community politically

they keeep the 500 year old project of slavery on brazil

but if someone findo interesting to workout with this kind of shit

go ahead

best from cdi land

r

2009/9/16 James Wallbank <james@???>

> Hi All,
>
> So now I have read CDI's wikipedia entry, the deal starts to become clearer
> - and it's potentially shocking!
>
>> Each CDI Community Center is a partnership with an existing leading
>> grassroots organization. The community based organizations provide the
>> infrastructure and CDI provides free computers and software, implements
>> educational methods, trains instructors and monitors the schools.
>>
> Okay, so what this means is:
>
> * CDI pay for some workstations (say, $20,000).
> * CDI pay to train instructors (this may have a very modest cost,
> particularly if training is online - but let's be generous and call it
> $20000).
>
> Let's estimate that as a total cost of, say, $40,000. (Being generous!)
>
> And in return they get:
>
> * A facility, with rent, taxes and running costs paid by a community
> organisation. ($20000 p/a)
> * Organisational administration, marketing and management paid for by a
> community organisation. ($20000+ p/a)
> * Local profile, contacts and credibility. ($???)
> * The opportunity to direct and monitor instructors, paid for by a
> community organisation! (I'm assuming 2 instructors here: $30000 + p/a)
>
> (Notice the way that the wikipedia article contracts all this value into
> just one word - 'infrastructure'.)
>
> Cool! So for $40000 one-off payment CDI get at least $70000 worth of
> services and facilities PER YEAR paid for.
>
> PLUS they get the profile, local contacts and credibility of a "Leading
> grassroots organisation". Let's say you needed to run a marketing campaign
> to build up that level of credibility in a locality... It might cost a
> one-off $100000+ (with adverts, websites, newspaper articles, events,
> giveaways...)
>
> Easy!!! The CDI model as expressed on Wikipedia (hey, it may be wrong)
> seems designed to co-opt local grassroots activity and redirect it towards
> product and consumer training.
>
> So what do the local public get?
>
> * Access to some new computers, provided ready and set up for them. (This
> is convenient, but restricts their access to troubleshooting, software
> installation and configuration skills, and familiarises them with technology
> unaffordable to them).
> * Restricted choices of software, limited to proprietary products that they
> can't afford themselves at home.
> * Training orientated around new, proprietary software.
> * Increased dependency on facilities at a local community project.
>
> That's not a terrible deal - but we can see that it could be much better.
>
> Looking at the third party in this deal, the community organisation, what
> do THEY get?
>
> * Some computers and software - all proprietary.
> * Their instructors are unavailable while they're working for someone
> else's agenda.
> * Their facilities unavailable while they're being used for someone else's
> agenda. (Although a clever project manager may be able to assert that CDI
> outputs and outcomes contribute to other objectives.)
> * A restricted choice of software.
> * Some training for their instructors. (This may be genuinely useful, but
> may be inflexible, inappropriate for local conditions, and difficult to roll
> out to other local teaching contexts.)
> * A headache from needing to report results and follow the CDI programme.
> * A badge which says they're a CDI Centre. (Whoooo!)
>
> It doesn't sound like such a good deal for them!
>
> I suggest that what this shows is that local centres really need to
> understand their own VALUE more. They need to get to grips with the value of
> their profile and contacts, and the value of their instructors, managers and
> organisers.
>
> Even if these people are are very low paid, or partly or wholly volunteers,
> their VALUE does not reduce (even if the COST does reduce).
>
> If centres really knew what their own value was, they maybe would demand a
> better deal from corporate network "supporters".
>
> Best Regards,
>
> James
> =====
>
> _______________________________________________
> read our blogs http://planet.bricolabs.net
> write our wiki http://wiki.bricolabs.net
>




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