malleable platform against cultural imperialism

Some of the criticism of OLPC is suspicious about something originating in a country dominating the status quo. Benjamin Mako Hill points out that cell phones are already widespread in the developing world and are not programmable by end-user countries or interested communities.

Certainly cell phones are already widespread in the Philippines. I hope that once OLPC and other low-cost educational computers, local groups in the Philippines will be ready to program them and develop courseware. I don't think it will happen spontaneously, some promotion and orchestration may be of significant value.