[Sugar-devel] [UKids] Re: The future of Sugar on XO-1s

[Dave Crossland]

Hi

On 11 April 2016 at 10:41, Adam Holt <holt at laptop.org> wrote:

> On Sun, Apr 10, 2016 at 11:40 PM, Dave Crossland <dave at lab6.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Are you saying that some corresponding laptops were NOT given to poor
>> kids as promised, and the foundation just netted the cash? :)
>>
>
> [Yes]
>

That's a bold assertion, but fair enough. In the worst imaginary scenario,
the OLPC Foundation board transferred the money into their personal Panama
accounts, or spent it on lavish junkets, or whatever. In the best case it
was used to fund the organization unwisely until it was all gone.

Last week I obtained a copy (for $0.01 + postage) of "Learning To Change
The World" and in Chapter 4, page 75, it says

After the February 2008 board meeting, OLPC and the Sugar community split.
One month later, Sugar Labs was founded as an independent non-profit
organization that would continue to drive the development and dissemination
of the Sugar learning software. In the immediate aftermath of the split,
OLPC rapidly expanded its staff, going from fewer than twenty full-time
employees to nearly sixty.


I imagine that is about $4M/year in wages. That in itself seems completely
unwise when the organisation was failing to close large sales. You also
allege it was spent on same-day flights. I could believe it.

But, well, whatever. This was a long time ago. Whatever way the money was
spent, it was spent, and is long gone. The foundation was eventually wound
down, the association was eventually wound down, and now there is just this
husk of OLPC Inc today, with to-date-anonymous-to-me workers dutifully
supplying XO-4s to anyone who will order them, and paying ol' James here on
contract to do needed technical maintenance work.

Is anyone involved in any of the bad behaviour you are alleging still
involved in OLPC or Sugar Labs today?

Even if they are, I don't see value in guilt tripping them about what
happened; nor really am I too curious about chasing down what actually
happened, unless you have a plan to recover the money and avoid defamation
lawsuits ;)



> Why sugar-coat the truth?
>

Negativity corrodes enthusiasm. Being factual is fine, being grumpy is not
:)

-- 
Cheers
Dave
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