Anti-globalization activists in Oakland, Calif., are recycling old machines, loading them with free software and shipping them off to Ecuador.

Neat story and a good illustration of how techno anarchists can chip in and help.

I wish I had the reply function working. In response of Dol's story I must point out:

The "independent media center" supports violent "black bloc" factions who believe they are helping the working class by throwing molotov cocktails at police officers and torching small business. They have also published a great deal of commentary in strong support of the political positions presented on the now defunct "stopamerica.org" which was operated by a Seattle Al'Quaeda member who was recently indicted and which referred to the 911 hijackers as "heros." Take everything they say and do with a truck load of salt. These people are the absolute worst of the radical left.

However, the building of infrastructure in the third world is a useful cause, and the general point of the article is taken regardless of how questionable the people involved are in general.