Viewfinder: Tricked Slices of Rock

I had an interesting conversation when I was in Sudan working for our charity; One Media Player per Teacher (OMPT). The organization trains teachers to use audio-visual equipment to improve the quality of education in hard-to-reach places. OMPT helps teachers to use camcorders, portable media players, loud speakers and tiny video projectors all powered by batteries, and recharged by small solar panels or hand cranked generators.

A man asked me why he should trust the products coming from the USA. He was skeptical of our motives and perhaps afraid of outside influence. I told him that most of the products were, perhaps, designed in the USA, but actually made in Asia. He was still skeptical. He asked why he should trust these devices that don't look like they belong in his world. I agreed that the camcorder's plastic outer casing was indeed out-of-place in Sudan. I tried to help him understand that the really important stuff is on the inside. I speculated that someday, a camcorder would become available that looked more like it belonged in this world. Perhaps the outer casing would be made of wood, a gourd or a seashell. Perhaps a brass lamp would be a better form factor. He was a little more curious and asked what was inside the camcorder, so I removed some screws and took it apart to show him. Most consumer electronics products have printed circuit boards inside of them, so that is exactly what he saw and asked why he should trust the printed circuit board made by someone in the USA. I explained that it used surface-mount technology and was assembled by a machine, perhaps in a place like Singapore. He then asked what was designed in the USA and I pointed to the silicon chips on the printed circuit board. I suggested that some of those might have been designed or manufactured in the USA. He continued to be suspicious.