[plug] Re: Computer Bank - please dont give them away.

[Mike Holland]

David,
I'm afraid that to really achieve something with this project will take
a lot of effort.

   Consider how the better charities operate. Goods are sold at low
prices in Op-Shops. If they were given away, I can assure you people
would take as much as they could get and sell it for peanuts to second
hand dealers. The low prices in op-shops are enough to stop such waste,
but not too much for the poor to afford.

  Just giving away PCs will lower their value If they wind up in 
cash-converters the next day, you will be lucky, because the buyer
will probably be a poor person getting a cheap computer and _wanting_ it.

  Who are the beneficiaries? Poor kids who make it to University might be
sufficiently motivated to just need the kit you describe.
Are you thinking of single parent families, Aboriginies, unemployed,
disabled, the "working poor"?

Most "lower socioeconomic" kids will have real problems, and need
lots of support if they are ever to get into Linux. The home environment
is likely bad. They would need somewhere to go. A computer room in the
community hall? Perhaps with lockers for their PCs, and shared monitors
(bolted firmly to heavy tables). Volunteers from Computer Bank to help and
supervise.

Or would the strategy be to seek out those who only need financial help?

 I fear that getting hardware is the easy bit, but may achieve little
more than a warm feeling by itself.
But there must be huge numbers of unused 486s out there in industry,
which companies might be persuaded to see as a cheap way to get some
good publicity.



On Thu, 31 Dec 1998, David Buddrige wrote:

> 1. We obtain and build computers ready to go with Linux.
> 2. Put with Computers, some basic instructional material to allow
> new-user to get started.
> 3. Put contact details on instructional material (for more help, contact
> XYZ?)
> 4. Give computers to various organisations to distribute to various
> persons/families in need.


Mike Holland <mike at golden.wattle.id.au>            Perth, Australia.
                          --==--
For perfect happiness, remember two things:
        (1) Be content with what you've got.
        (2) Be sure you've got plenty.