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

[Bob Ogden]

In <E172C2F7E59AD211B3BF006097B5089C1EBF at news.mitswa.com.au>, on 06/Jan/99

   at 12:22 PM,( GMT)
"Buddrige, David" <david.buddrige at mitswa.com.au> said:


> Some good points - especially regarding the "op-shop" idea... will raise
> for discussion...

Perhaps an answer to this is to loan the machines not give/sell them, If
clear title remains with Computer Bank and the machines are indelibly
marked with something along the lines of "Property of Computer Bank" then
I think that should fix the problem of them being floged off. Geting the
machines marked "donated by ..." could be a sweetener for the deal for
corporations too.

> 1. Persons actually interested in learning how to use a computer (as you
> say, no point in giving a computer to someone only for them to hock it
> the following day.

I can see this as becoming a major part of the "good works" that CB does.

> 2. One of the guidelines needs to be one-pc-per family to avoid people
> taking as many as they can.

Ken Yap said:

] I think the approach will vary according to user group. Maybe in some
] cases, like recent migrants, it will be a home PC and visits by a home
] tutor. For dysfunctional youth, maybe a computer room in the local club
] and supervision. It all depends. Installing and documenting the
] software is just one of the things in a chain of things that have to be
] done. I don't think we can say what the approach should be until we
] have gone out and got our customers.

I think Ken's thoughts on the matter need serious consideration. We need
to find out what services are needed before we barge on in.  It may be
that we end up acting in a totally unexpected way because _that_ is what
is needed.  That's not to say that we loose track of what we setout to do,
just to be flexible in how that is achieved.

-- 
/-- Bob Ogden  bob at contact.omen.com.au --------------/
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Does your system break in 359 days?