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<TITLE>RE: [plug] Re: Computer Bank - please dont give them away.</TITLE>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I am thinking we need to consider techniques to asses actual _interest_ in learning PC's before distributing PC's... we want to first find out:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">1. Are you interested in a computer to learn/gain other already discussed benefits.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">2. THEN, here's a compter (for low/no cost...) </FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">regards</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">David...</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">From: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Mike Holland [SMTP:myk@golden.wattle.id.au]</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Sent: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Wednesday, January 06, 1999 11:51 AM</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">To: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">plug@linux.org.au</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Subject: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">[plug] Re: Computer Bank - please dont give them away.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">David,</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I'm afraid that to really achieve something with this project will take</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">a lot of effort.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> Consider how the better charities operate. Goods are sold at low</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">prices in Op-Shops. If they were given away, I can assure you people</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">would take as much as they could get and sell it for peanuts to second</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">hand dealers. The low prices in op-shops are enough to stop such waste,</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">but not too much for the poor to afford.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> Just giving away PCs will lower their value If they wind up in </FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">cash-converters the next day, you will be lucky, because the buyer</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">will probably be a poor person getting a cheap computer and _wanting_ it.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> Who are the beneficiaries? Poor kids who make it to University might be</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">sufficiently motivated to just need the kit you describe.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Are you thinking of single parent families, Aboriginies, unemployed,</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">disabled, the "working poor"?</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Most "lower socioeconomic" kids will have real problems, and need</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">lots of support if they are ever to get into Linux. The home environment</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">is likely bad. They would need somewhere to go. A computer room in the</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">community hall? Perhaps with lockers for their PCs, and shared monitors</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">(bolted firmly to heavy tables). Volunteers from Computer Bank to help and</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">supervise.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Or would the strategy be to seek out those who only need financial help?</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> I fear that getting hardware is the easy bit, but may achieve little</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">more than a warm feeling by itself.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">But there must be huge numbers of unused 486s out there in industry,</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">which companies might be persuaded to see as a cheap way to get some</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">good publicity.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">On Thu, 31 Dec 1998, David Buddrige wrote:</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> 1. We obtain and build computers ready to go with Linux.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> 2. Put with Computers, some basic instructional material to allow</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> new-user to get started.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> 3. Put contact details on instructional material (for more help, contact</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> XYZ?)</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> 4. Give computers to various organisations to distribute to various</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> persons/families in need.</FONT>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Mike Holland <mike@golden.wattle.id.au> Perth, Australia.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> --==--</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">For perfect happiness, remember two things:</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> (1) Be content with what you've got.</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> (2) Be sure you've got plenty.</FONT>
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