[ubuntu-uk] Donation of Old PCs - Meeting

alan c aeclist at candt.waitrose.com
Thu Jan 4 14:00:46 GMT 2007


Alan Pope wrote:
> On Thu, 2007-01-04 at 11:52 +0000, Mr W. F. Vening wrote:
>> Well it seems like this idea is possible, mabe it should be added to
>> the line up in the next discussion?
>> 
> 
> Added:-
> 
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/MeetingNotes/20070110Meeting
> 

I will try to be with the meeting, however I have trouble being 
available. So in case I cannot attend may I add a comment here?

Summary:
Choice of charity etc needs some care. Most will not be aware of 
either open source or Linux, and when offered a computer - they say 
yes please, then the trouble starts because they expect something very 
different. At best a waste of time, at worst, bad publicity.

How not to do it:
a) Over a long period I gently persuaded a local small internet cafe 
(attached to a hairdressers - the boss is keen on PCs) to try linux. 
Eventually he installed linux on one of 4 machines. I happened past 
one day and asked how things were, not knowing about his install. He 
said he had installed one machine, but had got 'complaints'. The 
customers could not work it..... He had given up on linux!

Mysterious open source:
b) I registered in bracknell as a volunteer at the local Volunteers 
Agency - offering to help anyone, (small) business or charity, with 
use of open source (windows etc) or linux. It became clear they did 
not know what open source was. I went in with a brief demonstration. I 
asked the IT person - they did not know if they used it . Oh! yes I 
use firefox. But she was not aware it was open source. I have had no 
requests for help from any of their users list....

No eager need:
c) I created and ran the age concern berks internet 'cafe' for several 
years (1000's of client sessions) and then stopped my activity because 
the organisation, and the other volunteers who helped me, had *no* 
interest at all in either using open source for windows or more 
preferably, linux. I had come to the conclusion that to continue 
helping elderly, vulnerable novices to use windows, people  who are 
usually on small pensions, was inadvisable and I could not in any 
conscience continue. That is, unless say linux could be accepted as a 
worthwhile alternative offered and taken seriously. I also contacted 
ACB England IT who were not interested in anything other than windows. 
I note that microsoft donate significant funds to acb england which is 
distributed to such as ac berks, The apparently large face value 
amount is judged using retail prices of the donated (software)goods. 
MS host age concern's annual Silver Surfers day at their campus. (I 
gave a keynote talk once!)

hth
-- 
alan cocks
Kubuntu user#10391



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