[sf-lug] how to get computers?

Andrew Fife afife at untangle.com
Mon Mar 3 22:28:02 PST 2008


Apology in advance for responding to multiple posts in one post...

=============
Jim S. wrote:
=============
>how can low-income and non-profit institutions get any of the computers
>that were built this last weekend (saturday, march 1)?

Saturday's event was specifically for schools.  Schools that want
computers can source the from the ACCRC by filling out the following form:

http://www.accrc.org/pdf/school.pdf

In fact, we are looking for schools that are open to trying Ubuntu so if
anyone knows of a school in need, please direct them to the .pdf above.
If the International School wants computers, I'm pretty sure ACCRC would
be happy to donate to them.  

Non-profits are not eligible for computers from the March 1st event,
however, the ACCRC regularly donates computers to them and Non-profits may
apply for computers (outside of the 3/1 event) using the following form:

http://www.accrc.org/pdf/nonprofit.pdf

=============
Jim S. wrote:
=============
>it comes to mind to ask whose computers are these? if they're 
>james', shouldn't the give-away process include james' blessing or 
>direction?

Yep, these are ACCRC's boxes.  Technically they are toxic waste, so the
ACCRC needs to distribute them.

==============
Rick M. wrote:
==============
>At the end of the event, all of the machines were driven back to ACCRC,
>whence they came.

See response below.

===================
Christian E. wrote:
===================
>No, there are still about 40 boxes sitting in the sun room to the south
of
>the gym in the KIPP school.  

Rick & Christian, you are both right.  All of the computers have gone back
the ACCRC except a handful at the KIPP School.  These computers were
installed with the Ubuntu during the event, but were originally source

----------------------------------------
Andrew Fife
Untangle - Open Source Security Gateway
download.untangle.com

650.425.3327 (O)
415.806.6028 (C)
afife at untangle.com 





------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:41:21 -0800
From: jim stockford <jim at well.com>
Subject: Re: [sf-lug] how to get computers?
To: jim stockford <jim at well.com>
Cc: Linux userGroup <sf-lug at linuxmafia.com>
Message-ID: <2882ab7545b5cbcee983d3b40835b398 at well.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed


oh, another tho't (sorry):
    seems to me, given the expectations that are likely
to have been set up and perhaps the value of building
on recent publicity, whoever's in charge ought to get
the give-away process in motion, whatever the policies.

On Mar 3, 2008, at 8:24 PM, jim stockford wrote:

>
>     i believe the process of giving computers away
> should be somewhat flexible. i buy what you've
> outlined to a rather large extent, but i know there
> are some who'd benefit who won't be able to
> come to the kipp school or even if they can come
> won't be able to take a computer away--this has
> nothing i can see to do with buy-in: they may be
> willing to buy in, but without an accommodating
> process, they lose, and, it seems to me, unfairly.
>
>     it comes to mind to ask whose computers are
> these? if they're james', shouldn't the give-away
> process include james' blessing or direction? if
> by some stretch the people involved in working
> on these can make some claim, then perhaps a
> give-away process should include them.
>     do i understand correctly that there are some
> computers for give-away in the four locations:
> berkeley, marin (novato), san francisco, and san
> mateo? should give-away policy and procedure
> be uniform across all locations?
>
> i'll see your two and raise you one.
> jim
>
>
>
> On Mar 3, 2008, at 6:44 PM, Christian Einfeldt wrote:
>
>> hi
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 5:25 PM, jim stockford <jim at well.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>  as to having a give-away meeting:
>>>  ? ?pluses are they come get the computers and
>>>  we can give them a one-shot training session.
>> In my experience, if you don't get people to "buy in" to the computer
>> by coming to a class or two, they don't value the box, and there is a
>> greater likelihood that they will just install Microsoft Windows on
>> it.
>>  ?
>>>  it would be nice to give a CD-ROM away with
>>>  every computer so's each person has a copy
>>>  of the OS for recovery
>> This is a really good idea.
>> ?.
>>>  ? ?minuses include a seeming restriction on the
>>>  window of time they can get one: only when
>>>  we're there to give 'em away; and only those
>>>  who can get there get one--what about people
>>>  without transportation or the single mom in
>>>  antioch....
>> Again, IMHO, this is a "buy-in" issue.? The real world digital tipping
>> point is getting closer every day now, I believe, and so we no longer
>> are in a position where we have to be extra special nice to get people
>> to adopt these boxes.? We should try to impose some measure of
>> discipline and desire in people who get our boxes, because there *are*
>> people out there who will jump through a few hoops to get a box, and
>> for the rest, we don't want them as "clients" anyway, because they
>> will just waste our time.
>>  ??? maybe have a give-away meeting as well as
>>>  another means to get computers to those who
>>>  need them.
>>
>> Yeah, if we have a giveaway meeting and we do it regularly and get
>> people to sign up, that again will instill a sense of having "earned"
>> the computer, and it will build community.? People really need to
>> "get" it that they must give back to the community.? I don't
>> particularly like to support leeches any more.? I have supported a lot
>> of leeches, and I am tired of it.? I feel that my time is valuable,
>> and I want the "clients" to acknowledge the same by having some
>> orderliness about picking up a box and showing that they will learn.
>>  ?
>> Just my two cents.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:43:19 -0800
From: jim stockford <jim at well.com>
Subject: Re: [sf-lug] how to get computers?
To: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
Cc: sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
Message-ID: <066c409bf94f8f6aa216d9951ed9def1 at well.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed


aha! thanks. james is likely fully in charge.
probably supplicants should approach
ACCRC as usual, then, yes?

On Mar 3, 2008, at 8:34 PM, Rick Moen wrote:

>> do i understand correctly that there are some computers for give-away
>> in the four locations: berkeley, marin (novato), san francisco, and
>> san mateo?
>
> At the end of the event, all of the machines were driven back to ACCRC,
> whence they came.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> sf-lug mailing list
> sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
> http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/sf-lug
>




------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:48:02 -0800
From: "Christian Einfeldt" <einfeldt at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [sf-lug] how to get computers?
To: "jim stockford" <jim at well.com>
Cc: Linux userGroup <sf-lug at linuxmafia.com>
Message-ID:
	<4b5781040803032048t3a9b5f70r2115ccc385f5c335 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

hi

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 8:24 PM, jim stockford <jim at well.com> wrote:

>
>    i believe the process of giving computers away
> should be somewhat flexible.


Sure, flexibility is good to a point, and as it works out in practice, it
most certainly will change over time.

But IMHO, it is important to remember that our time is valuable, meaning
that if we come up with an efficient and effective way of doing this work,
we will be able to 1) bring more people into SF-LUG; and 2) the people we
bring in will be more likely to give back.

I personally find it a little bit depressing to give computers to people
and
then never hear from them again.  I am not a store; I don't do this for
profit; I do this work to bring people to the SF-LUG list, so that we can
have more people helping more people.  If someone goes off by themselves,
they have every right to do so; but those are not the people that I am
looking to help.

So yes, flexible is good, because after all, we are doing this as a
service,
and we do not really expect anything in return.  We are not a cult.  We
don't expect anyone to pay dues or to salute our flag or learn a secret
handshake or wear a secret decoder ring.  But my sense is that we are
going
to find that a lot of people are going to start wanting computers, and
more
and more people will accept a basic box.  So IMHO, we can afford to be
choosy.  So I am saying yeah, let's be choosy and help people who are
interested not just in getting a computer and then never giving back.
That
is what our Sunday and Monday SF-LUG meetings are good for.

For example, Daniel Gimpelevich and I helped a guy with a notebook (mostly
Daniel) named Phil, I think it was.  Phil came to a recent SF-LUG meeting,
and Daniel took his notebook home, and did a great deal of detailed work
on
getting Phil's notebook running, and Phil has never come back to this list
at all, nor has he come to any meetings.  That is fine.

But if we are going to start a systematic method for giving out boxes,
IMHO,
we should have fairly clear criteria for so doing, so that we can make
sure
that we are growing our community, and not just throwing good time after
newbies who don't give back.


> i buy what you've
> outlined to a rather large extent, but i know there
> are some who'd benefit who won't be able to
> come to the kipp school or even if they can come
> won't be able to take a computer away--this has
> nothing i can see to do with buy-in: they may be
> willing to buy in, but without an accommodating
> process, they lose, and, it seems to me, unfairly.


We can't help everyone.  Some people are just going to have to be left
out.
I would prefer to leave out the "expensive" and "difficult" ones; meaning,
those people who make large demands on us, but don't give back.

   it comes to mind to ask whose computers are
> these?


Some of the boxes are "mine", I guess you could say, as I have scrounged
them up, and driven them over to the KIPP closet and have done so for the
purpose of building the KIPP community.  But that is really not totally
accurate, because if I say that those boxes are "mine" and I am not
willing
to listen to the input of the community, I will rapidly loose support from
people who have skills that I do not have.  So I am willing to go along
with
suggestions from other active members like Jim Stockford, because he has
given a lot of work, too, and same for Holden Aust and Daniel Gimpelevich
and Daniel Mizyrycki, to name only a few.  In other words, I view it more
as
a consensus and community project, and I recognize that my ideas are not
always the best, and I am willing to go along with other active
volunteers.


> if they're james', shouldn't the give-away
> process include james' blessing or direction?


I personally have an agreement with James Burgett that I will consult with
him as to what I do with boxes that I get from him.  Of course, I have no
control over anyone else in this group, but I recognize that James has put
a
lot of time into building ACCRC, and he has been very successful, and so I
am willing to defer to his judgment.  In exchange, James tends to trust
me,
and tends to agree with my requests a lot of the time, but not always.
But
what works for me might not work for others.


> if
> by some stretch the people involved in working
> on these can make some claim, then perhaps a
> give-away process should include them.


I always consult with James.


>
>    do i understand correctly that there are some
> computers for give-away in the four locations:
> berkeley, marin (novato), san francisco, and san
> mateo? should give-away policy and procedure
> be uniform across all locations?


As to the boxes that I scrounged for the KIPP school, James doesn't care
about those boxes.  As to the boxes that are at the four locations, IMHO,
it
is for James Burgett to decide what happens to those boxes.


> i'll see your two and raise you one.


heh
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:52:44 -0800
From: "Christian Einfeldt" <einfeldt at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [sf-lug] how to get computers?
To: "jim stockford" <jim at well.com>
Cc: sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
Message-ID:
	<4b5781040803032052r7c3cb156i4a12393d23655f64 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 8:43 PM, jim stockford <jim at well.com> wrote:

>
> aha! thanks. james is likely fully in charge.
> probably supplicants should approach
> ACCRC as usual, then, yes?


James has not told me what he would like to do with the 40 ACCRC boxes
that
are sitting in the sun room off of the KIPP gym.  Again, he knows that I
will consult with him before I do anything with those boxes.  But he has
been flexible in the past with boxes that he has given to KIPP.  For
example, he has been okay with me giving ACCRC-sourced boxes to our KIPP
janitors and students.
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:49:44 -0800
From: "Christian Einfeldt" <einfeldt at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [sf-lug] how to get computers?
To: "Rick Moen" <rick at linuxmafia.com>
Cc: sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
Message-ID:
	<4b5781040803032049s48245ee8h6395ea1c82a54170 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

hi

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 8:34 PM, Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:

> > do i understand correctly that there are some computers for give-away
> > in the four locations: berkeley, marin (novato), san francisco, and
> > san mateo?
>
> At the end of the event, all of the machines were driven back to ACCRC,
> whence they came.


No, there are still about 40 boxes sitting in the sun room to the south of
the gym in the KIPP school.  I have emailed James and phoned Steve to see
when they want to pick them up, but I have not heard back from them.  I
think that they are all tired after a long, hard weekend.
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