On 18 May 99 at 13:48, Mike Ford wrote:
> >Let's face it, there are more things out there of one thing (Mac's for
> >instance) than can possibly be saved. Unless there is a person or group
> >of people who is willing and able to take those machines and do something
> >useful with them rather than having them sit in a garage, they may as well
> >not keep taking up space.
>
> There is a HUGE demand for cheap old computers, BUT only as working systems
> with the training to get people started. I met a teacher yesterday that as
> a hobby finds old macs and assembles them into complete systems (for him no
> modem, but Mac and printer, essentially a word processor) and passes them
> on to students at his cost. He does a dozen or more systems per year, which
> is a fairly high percentage of his students.
>
> This is NOT a question of end user demand, but of middleman logistics. An
> idea I have rolled around, that I think could be fairly successfull is the
> $99 computer store. Other than all the details of a business, what I worry
> about would be how to get sufficient supplies of older computers, and keep
> costs low enough.
>
In the local Goodwill today I explained to a lady why the monitor she picked
up which had RCA connectors might or might not work on the computer she had
been given and suggested she find out what video connector was on her computer.
She rejected the need for a graphic interface as she fervently stated "I don't
need that picture shit" and all she wanted was word-processing capabilities,
but hadn't a clue as to how to hook it up. She was also delighted when I
told hert that she could also hook up to the local Freenet without charge and
questioned me closely as to what "free" meant. I think she is a single Mom who
is simply trying to get ahead based on her own determination and I WILL get her
enabled. She offered to pay me to get her up and running and I'm sure that
would come out of grocery money. The initiating point was that someone gave
her a "computer" and that coupled with her bravery rejected the class-based
computer literate concept. This was in Canada but I am sure it is manyfold
throughout the world. And of course in many places in the world electricity is
only available at the cost of the family food budget. The dynamo-powered
radio is sweeping away the misinformation fed to most in the 3rd world and
will affect all of us who's well-being depend on the misery of most of the
worlds population. The intimidation based on poverty that many poor
people feel regarding computers is even passed on to their kids despite
attempts by middle class teachers to pass on enablement to them. But
if you have trouble buying a TV you're not likely to consider a computer.
That's for those ":others" and why would I even accept a "free" one if I
couldn't use it for anything in my overstuffed appartment.
Sorry for the rant, but this is something that we the" "elite" with a
historical perspective" must consider, otherwise we are simply effete
connesuiers of the effort to produce tasty hummingbird tongues.
Did the guilt catch you yet ?
ciao larry
lwalker_at_interlog.com
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Received on Tue May 18 1999 - 19:27:29 BST