[vox] Fwd: 1,
000 Used Computers Needed for Hurricane Relief One Week Update
Bill Kendrick
nbs at sonic.net
Wed Oct 5 12:29:47 PDT 2005
Ben posted this to 'vox' from a non-subscribed address, so it got
auto-discarded by Mailman. I'm fwd'ing it, and will post announcements
elsewhere, too.
From: Ben TImmons <bwtimmons at ucdavis.edu>
Subject: 1,000 Used Computers Needed for Hurricane Relief One Week Update
To: "LUGOD's general discussion mailing list" <vox at lists.lugod.org>
Hi Everyone:
It's been less than one week and here's what we have so far. I will be
building a mailing list for this project later today as well as
spreadsheet of what can do what.
Here's what we have so far.
An email to all UCD people pledging support from Chancellor Vanderhoef.
Offer of support and donation of "non-salable" but working computers
from UCD Materials (pending final approval)
A space to assemble these computers and pack them from UCD Materials.
An offer from my boss, a skilled programmer to help automate software
installation, and an offer of some space as well.
An offer just in this morning from a major UCD department for another 40
or so working pc's and release of their technical people to help.
OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM LUG's (LINUX GROUPS)all over Northern CA.!!!!!
I've spoken at length to Nancy Jo Craig in Baton Rouge. Linux is OK for
these computers. She already was going use open office. A "windows-like"
user interface such as a locked down KDE would be OK. We can cover
specifics in a bit.
Here's what's missing.
Final approval from Chancellor Vanderhoef for this particular project
though I understand his office is aware of it.
Means of getting the computers from her to Baton Rouge. I have two
volunteers who can drive large 40-foot box trucks. I hope UCD can help
us with their own trucks or somehow provide them to us. I am also going
to reach out to the unionized truckers as well.
This project cannot start actively until October 17 due to time
commitments of several of us. Nancy Jo is happy to get these when we
can in the next few weeks.
I help coordinate one of these in 1996 after local schools and
neighborhood centers in Boston were severely damaged by a "100-year"
flood where the Charles River went over it's bank and broke a canal
levee (sound familiar?). (Why do people put computer labs in BASEMENTS?)
Here are things we need to avoid:
- Too many people doing the wrong thing.
- "Lone Ranger" efforts by those wanting to help.
- People dumping their old computer stuff on us to "help Katrina
victims".
When I moved to California in 1999, I had a garage full of stuff donated
for the flood such as MAC Classics and PC AT's (sigh) Not to mention
cases and cases of keyboards and mice with the wrong connectors, etc.
You know where these reluctantly went....
Committing to what we can't do. I propose a short run of 50 systems
assembled boxed tested and shipped. If that works, then another 50.
Nancy Jo needs hundreds of working computers. But she needs a clear
commitment of how many and when. I also suggest we be the "workstation
people" and let another group of volunteers do networking web pages and
the like.
After talking to Nancy Jo, it is not beyond comprehension that she may
get computers "dumped" on her by other groups. Maybe the LUGOD folks
can help build a self-installing CD to quickly test and set those up.
Also, some of us who are UCD employees might get paid release to go down
there or work on this project from here.
Much remains to be done. Immediately we need to form a Davis-based
"Steering Committee" to get and keep this on track. We need to keep in
mind that we are doing this for Katrina victims first. A huge area and
hundreds of thousands of people lost it all in these two storms. School
children and service offices were hard hit and I propose these as
initial targets.
I have been meeting with the Materials Management folks at UCD and will
meet with the large department's technical people on this coming Monday.
I'd like to get together with the LUGOD and other technical volunteers
as quickly as possible as well.
Finally we will need a web-site and mailing list/blog set up for this
effort ASAP to keep everyone together on information.
I can't think of anything more now but please. Remember, as my Dad
would say to me, "Nobody died and left you the boss" I am just
catching things and shooting them out to all, until we get a project
team up and running.
Thanks,
BEN TIMMONS
CRS 2
UCDAVIS.Sociology Department
bwtimmons at ucdavis.edu
916-599-3838
754-6855
Bill Kendrick wrote:
>----- Forwarded message from Steve Hargadon <steve at hargadon.com> -----
>
>Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 10:08:47 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Steve Hargadon <steve at hargadon.com>
>Subject: 1,000 Used Computers Needed for Hurricane Relief; Other Tech
>Relief Projects
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Baton Rouge (LA) needs 1,000 Computers / How Techies Can Help /
>PublicWebStations.com
>
>1. BATON ROUGE NEEDS USED COMPUTERS: [The
>following note is from Nancy Jo Craig, the
>Executive Director of CACRC in Baton Rouge. Please
>consider forwarding this to anyone involved in the
>disposition decisions for excess used equipment in
>your school or organization.]
>
>"The Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (CACRC)
>is a non-profit electronic recycler/refurbisher
>currently helping in the Hurricane relief effort.
>The demand is ever growing for computers. Displaced
>non-profits from New Orleans and the southern
>parishes are in need of computers for start-up.
>Shelters from Louisiana and Mississippi are asking
>for computers and there will be a long term need for
>displaced families to have computers in their new
>homes. The FEMA trailer parks will need to have
>technology available as well.
>
>"The CACRC would like to be able to provide at a
>minimum 200 computers to non-profits, 300 to 500 to
>shelters around the region (we had a request for 100
>today), and another 500 for displaced families. We
>have ~ 100 computers on hand.
>
>"We can use Pentium II and up with working monitors.
>Our warehouse can upload and download pallets of
>equipment. The CACRC can provide a letter of
>donation to any donor requiring one.
>
>"Thanks for your assistance in this. Help down this
>way is deeply appreciated. We are in this for the
>long haul.
>
>"Sincerely,
>
>Nancy Jo Craig
>
>Executive Director
>
>CACRC
>
>225 379-3577
>
>Njcwings at aol.com"
>
>2. WHAT TO DO IF YOU WANT TO DONATE ONE OR TWO
>COMPUTERS: www.DIYparts.org has been managing a
>geographical database of individuals who want to
>donate, trade, or sell computer equipment.
>Specifically, they have helped tremendously with the
>hurricane relief effort. You can visit their
>website and list your equipment.
>
>3. WHAT TO DO IF YOU WANT TO DONATE YOUR
>TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE: www.TechVolunteers.com is
>registering technology people who want to help. The
>Red Cross also contacted us and asked us to send
>tech volunteers to
>http://www2.redcross.org/flash/course01_v01/ where
>you get their "Introduction to Disasters" online
>course, and can then contact the local chapter to
>get into their system. (Note that this link only
>appears to work in Microsoft Internet Explorer and
>not in Firefox.)
>
>4. HAVE A LOCAL SHELTER NEAR YOU THAT NEEDS
>QUICK & EASY INTERNET KIOSKS? Visit our
>hurricane humanitarian website,
>www.PublicWebStations.com, to download a CD-based
>program and set up a bullet-proof Firefox web station
>on an older computer in less than 5 minutes.
>Publicized nationally, including by ABCnews.com.
>Thanks for taking the time and for your consideration,
>
>Steve Hargadon
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>email: steve at hargadon.com
>phone: 916-791-2200
>web: http://www.technologyrescue.com
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
>
--
Ben Timmons
Computer Resource Specialist
Sociology Department
University of California at Davis
One Shields Avenue, Hum Soc Sci Room 1288
Davis, CA 95616
bwtimmons at ucdavis.edu
(530) 754-6855 (voice)
(530) 752-0783 (facsimile)
----- End forwarded message -----
--
-bill!
bill at newbreedsoftware.com
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/
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