Re: Computer Bank

["John Cronin" <jaycron@turbonet.com>]

Some nice ideas! A community-wide computer lab located at the U of I or
within the Moscow School District would be an excellent resource for
children and families. Maybe a community non-profit would be interested in
partnering with the school district or the university to provide the
personnel? There may be adult education/technology grants available to
assist in the start-up and coordination.

I think it would be good thing to include a computer bank as part of this
scheme. As a ( don't laugh) 486 owner with Win95,  there are still a few
useful ones around that families might find useful in their homes. This
past spring, Hawthorne Village here in Moscow opened a wonderful computer
lab for its residents but it is within walking distance. Perhaps if I
didn't have a computer, I'd be happy to trek to the community lab but if I
had children and it was dark, the lab loses some of its appeal.

There are some folks who are upgrading and may be willing to give up their
"doorstops" to get a tax write off . In a society that  increasingly
divides itself along the lines of the haves and the have nots,  its pretty
clear that our community has the resources and the expertise to make room
for those who are without the means to access computer technology. I would
leave the decision of what machines are recyclable to those more
knowledgeable than myself. I just think it's better to be rolling down the
information gravel road on an ol 486 than hanging out on the side of the
road wondering where everybody went.


John
----------
> From: John and Laurie Danahy <JDANAHY@turbonet.com>
> To: Vision2020@moscow.com
> Subject: Re: Computer Bank
> Date: Sunday, August 01, 1999 4:30 PM
> 
> You are toughing on something the school board has been discussing for a
> couple of years now.  We have computer labs in most of the schools. 
These
> labs are set up in dedicated rooms.  While they are in use during the day
by
> students, they are not used in the evening.  Our wish has been to expand
the
> use of the labs to all later in the day thus providing access to the many
> who cannot afford to buy used and upgrade to usable.
> The problem for us has always been monitoring use.  We have been unable
to
> create funding needed to provide adequate supervision, both in a "help
desk"
> mode and a security of systems and schools mode.  I think the computers
are
> already available, the space is already available, it is the human factor
> that needs to be addressed.
> John
> 
> John and Laurie Danahy
> jdanahy@turbonet.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LuJane at Eagle <lujane@lataheagle.com>
> To: Vision2020@moscow.com <Vision2020@moscow.com>
> Date: Sunday, August 01, 1999 2:37 PM
> Subject: Re: Computer Bank
> 
> 
> >This computer bank idea is good, I think, if it could ever be worked out
or
> >pulled together. I know the programs today will not run on 486 or 386
> >computers but there is a LOT of old software out there that is still
very
> >educational for children and adults learning to use computers and many
> >people (like me) that still have this very old software sitting on their
> >shelves, hating to toss it because it cost a good deal of money but
would
> be
> >more than willing to donate it to a "computer bank" that would go to
help
> >children and even adults trying to learn computers. There is still a
place
> >for these old throw away computers and this idea is a very good and
valid
> >one.... would take someone to coordinate and work out the details.
Someone
> >with a lot of time on their hands and a lot of knowledge and experience
> >under their belt.
> >
> >LuJane Nisse
> >Publisher
> >LatahEagle and The Boomerang!
> >www.lataheagle.com
> >www.the-boomerang.com
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <sec@moscow.com>
> >To: <Vision2020@moscow.com>
> >Sent: Sunday, August 01, 1999 12:05 PM
> >Subject: Re: Computer Bank
> >
> >
> >> Date forwarded: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 11:29:14 -0700 (PDT)
> >> Send reply to:  <jaycron@turbonet.com>
> >> From:           "John Cronin" <jaycron@turbonet.com>
> >> To:             <Vision2020@moscow.com>
> >> Subject:        Computer Bank
> >> Date sent:      Sun, 1 Aug 1999 11:25:28 -0700
> >> Forwarded by:   vision2020@moscow.com
> >>
> >> > There is a part of me that appreciates turning the family firearm on
> the
> >> > old family computer or as Linda suggested, sending it off to an
exotic
> >> > place in the Third World. Before we do either, we need to remember
that
> >> > there are families right here in Moscow and throughout Latah County
> >whose
> >> > children do not have access to even a Remington typewriter. Believe
it
> >or
> >> > not, there are Moscow families  who cannot afford to buy a used
> >computer.
> >> > If the computers can survive Avista,  why not figure out a way for
them
> >to
> >> > continue to do that and be a resource for our children right here at
> >home.
> >> > Would it be feasible to create a computer bank similar to our
community
> >> > food bank? My guess is that there are some young people who need a
> >> > volunteer experience working on computers and an organization like
the
> >> > schools or a service group who are looking for a project that would
> >> > benefit the community. If a project such as this were proven to
expand
> >the
> >> > numbers of computer users, then the local internet and computer
> >businesses
> >> > might support it as well.
> >> >
> >> > John
> >>
> >> again, a good idea.. but some of the same arguments still apply, old
> >> computers (386's and less for the most part) can't run modern
> >> software (your can't put windows 95/98 on a 386 and expect it to run
> >> righ)t, and you can't do lot of things unless you run win95/98.
> >> modern software is over burdened with all sorts of extra "features"
> >> (we call it "bloat ware") that require huge hard drives, lots of
> >> memory, and fast systems to run, is it really good to give away
> >> systems that will not run software needed for school work? sounds
> >> frustrating to me.
> >>
> >> Stan Evans
> >>
> >