Comments on: Linux Against Poverty Is A Go!

By: Priyanka D

Priyanka D — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:10:43 +0000

Really good idea..

By: Ean Schuessler

Ean Schuessler — Fri, 22 May 2009 06:56:38 +0000

Hi. I’m one of the developers on Apache Open for Business, the Open Source ERP system. I would be interested in helping you model the inventory of components, facilities, staff and other operational intrinsics in the OFBiz system. It could also be used as a no-cost shopping system to manage the re-distribution of the finished systems. Please, drop me a line.

By: Christian Einfeldt

Christian Einfeldt — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:46:43 +0000

Oh, one other thing. Sorry, I almost forgot the most important part. We are able to store computers at our school, and we are looking for Pentium 4 (or AMD equivalents) with at least 512 MB of RAM to give to other schools and students in the area. So if you find that you get lots of computers, and need a home for them, I can definitely arrange to take them off of your hands!

Also, Stormy Peters, the GNOME Executive Director, is looking for computers for a project in Mexico, if you have a way to get computers to that project!

http://www.storm…r-lab-in-mexico.html

c u

Christian Einfeldt,
Producer, The Digital Tipping Point

By: Christian Einfeldt

Christian Einfeldt — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:42:21 +0000

I am very excited by your work. Our local LUG (sf-lug.com) has created a Xubuntu GNU-Linux lab and GNU-Linux standalone computers at a school in San Francisco, CA. There is a similar effort at a school nearby. We are documenting this work for a documentary movie called the Digital Tipping Point. The premise of the movie is that by helping schools and other underprivileged users, we are actually helping ourselves by creating sustainable communities and taking back control of the Internet from large businesses, such as Microsoft, who don’t always have the best interests of the consumer in mind.

You can see raw video of our effort here, where a teacher talks about the impact that the lab has had on the kids:

http://www.archi…a_a_2009_feb_001.ogg

At the 2:27 minute mark here, the teacher talks about how the existence of the lab teaches the kids the importance of giving back to their communities:

http://www.archi…a_b_2009_feb_001.ogg

The Digital Tipping Point is being built on-line out of forkable video segments that are posted to the Interent Archive’s Digital Tipping Point Video Collection. I would love to get video from you in raw .dv format to add to the collection! Your story is exactly illustrative of our movie’s main theme!

c u

Christian Einfeldt,
Producer, The Digital Tipping Point

By: Thomas M

Thomas M — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:49:41 +0000

Glad this is shaping up so well, it’s gonna be awesome. Sorry I missed the event last night, I was at home fighting off some stomach bug.

It also looks like I’ve got about 15-20 systems and a bunch of misc hardware to offer up to the LAP project, more on that soon.

By: Dale Schumacher

Dale Schumacher — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:39:14 +0000

As I mentioned at Drinks and Drupal, this is a great example of Seth Godin’s \The Tribes We Lead\

By: Joey

Joey — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:38:21 +0000

This is a great idea. As a graduate student I have done studies of the digital divide in East Austin and globally as well. This effort is very note worthy.

However I should note that a critical part of this effort will be training the people you give the computers to how to use them, what they are useful for and also how to maintain them, if not they will just sit like old appliances. Also thinking about inexpensive internet connections like Cables/DSL’s 10 dollar a month connection, as well as “free” wi-fi is a very important aspect. Creating an awareness campaign for such an effort would be great.

I have done this project on a small scale for some time now and those are probably the most notable challenges. Being geeks we tend to have our own old hardware and access to old hardware to give away. We usually even have time to throw linux on it. But the hard part is making time for the training, the nitty gritty of getting into communities and showing them how and why they would use this technology.

However, the fact that you all are doing this is totally exciting, because I know “We” are all capable of turning this leaf over and giving people not only the “technology”, but the means to make it work for them. Congratulations!!! Let me know how I can help.

By: Chris Almond

Chris Almond — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:24:17 +0000

Awesome idea – great cause. Helping Linux make the world a better place?… I’m in.

By: Vito

Vito — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:59:57 +0000

Sounds great happy to see people doing something nice. I’d like to help as well, but I will not add it in the comments. Reason people might thing I’m spamming. So wondering if you can contact me I’ll let you know how I’d like to help. If you alright with it great. Thx.

By: Linux Against Poverty | Dissociated Press

Linux Against Poverty | Dissociated Press — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:47:39 +0000

[...] Genius” whurley* is doing something not-so-evil: Trying to get together an effort to refurb aging computers with Linux and put them in the hands of people who need them. The event is set for August 1st. The rest is [...]