When I first happened upon NextStep Recycling on 10th near Garfield, I thought
it was a helluva an idea.
Hearkened me back to the days of Stan's PC Training where used good PC's were
to be had for all. I've even bought
a microwave oven and a wifi card there.
However, after volunteering there I've changed my tune considerably. I won't go
as far as to say that the largess of the establishment cancels out any
reduction in carbon benefit. I'm just not that savvy, but I have my opinions.
So, first off, to get a "volunteer box" you need to put in now 40 hours (Figure
around minimum wage your wholesale net worth is about $300 for argument's
sake). Secondly, what you'll receive is a Dell Optiplex GX50. Which is a single
board non-upgradeable celeron based POS around 1200 MHz with 384 MB or less ram
and a 20 GB drive. You'll also likely not recieive your "gift" for volunteering
until several weeks after you're done. I'm not sure if this is to discourage
you taking inventory or to encourage more hours out of you. Probably both.
Why am I complaining? Well, they have pallets and pallets of these little
gomers, which can be had on e-bay for as little as $7.99. $40 if you want it
tomorrow. Instead of offering a choice or being progressive and loading Ubuntu
or some nice current distro, you are stuck to the task of un-infecting the
drive of it's case of Windows 2000. (The P4 1.8's littering the place seem to
be ending up in Guatemalen schools. You can purchase a P4 2.6 system for around
$175 there).
I'm complaining because I feel that my hours of labor are worth a tad bit more
than a doorstop in which a full-sized PCI card won't fit and an AGP slot
doesn't exist. I'm complaining because I feel that no matter what the cost,
even free, a Microsoft license is a Microsoft license and a non-profit has no
business purchasing Microsoft licenses when Open Source exists. When Ubuntu
exists. If Ubuntu is good enough for IBM, it's good enough for every American.
I'm complaining because I feel the politics inside NextStep are about to
swallow itself whole and barf it back out. It looks like a Eugenian Social
Experiment, complete with a dot alt Board of Directors. It's become really
large inside and while still providing valuable services to the community, most
of thosse services should be borne by the consumer purchasing home electronics.
California now has a tax on electronic goods, in effect a deposit law. Recycle
electronics, net a bonus. Toss them in the landfill, lose the bonus. Yet here
in Oregon we still can't control our Bottle Bill and recycle Coca-Cola Brand
Water Bottles.
I'm complaining because I feel NextStep should be using Linux in every task
from Office to Refurbishing. I'm complaining because I hate to see people
thumping their chests in the Weekly. *Usually* if the Weekly has an overly
positive take on something, it's called damage control or a pre-emptive Media
Strike.
Now, don't go away just yet. Just because I've had a bad experience with them
doesn't mean you will too. After all, you can still give 40 hours and opt for
an iMac.
James S. Kaplan
[email protected]
currently under-employed
"Sic Semper Tyrannis"Marcus Junius Brutus, March 15, 44 BC
John Wilkes Booth, April 14, 1865 AD
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