Wes,
What you say is absolutely correct. I am involved with a non-profit
organization now that is working with my company and others to assist other
non-profits with computers and such. It's still in the development stage
though. It's hard to bring everyone together onto the same plate and then
sort them out to what is needed. Computers and servers are lacking in this
type of company.
We are also looking currently for a place to teach classes to those that
are disabled, such as Hawke has spoken about. Also to teach classes and
have hands on for people that cannot afford Al Collins Linux classes or
Hands On Technology's lengthy wait for such classes. My husband is also
disabled and in the process of setting up computer repair/sales/classes
that will eventually hire or use disabled people, including veterans that
would like to network and sell services. These types of people, the real
community that needs help, often lack in training or the room to learn at
their own pace. It's often easy to see the "brainer" people because they
are high achievers but some people with intelligence just cannot find the
resources to get the knowledge others have.
All that my company is doing to provide these services is still only about
3/4 of the way finished. I am still looking for space somewhere to do some
of these things, of course needing to be attached to a T-1. It's always
nice to see that great minds think alike!! Anyone that may have some tips,
referrals for space or referrals for people to teach these things can call
or email me.
Kimi Adams
Unity Wave, L.L.C.
623-580-1307
At 2/2/01 12:16 AM, Wes Bateman wrote:
>Sorry to post to this thread a little after the fact, but I don't read the
>main list too much these days :) Hi from Texas ;)
>
>Volunteerism might be better found in the not-for-profit sector. I know
>that many non-profits are woefully understaffed in technical areas. They
>can't really pay to attract and/or retain talent.
>
>When I used to work for the Boys & Girls Clubs, I also tried to volunteer
>at the local senior center. That got problematic because it's a city
>agency and not an atonymous organization. Often also there will already
>be a "technical" person, who is usually just the person in the office
>who's the most skilled at using M$ Word, or the like. Sometimes these
>folks are a little resistant to others coming in and telling them what's
>what :) Those situations either require delicate handling, or perhaps
>find another charity to assist. If you can't find one or know of one, you
>can check your local United Way for some suggestions.
>
>Another thing worth noting is that some of these places don't have UNIX
>box(es). Some might not even have a server of any sort! Those are the
>types of places that can use someone to save them cash by allowing them to
>realize what they want from their computer systems, while not spending a
>lot of capital.
>
>One final bit of rambling, then I'll shut up :) Something easy, cheap,
>and cool would be for some LUG members to scrape together some low-end
>pentium systems and make a mini-network. Notebooks would be ideal for
>this, but not required. I say this because then you take this network "on
>the road" and do presentations/classes for groups. Or you could make a
>low-budget lab for a charity, etc. I would focus the classes on real
>basics, as the clueful will not often be your attendees. Rather use a
>single modem in one box to share access to about 4-10 other boxes. Then
>let folks have hands on, and teach them to browse, set up a free web mail
>account, etc. Good way to help some folks out, perhaps place some Linux
>boxen in non-profits, help educate non-profit employees on how to be
>productive with Linux (show 'em StarOffice, etc.), maybe even show some
>businesses how you can make that old P133 sitting in the maintenance
>closet outperform the quad-xeon exchange box they're running ;)
>
>Of course some folks won't buy into it, as they'll insist you get what you
>pay for. To comfort them, just send them an invoice then ;) hehe
>
>C ya all,
>
>Wes
>
>On Mon, 22 Jan 2001, George Toft wrote:
>
> > That gets pretty sticky. My last employer pursued such labor, and
> > then got to meet the labor commissioner and ended up having to pay
> > over $1600 in wages. It seems he violated something called "The Fair
> > Labor Standards Act" (State and Federal Law) in that he didn't pay a
> > wage, and he wasn't cooperating with an accredited school in a "for
> > credit" program where he could take interns.
> >
> > This is not to say it doesn't happen (his ISP does the same thing),
> > but the chances are slim of finding it.
> >
> > George
> >
> >
> > Hawke wrote:
> > >
> > > I've got a bit of a question?
> > > are there *nix houses here that will allow a person to do volunteer work
> > > as a way of getting the needed provable experience to get the job they
> > > want?
> > >
> > > I am in need of such, if at all possible... I'd like to have a paying
> > > job,
> > > but it seems that my current skillset is whoafully inadequate.
> > >
> > > let me know..
> > >
> > > thanks.
>
>
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