Mission Impossible

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to take something most would consider trash and turn it into treasure. Do you have a local computer recycling program in your area? Would you like to see one that offers FOSS?

If you have answered yes to either then you have the ability to make this ‘mission possible’. There are many computer recycling programs but sadly most use proprietary software because they’re provided with cheap licenses and unwanted machines. These programs are staffed by wonderful volunteers whose hearts are in the right place.

The problem is the software provided is out of date because the machines are too old to run the latest proprietary software, and of course these machines aren’t going to people who can afford to purchase software in the first place right? I don’t think that offers much of a choice for the technically challenged clients that wind up with these boxes. Do you?

The solution is simple enough, provide them with an OS that frees them from paying for software. This is where you come in if you have the time and inclination you can make a difference in your community. All I’m asking for is for you to make an effort to help spread the love you have for FOSS to people who are in need. It will make you feel good and at the same time help grow the FOSS movement.

Case in point, I took an old machine out dusted it off and installed Debian on it with LXDE and compiz, yes compiz. A 450mhz pentium III with 384 mb of ram and an nvidia mx400 (32mb) runs compiz w/ LXDE as the desktop.

While compiz itself isn’t the point, the fact is that better machines than this are being tossed aside all the time, and they need not be. So I hope this has inspired you to take some action and help out in your community.