Calling all Geeks! Let's start an Irish Free Geek!

Dexter1979

Hello all,

Just thought I'd put up a post here to see if there's anyone interested in helping me out setting up a Free Geek in Ireland. Have a look here about what the idea is.

We'd be running Linux (Ubuntu probably) and I plan to actually apply for full Free Geek status when it's up and running. We could put pc's in School's, libraries. Give it to people who can't afford it, offer linux training, recycle anything that can't be used.

It's currently in the early planning stage but I will need help!

Please reply if you're interested. I'm in Mallow so this would most likely be setup in Cork City or Mallow.

PEACE!

EvilMonkey

camara.ie do something similar.

ShooterSF

Well camera.ie seem more focused on helping those in Africa (a noble cause in itself) I'd imagine a Free Geek would be set up to help the local community. It sounds like a fascinating idea. I hope you get a few interested. Unfortunately I'm in Meath and about to go back to full time education so I can't be much help to you.
I should have the phone in my sig sold today and I'll change it to link to your topic.

Eliot Rosewater

I watched the video, and the concept sounds great. I'd be interested to know more about how it works in practise, with funding and that (the Portland shop is big!).

I live in Cork myself; you can count me in! I can't contribute money or anything, only time and enthusiasm!

Dexter1979

Evilmonkey, Camara does Africa and AIDS education.. I would be focused on Cork combined with PC and Linux education..

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I'd be interested to know more about how it works in practise, with funding and that (the Portland shop is big!).

I am in the process of finding that out with the enterprise board and things.

The idea is for this to be a local charity giving back to the community in the form of re-used pc's, education and a good time.

I would love to do this on a full time basis but as with so many people I can't really afford to do this. Stay tuned to this thread when I know more. Thank you all for the interest so far.

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I can't contribute money or anything, only time and enthusiasm!

That is all I am looking for in people at the moment. I will be doing a course in Ubuntu just to make sure I know what I am doing with that and we'll take it from there!:)

EvilMonkey

Dexter1979 wrote: »

Evilmonkey, Camara does Africa and AIDS education.. I would be focused on Cork combined with PC and Linux education..

Dose not mean they wouldn't be able to help you or give you advice.

They take computers, refurbish them, stick Linux on them, and teach people how to use them. I think they have their own distro preloaded with educational software, you may find it useful.
You want to do something similar, i think they would be good people to talk to.

BopNiblets

I volunteered with camara before (and was on the other end of the cycle in a job once, retiring old PCs from a large site), you'll need a small warehouse, a pallet truck or two, packing boxes, once the old PCs start rolling in/out, if you're planning to supply schools and places like that with a few machines it's not all going to fit in the back seat of your car!

Dexter1979

EvilMonkey wrote: »

You want to do something similar, i think they would be good people to talk to.

Yes they would. I will make contact with them.

BopNiblets wrote: »

you'll need a small warehouse, a pallet truck or two, packing boxes, once the old PCs start rolling in/out, if you're planning to supply schools and places like that with a few machines it's not all going to fit in the back seat of your car!

Yes this is true.. I have a fair few friends with big vans who already said they'd help..

I'm still thinking on how to go about doing it. Contacting Camara will be one of the things.. I have also contacted the guys from Free Geek, Portland and they will help me as well..

Thanks for the advice so far guys.. Keep it coming!

healyma

Hi Dexter,

I'm based in Mayo and have quite a bit of Linux experience, mainly debian and ubuntu. I'd be very happy to help out.



Cheers
Mark

Kinetic^

How is this going?

KBH123

I would be very interested in having a Free Geek in Ireland. I'm living in Clare, but I often go down to cork, so one set up in either Limerick or cork city would suit me. I'm thirteen, so I'm not able to volunteer within term time (if I would be old enough), but I would love to learn more about computers.

Johnboy1951

KBH123 wrote: »

I would be very interested in having a Free Geek in Ireland. I'm living in Clare, but I often go down to cork, so one set up in either Limerick or cork city would suit me. I'm thirteen, so I'm not able to volunteer within term time (if I would be old enough), but I would love to learn more about computers.

This is an old out of date thread ....... maybe start a new one?

IMO, such ventures might be best started locally and small ...... maybe someone would have an unused garage for storage and sorting of parts etc.
From what I have seen the best of hardware is being 'recycled' - read dumped into recycle centres and shipped overseas.
So a 'free geek' set up would probably need a few contacts in industries who change their PCs regularly to encourage them to donate their old gear instead of dumping it.
There is also the question of getting certification from those 'donors' to reuse the HDDs ...... securely wipe their HDDs instead of destroying them.

I am of the opinion that there are likely sufficient folk in the Clare area to offer help to support such a venture ...... but premises and such things as electricity and other services could make it impossible economically, unless industry support is available.

Anyway maybe a new thread?

KBH123

I just checked the date on the other posts. It would be cool if there was one in Ireland, but I probably wouldn't be able to set it up!

Johnboy1951

KBH123 wrote: »

I just checked the date on the other posts. It would be cool if there was one in Ireland, but I probably wouldn't be able to set it up!

No reason you could not start small in Clare and see how it pans out.

It does not have to be 'super-duper' to begin with ....

excollier

Excellent idea

Capt'n Midnight

ShooterSF wrote: »

Well camera.ie seem more focused on helping those in Africa

Camara also do Irish schools, but using windows because that's what's the schools want.

https://www.facebook.com/CamaraEducate/

We are very proud to say that Camara Education has reached its goal set out in the 2014-16 Strategy of improving the life opportunities for 2 million learners.

At present it's computers as a tool to deliver education. But in the future tablets might be competitive. Camara are recycling African computers at the end of their lives.

Johnboy1951

I have posted in the Clare section to see if there is interest in Clare for such a venture.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102356799#post102356799

PJtharsaile

Interested, in

a) sending refurbished machines to Africa

b) open source training opportunities for people closer to home

am in Wicklow but willing to put in time if doable within reasonable commuting distance

Hotblack Desiato

PJtharsaile wrote: »

a) sending refurbished machines to Africa

I'd have to question the viability of that these days given that Raspberry Pis are cheap, cheap to ship, and at least if not more capable than a clapped-out PC, while using much less power (which makes it much more viable on off-grid setups.)

PJtharsaile

As someone with a few raspberry pies and rather more years of experience working in over a dozen countries in Africa I hope you won't mind if I disagree.

The expression horses for courses applies.

A student working for a university degree in Nairobi, say, is not going to find a raspberry pi as useful as a laptop. Unlike the Pi it has a battery and will work for hours without power.

A teacher with a classroom to equip will certainly find that a series of identically set up Pi stations a great deal easier to manager than a number of different 2nd hand laptops.

A 3 year old premium quality laptop (a Thinkpad say) is still a fine machine and is readily serviceable in many parts of Africa. I certainly haven't met any professionals in Africa running any business operations on a Raspberry Pi.

Hotblack Desiato

Well it was desktops I was thinking of - bulky, heavy and still need all the extra gubbins a Pi would

A laptop is a different story - but who is giving away 3 year old premium laptops and can I have one???

I'm still using a Macbook which is just short of ten years old - if it wasn't limited to 4GB it'd still have potentially another few years of life left in it (as a main machine.)

PJtharsaile

You can apply to camara.ie (for one) if you think you would be a good cause for a philanthropic donation.

Many large companies dispose of laptops after 3 years and there are an number of businesses in Ireland which refurbish these and either sell them or donate them to suitable causes; camara being one.

Old Chinese proverb: a man will have to stand with his mouth open for a long time before a roast duck flies in.