Many private schools and universities (and public ones too) buy new computers every few years because their hardware warranties expire and the schools’ IT departments don’t want to deal with out-of-warranty machines. Different schools deal with their old computers in different ways. Some throw them away after wiping the hard drivers and other schools give them away to faculty and staff (who usually already own a computer or two). Not many schools re-purpose the machines: wiping the hard drives, cleaning up the machines, and then distributing them to folks who have no computer.
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This Finnish News piece highlights the efforts of a wonderful group in Africa, called “Computers for Schools Kenya” that distributes used but upgraded and overhauled computers to those on the bottom half of the digital divide. They even show a technician who converts an old computer monitor into a working television which gives the unit 7 more years of use.
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We need more programs like this right here in New York City. Kudos to Rocket Boom for showing this.
~the Cyber Shepherd
