<div dir="ltr">Thanks Jordan, I think you get the idea. I just want to clarify: It is useful to have spare parts around. It is not useful to have junk around.<div><br></div><div>A big problem is when people externalize the work needed to identify working/broken things to the community at large. If a laptop doesn't work but some components do, do the work of pulling off the working stuff and then label it as what it is, that it is working, and the date that it was donated (just so if it goes unused for years we know to toss it). Having your contact info on the part would be good too, so people know who to direct questions to. (Also, write this info on masking tape or a tag and attach it, don't write directly on the parts.) If a computer mostly works, write down specifically what needs to be done to make it work again.</div>
<div><br></div><div>This seems like a lot of work, but a big problem at Noisebridge is people finding stuff and thinking, "Does this work? What is this exactly?" This discourages people from both using stuff and throwing it away, leading to the large clutter problem we have.</div>
<div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 23, 2013 at 1:53 PM, Jean-Luc Picard <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:atari2600a@gmail.com" target="_blank">atari2600a@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
Just the fan; the HDD's still there. They said they had no
confidential data on the machine & I was all whatevs. All it
needs is one of those a-little-larger-than-atx-screw-on fans that
goes in the Dell(TM) PowerFunnel(R) & maybe a rubber bushing
since I broke one on parts removal, but scotch tape would suffice
just as well.<br>
<br>
There's a possibility the mobo is the reason the fan isn't spinning
but I find this unlikely.<br>
<br>
Also, the laptops have useful optical drives, SO-DIMMS, screens, but
okay, I'll gut before donation next time a client brings me a
totalled machine for donation. The reflow laptop would be great
surface-mount soldering practice for NB anyways! We have the heat
gun, we just need one of those surface solder kits & some sets
of balls! The towel trick might even work but good luck getting it
to work more than 1 reboot.
<div><div class="h5"><div>On 11/23/2013 10:55 AM, John Ellis
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">Hi Al,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I think your a little off-base here although I do
think e-waste at Noisebridge can be a problem. Dropping
unusable stuff like busted CRT monitors to make them NBs
recycling burden would be pushing it.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The Dell desktop could probably be repaired with
parts laying around. HDD and replacement fan, good to go.
Headless PCs can still be useful. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The laptops, depending on age, may be useful for a
staving hacker to use for parts to repair their existing
laptop. This actually can reduce overall ewaste. Isn't there a
group at NB that does electronic strip-down and re-use of
electronics? Ideally, re-use not recycle is better for the
ewaste situation and environment in general.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Another idea which may be semi-practical is
creating LCD drivers/controllers so old LCDs can be reused as
working displays. I've seen various suppliers make LCD testers
which do a vaguely similar function. Power up an LCD and
confirm it displays properly, away from the host laptop setup.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Also, wasn't Jim involved in actually removing
ewaste to recycling. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Regards,</div>
<div>John</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>PS. Jean-Luc, if the Dell Desktop is still
available and unwanted at NB, I'll take it off your hands to
use as a dev/test box.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 23, 2013 at 3:15 AM, Al
Sweigart <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:asweigart@gmail.com" target="_blank">asweigart@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">We appreciate your intent, but if the
computers don't turn on, then they'll just sit around for
months until we throw them away (and e-waste disposal is
not free). Please don't donate broken stuff.</div>
<div>
<div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Nov 22, 2013 at 4:49
PM, Jean-Luc Picard <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:atari2600a@gmail.com" target="_blank">atari2600a@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">As
usual, I'm attempting to pay an equivalent of an
associate membership fee w/ donations from home or
work. This is actually the first time I've
announced that I do this at all on the lists but
here I am doing it anyway.<br>
<br>
Dell desktop -- runs XP, needs new CPU fan but
should boot right up otherwise. Do the
Administrator trick or run ophcrack to get in.<br>
Dell laptop -- annoying as hell to get to the
internals. Needs new HDD, chips reflowed.<br>
Compaq laptop -- Won't turn on. I tried popping
both batteries & draining the caps.
Afterwards I tore out the HDD for a secure
destruction of the data as instructed by my
client.<br>
<br>
All this should come out to about $20 in
salvageable parts (DIMMS, fans, HDD's, etc).
Expect to hear from me in another month, when I'll
probably have more stuff to donate.<br>
<br>
FYI: my past donations have been more functional;
mostly SO-DIMMS, broken ipods w/ guttable HDD's,
etc. You know, things that don't last a week in
Noisebridge.<br>
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