Lab Notes, 2/24/04
Present: Mike Cook, Tom Brown; 6:00 - 10:30 PM
:: NetVista LTSP Howto
Mike and I worked on the NetVista 8364TUS ethernet conversion howto. See
the draft at MichianaGeeks.net. Send me your comments.
http://www.michianageeks.net/2004/netvista.xhtml
Once the howto final draft is approved, I'll announce it on lists and web
sites: FREE GEEK startup, K12LSTP, MLUG, LTSP. I'll submit the howto to
Linux Documentation Project and LTSP contribs page. I'd like to publish the
doc on MichianaGeeks, but it may be more productive to serve it at FGM.
Your thoughts?
:: WNDU-TV Sweeps Week Interview
Last week was "sweeps week" for television broadcasters. The TV polling
companies test market shares for stations during sweeps week. As a rule the
broadcasters air their best or most tawdry content in hopes of attracting
larger audiences during the poll.
I was invited to talk about FREE GEEK Michiana and computer donations in
conjuction with a consumer segment on hard drive security erasure. The news
director thought FGM would receive a boost AND the public would watch
because of anxiety about security -- nobody wants people snooping on their
hard drives. The WNDU news director donated a personal computer to FGM.
Before donating the news team asked a tech at WNDU to "hack" the hard drive
for data. Then they donated the computer to FGM and filmed me hauling to my
van.
I'd like to follow the WNDU box through our system into the hands of
FreeBox grad. I might video tape its refurb and its distribution, then give
the tape to WNDU-TV.
The segment aired last Friday (I think). As a result I have received phone
calls and emails from folks who want to sign up for a FreeBox classes and
to volunteer.
:: NetVista Pickup and Transfer
Gil Michel says we are good to go. We can transfer the NetVistas from Jay's
employer's warehouse to Gil's back office. Jay says he can help make the
transfer. The question is: Do we do it during the day or at next week's lab
night?
Gil's office is open until 7:00 PM during tax season. If we meet at the
Goodwill on Western at 6:00 PM, we can load up our vans and cars and make
the transfer. If not, then Jay and I will do it during the day. What are
your "druthers"?
:: Demanufacturing Workbenches
We can only keep computers in Gil's office for three months. But that will
give us time to clean out the upper room at the Sally and install our
experimental workbenches. So we have two tasks for the next lab: (a) move
FreeBox material to Gil's , and (b) move junk to the Barn.
I need a project schedule and materials list for the workbenches from Olin
and Mike. If I have a materials list at the next lab, two of us can shop at
a home center and bring the materials back to the lab. Mike's pickup truck
is in Indianapolis temporarily so we may need to use one of our vans.
:: IRS 501(c)(3) Tax Exemption
Jay has found an accountant who is willing to do our 501(c)(3) filing pro
bono and save us $600 USD. Yahoo!
Tom
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