Computers For Charity Newsletter-Issue 2, Nov. 2011

Rebels With A Cause

Anyone who has known me knows I have a hard time accepting authority. My High School years were typified by clashes between myself and teachers, the principal, parents and eventually the law. I just could not accept that in a free country, there were so many things I was not to do. Now as an adult I realize many if my battles were misplaced. However, when it comes to certain things I still bring the same level of defiance, energy and intensity into the mix. At Computers for Charity we've manged to assemble a whole crew of life's rebels and miscreants together for a good cause.

When someone says "You can't do that", we have to disagree. We've found through trial and error that many things people say you can't are simply limitations of their own mind. That old PC may not be suitable for Windows 7 but our techs are not deterred by that. We prefer not to pollute the world with another Windows operating system destined for obsolescence. We prefer to install something less prone to viruses and more secure and stable anyhow. We prefer to use Linux.

This too is frowned upon by the world. Why not give people something that really works? For one Windows doses not always work. For instance on a Dell laptop that we had the installation disks for, we installed Windows XP. After the install the tech was attempting to install drivers for the computer form Dells website. The computer had no sound, no networking and only basic video drivers. At this point we could see why the user had discarded this computer. Instead of hassling with the drivers we booted to an Ubuntu Live USB to test the hardware. Under Ubuntu the computer worked flawlessly.

It's outside the box thinking to work with an alternative OS like Linux. If we only stuck with the status quo we would be out of luck in a lot of cases. That's why I have become a huge fan of Linux since we started this whole endeavor. It fits my personality. It breaks the rules by offering something for free (a great desktop operating system), that others are paying hundreds of dollars for. And they are not enjoying as good of an experience with the whole Windows 7 upgrade thing either. What kind of person does it take to work with an OS that has only about 1% of the desktop market? It takes a rebel.

The whole Idea of fixing computers that are slated for disposal makes no sense to a lot of people, and for obvious reasons. We acquire a lot of junk along the way. Sometimes computers are discarded for good reasons. It would be nice if every computer we received was the result of an upgrade. Unfortunately we see a lot of bad hardware that takes a lot of troubleshooting and perseverance to pinpoint exactly whats wrong with it. Once we identify a faulty component it can be replaced. In many cases its multiple components. Computer techs are well compensated for this reason. Who would take on this kind of work just to give it away for free? Only a rebel.

Thank God for the rebels. Thinking outside of the mainstream is not always easy or fun in our modern society either. People tend to question your motives and your methods. Our thinking, attitudes and appearance may be outside of the norm but that does not make us bad people.However, when your really in need of computer help do you really want to deal with the snooty guy from the computer store who will charge you $50.00 just to look at your computer? We do that for free. We can save your data, kill your malware, get you connected, fix your OS or install a new one. We are not hindered or easily deterred because we have suffered a lifetime of persecution for honing these very skills that are now a lifesaver to you. We love the challenge as well as the opportunity to teach you a few things along the way. I guess all I'm saying is give geeks a chance. We may not be James Dean rebels, but we are the kind of guys you can count on. If you need a computer or need yours fixed we can help.

We The Geeks

I just got back from the Community Partnership and VoluneerFair at BGSU and am still reflecting on the whole experience. As a geek to the core I've been on the outside of society looking in for some time now. That familiar feeling came over me again today. Just how does a charity that refurbishes old computers to those in need fit in to the mix of all the other charities out there. to be honest with you, our table didn't attract that much attention,even though we were holding a drawing for a fee laptop!

Being a square peg in a round hole is nothing new to me. After all, while other people can't wait to get home and watch the game, In can't wait to get home and hone my recon skills in battlefield Bad Company 2. I'm the guy who does not own a Mac but recently received a copy of OS X 10.4 and is fantasizing about installing it in a virtual machine on my windows XP box for no purpose other than to prove I can do it! I got four versions of Linux running on my desktop and bootable Linux and Windows XPE on USB keys.I look at a computer loaded with spyware and viuses as a fun challange, not a job.

I'm really NOT tired of being that guy with his face buried in a computer screen 90% of the time. After all, who else can people call when their Windows box gets a virus, or crashes with a blue screen of death, or they accidentally format their drive and their important data, or they suddenly can't connect to the internet except for some damnable pop ups that tell them they have a spy ware infection. I can fix these things. I've got skills man! But what are we doing with our mad computer skills other than impressing our friends and coworkers?

We have developed our own cultures and subcultures around our favorite, moves/games/software/hardware. We now can frolic with other nerds in various venues and demonstrate that our fandom exceeds theirs. We have Mac Fests and Linux Fests and Microsoft Big Days. We have conventions to celebrate even the most obscure of geek fascinations.We can feel at home for a little bit with like minded individuals before we must return to the normal world of work, family and community.

Computers for Charity was started as a charity to connect us outsiders to the inside of the community. Its an outlet for those geeks with a social conscience to make a difference in our world. It would be much easier to return to my Army of Darkness Directors Cut on a nightly basis and let the world be damned. I know some of you look forward to watching the world burn from the comfort of your terminal window. Consider this though...

At the partnership fair I made connections with a other charities that were very interested in what we geeks do. Many of them are interested in providing computer solutions to their clients. One was interested in helping the disabled set up assistive technology software on their systems. Another wanted to add computers to their computer room in trier nursing home. Yet another wanted to set up a computer to their youth center and many need assistance with things like web development and setting up pages and causes on the social networks and the list goes on.

We have a lot of needs in our community going unmet becasue the right geek has yet to step up to the plate and take on the casue. Thats what were here for. At Computers for Charity we provide an outlet for you to use you God given talents for a good casue. Will you help us to take on these types of projects in our communtiy? The harvest is great but the workers are few. I'm praying that the Lord of the harvest will touch your heart and send you to assist us in this worthwhile endeavor.

Affordable Computer Solutions

A New Venture for Computers for Charity

Due to popular demand the techs from Computers for Charity decided it was time to broaden their services to be able to offer Affordable Computer Solutions to families, small businesses and non-profits in Northwest Ohio. This is an extension of our goal of leaving no child or family behind in the digital divide.

The great thing is that because of our affiliation with Computers for Charity, we can offer a tax deduction to businesses when we upgrade their equipment as opposed to a disposal or recycling fee. A percentage of all that we earn also goes to supporting the charity and you are assured that your outgoing equipment will be handled in an environmentally safe manner and will help families in our community.

Experience You Can Trust

We offer affordable desktop, laptop, and other computer related electronic repair in the Northwest Ohio area. With over 25 years of experience you can count on our technicians to handle your computer problems. We provide on site technical support for individuals and small to medium size business. We support all aspects of your computers, servers, peripherals and networks. We are committed to providing you with practical solutions for all your technology needs.


Values You Share

We believe that people and organizations are at their best when they are invested in community, actively acknowledging the interdependence of community members and the responsibilities we share for our collective well-being. We are dedicated to providing affordable services to the non-profit sector. While at present the services we offer focus heavily on IT-based consulting, we envision a future where we are able to support non-profits in many other ways.


Giving Back To The Community

Hiring effective computer personnel has become a costly undertaking. Because many organizations, individuals and small family businesses have considerably tighter budgets than other corporations or groups, they are often unable to afford the costs required to secure quality computer support. As such, many of the benefits that may be reaped by appropriate use of computer technology are not available to such organizations.


What We Offer:

* Affordable Computer Solutions to the non-profit sector
* A no cost avenue for for-profit companies to support the non-profit sector
* Meaningful employment to information technology professionals

On an ongoing basis, we provide competitive, high-quality computer consulting to small and medium for-profit organizations at market rates, using the profits from this work to provide affordable services to the non-profit sector.

Contact Us Here or call us at 419-378-5604. Visit our website: http://affordableconsultant.webs.com/