I have been working on a technology refresh at my daughter's school, and have come into possession of a lot of 486 computers. If I did not take them, they were headed for the dumpster.
At first, I started putting slackware on the ones I took home, and setting them up to do some basic word processing / telnet. I thought I could donate them to needy families through my church. But then my bedroom became filled up with old monitors, keyboards, etc., and my dog began eating the mice cables. So I started asking around and seeing if anyone wanted the old 486s. I get them in increments, as new technology is brought into the school. One day, Sean, a friend of mine, says he will take one. Mark, the guy who sits next to him, say he'll take one too. This was the last one I had, so, jokingly, I say "Okay, I will give it to the highest bidder". Mark says ten dollars, Sean says twenty, and the price war ends at $30 with Mark waiting one week. Now I am being contacted by friends of friends. I am up to $40 a machine, $60 with monitor, and have already made $500 off the deal. I am donating the money right back to the church (I get the computers from a Catholic school) but I wonder: is it morally wrong to sell obsolete technology, even to those who believe they need it? I am convinced the 'need' is imagined and that these machines are not going to do much for anyone. I tell my 'clients' that, but they respond by asking if they can pick it up themselves. M ______________________________________________________________________ This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-community@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
