On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 12:47:17PM -0700, Peter Mui wrote: > Hi Guys: > > I run Fixit Clinics where we where we teach people > guided disassembly (and hopefully, repair) of their > broken consumer products. ... > > Is anyone interested in having one of these as part of LFNW?
Not quite what you suggest, but in the same vein: The Portland Linux/Unix group runs a monthly "Linux Clinic". People bring in their desktops and laptops, we supply screens keyboards, mice, and internet connection, and we solve Linux problems together. This can be a lot of fun. Sometimes a few attendees will be overly demanding, or upset when we can't find a driver for their $2 garage sale wireless card. I hesitate to attempt repairs without a lot of spare parts. Generally, a clinic requires one knowledgable helper per two people helped, but even newbie-to-average linux geeks are good at solving a subset of problems. Two heads are better than one, and teaching is the best way to master a subject. I've also put together "kids take-em-apart" sessions for some conventions, where we bring in bins of old gizmos, tools, and tarps. 5 to 12 year old kids take the gizmos apart, learn about what is inside, and separate materials for recycling. Younger ones love telephones, older ones printers. Plastic tarps and safety goggles, and no running with sharp tools! There will be so many things I want to see at LFNW, I hesitate to volunteer for either. However, given a venue with hardwired and wireless bandwidth, a "laptop linux clinic" might be an interesting alternative to the usual way-too-noisy Saturday night party. I'd volunteer for that. A "kids take-em-apart" could be a fun day-care activity run by tool-competent but linux-indifferent partners of attendees. Some people from BTC or Bellingham might enjoy helping. With sufficient advanced notice, we can bring a few hundred pounds of scrap and some boxes of tools from Free Geek in Portland, and return the separated scrap for recycling. If both activities happen, the take-em-apart can be a source of spare parts, and the kids can demolish the $2 wireless cards. Keith -- Keith Lofstrom [email protected] Voice (503)-520-1993 KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon" Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs _______________________________________________ Fest-list mailing list [email protected] https://www.peakserv.com/mailman/listinfo/fest-list
