Free Geek Definitions

This document is made up from several previously unrelated source documents and may contain terminology that is unfamilier to those outside of FREE GEEK. For your pleasure - a few geekisms:

ASS

Administrators of Systems and Security - volunteer group of system adminstrators that over sees FREE GEEK's IT infrastructure.

Coders

Volunteer programmers that help develop FREE GEEK software (Open Source of course!).

consensus process

A form of decision making that is democratic and non-hierarchical. More definitions relating to consensus process.

collective

The long term staff at FREE GEEK functions as a collective. This means there's no boss.

council (Community Council)

Consensus based policy group made up of FG board, staff and volunteers.

E-Scrap

Separated basic materials from demanufactured computer and electronic equipment (i.e. circuit boards, copper wire, aluminum, steel, plastic, etc.)

E-Waste

Cast-off computers and other electronics, usually headed for the landfill or other unfortunate fates.

FGdb

FREE GEEK Database - Open Source gizmo and volunteer data management software developed by Free Geek.

Free Software

Free Geek uses free software, including GNU/Linux, for its infrastructure, and also on the PCs we give away and sell. It is not only free of charge, but is distributed with its source code (Open Source) so that anybody with programming knowledge can modify it. In fact, we have made some modifications, to make it easier to use for our adopters.

gizmo

Any computer component that is entered into the database.

Infrastructure

Term generally used for equipment (which is almost always donated equipment) that is used at Free Geek in day-to-day operations. e.g., the computers in the Lab, the tools in Build, the cart in Eval.

PDX

A nickname for the Free Geek of Portland Oregon. (after the city's airport code)

"Mothership"

A nickname for the Free Geek Portland (Oregon). (in fondness of the founding location)