Media Kit/3Free

Putting discarded computers and computer parts back into use is the core of Free Geek's mission. We are often described as a "recycling" organization - and it's true, we do lots of recycling. But wherever possible, we strive to find ways to reuse things, before we resort to the hammer and chisel, separating the metals from the plastics.

Free Geek takes in e-waste (cast off computer equipment), but we give back much more then just e-scrap (pre-processed material directed to recycling outfits.) We also produce fully functional refurbished computers - for every five PCs we receive, we give (or in a few cases, sell) a working one back to the community. And in the process, we train our volunteers in skills that serve them well in day-to-day life and in the job market.

Many of our volunteers come to us as computer novices. Others have extensive computer experience, and some have already worked to bring old computers back to life: collecting "dead" PCs from friends and relatives after they've been cast aside, and finding ways to make them useful again.

At Free Geek, we have created an environment where we can restore computers with incredible efficiency. How is it possible? Read on to learn about our "three frees": free hardware, free software, and free help.

free hardware

Free Geek has received well over 30,000 donated computer systems (and similiar numbers of monitors and printers) over five years. All this "stuff" is called, most generally, computer hardware.

Though it has been cast off as broken our outdated junk, much of this hardware is easily repaired. And because of the huge number of systems, we have lots of spare parts. This makes it possible to replace broken parts, or upgrade components, without incurring any cost.

First, our volunteers sort the hardware we receive into basic categories. Computers are then evaluated on a basic level: how fast are they, what kind of components do they have, do they turn on? Then we send the obvious junk to our Recycling department, where plastics, metals, and other materials are separated. And the good stuff gets taken apart, the parts get tested more thoroughly, and then built back up into usable PCs.

The result: one in every five computers "disposed of" at Free Geek gets put back to use. Our volunteers, thrift store customers, and fellow non-profits are reaping the benefits every day.

free software

When we build computers back up out of used parts, we need software to make it run.

Free Geek requires software - operating systems and programs - that will work on a wide variety of hardware, and that can be adjusted to use slower components to their maximum capability. And also, we're on a pretty tight budget.

Free software (see sidebar) comes to the rescue in both respects. Geeks around the world, of all backgrounds and abilities, have collaborated for many years to produce free software: the Linux operating system, GNU software, Mozilla Firefox, and more. The spirit of collaboration and community-driven decisions are values that Free Geek shares with the free software movement, so free software is a natural fit for us. You could even say the fact that we don't have to pay for software is a side benefit...it's the philosophical connection, the freedom to share ideas and solve problems as a community, that's most important.

Using free software, we can make the most of older, slower hardware. We have also been able to design a desktop that is easy to learn and flexible for our volunteers. Many of our volunteers are computer novices, and some are experts who push their computers to the limit; our systems meet both needs. And in this process of customizing the software, we are able to offer yet another benefit to our volunteers: the ability to learn and participate in programming and documentation projects.

There are three major reasons why proprietary software like Windows would not work well for Free Geek:

• the legal and practical impossibility of customizing the software to work well on older PCs
• the financial cost of licenses to run Windows and other proprietary programs
• the administrative burden of keeping track of software licenses

Any one of these factors on its own might be a dealbreaker; but compared with the enormous benefits of free software, it's a no-brainer.

free help

OK, so we've collected lots of hardware, and chosen the right software to run it. Now we need people to keep track of gizmos, test them, disassemble and reassemble, writing software. Not to mention respond to emails, run phone cables through the walls, sweep the floors, research unusual equipment, move boxes of stuff around.

That's where our volunteers come in. And do they ever come in: every month, about XXX new volunteers sign up for their first shift, joining many other long-term volunteers.

Free Geek currently has about a dozen salaried employees, but their main task is to provide structure and organizational support for the volunteers. The XXX + hours logged each month by our dedicated volunteers are where the real work gets done.

So, where do all these volunteers come from? And why do they do it? Well, ask 10 volunteers, and you'll probably get 10 different answers. Because there is no end to the benefits available at Free Geek. Many initially come for the free PC, but the reasons they stay are even more compelling:

• learning - and gaining résumé-ready experience - in many areas:
  • installing and using software (word processor, web browser, email, spreadsheet, data entry)
  • writing software (aka programming or coding)
  • repairing, sorting, diagnosing computer hardware
  • planning and teaching classes
  • providing technical support by phone, email
  • customer service: answering questions, matching people with internal resources
  • hands-on environmental education, e-scrap disposal

• opportunity to "make a difference" in our society
• sense of community, shared accomplishment
• opportunity to participate in significant decisions (consensus-driven policies)

code name: (sidebar to free software)

free vs. proprietary software

"Software" is the name for the instructions that tell computer hardware how to do stuff. Operating systems (like Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux) are examples of software, as are programs (like Word, Excel, Firefox, iTunes.)

Most of the software you're probably familiar with is "proprietary" - a company or person owns the rights to it, and you pay them for the right to use it. Some proprietary software is available free of charge (like iTunes, Adobe Acrobat Reader,) but in order to use it you have to agree to conditions that the copyright owner decides.

There is another option - free software - which takes a different approach. Free software is available free of charge, but it's not just a money thing; it is distributed in a way that is designed to promote our freedom to share ideas. As it's often said, it's free "not just like free beer, but like free speech." Users of free software are encouraged to make changes, and share their changes with the entire world, so the software becomes more and more refined as time goes on.

Free software has existed for over 30 years, but it truly blossomed with the emergence of the Internet, as programmers became able to share their modifications instantly around the globe. Once upon a time, only the geekiest of the geeks worked on free software; nowadays, there are people doing marketing, documentation, interface design, and a host of other tasks. In the last few years, free software like Linux, the Firefox web browser, and the OpenOffice.org office suite have evolved into highly sophisticated and user-friendly programs.

At Free Geek, we offer our volunteers an introduction to the exciting and diverse world of free software, where only their imagination is the limit. Oh, and computing resources...but we get that into their hands, too!