Basic Intake Documentation

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When a customer wants to donate a computer or related item to Free Geek, they do so in the Basic Intake (a.k.a. Receiving) area. This area is run by volunteers and overseen by members of the Free Geek staff (the Reuse Coordinators).

Meet the donor

  • Ask if they're here to make a donation. (Direct them to the store or front desk if they are not.)
  • Remind them that we have a $10 fee for monitors.
  • Ask if they need help unloading, and give it to them if needed.
  • As they unload, fill out a receiving ticket, indicating how many of each type of gizmo they are donating.
  • Give them the receiving ticket and direct them to the Front Desk, where they can get a receipt and make a donation (or pay a fee).
  • Thank them for the donation.

Identify what they gave us

Look at the documentation on the walls to identify the common types of gizmos we receive.

Items we do not Accept

There are certain items that people might try to donate that we do not accept.

  • Photocopiers
  • Major Appliances
  • Microwaves
  • Smoke Detectors
  • Styrofoam
  • Televisions

You can suggest that people contact Metro for instructions on how to properly dispose of these items.

Definitions of Computer Related Gizmos

Systems
The main part of the computer, into which the keyboard, mouse, printer, and monitor will plug. These do all the "thinking".
Cards and Motherboards
Every computer has a main circuit board inside it (the motherboard). This is the basic electronc "guts" of the machine. Its job is to coordinate all the various components into one coherent system.
Cards are plugged into the motherboard to extend its functionality. For instance, a sound card allows the system to send sound to the speakers.
CD ROM Drives
Software or other information to be stored on the computer comes on CD ROMs. A CD ROM drive is used to read this information. They also have the ability to play music.
Floppy Drives
A device that is used to read and write to floppy disks.
Floppy Disks
Removable disks that are used to store information on.
Hard Drives
Hard drives are devices for storing information even when the computer has been turned off.
Keyboards
Plugged into the computer to let you type into the system, for instance to write a letter.
Laptops
Small computers that can be carried from place to place.
Mice
A mouse is connected to the computer so you can move the pointer around and click on various on screen buttons.
Monitors
The screen that, when attached to the computer, lets you see what's going on.
Printers
Attached to the computer so you can use it to print images and words onto paper.
Scanners
Attached to the computer so you can get words or pictures from a paper into the system.
Speakers
Like in a stereo system, speakers can be plugged into a computer so it can play music or otherwise make sounds.
Trackballs
These are like mice, but they're stationary.
UPSes
An Uninterruptable Power Supply is used to keep a computer running if the electricity goes out.

Some Non-computer Gizmos that we take

Anything else

There are thousands of devices that can be incorporated into a computer that are not listed here. We take all of them. Additionally, there are many types of non-computer equipment that we do take. All of these should go into the Offbeat Receiving room by default.

A note on Apple Hardware

Most items made by Apple, Inc., like a Macintosh computer or a component for a Mac, needs to be entered into the database as normal (see below instructions). However, when putting these items away, they go to the Mac Renewal shelf. For example, a Macintosh computer would be received as a System, but not taken to system evaluation, rather to the Mac Shelf. (Laptops are the exception. They go into the Black Hole just like other laptops.)

Enter gizmos into the database

Check the documentation to see if that type of gizmo is needs to be tracked in the database. If so follow the instructions to put it in.

  • Do enter into the database:
    • Cell Phones
    • Fax Machines (MiscGizmo)
    • Floppy Drives
    • Keyboards
    • Laptops
    • Mice (PointingDevice)
    • Monitors
    • Printers
    • Scanners
    • Speakers
    • Systems
    • Trackballs (PointingDevice)
    • UPSes
    • Stereo Systems
    • Typewriters (MiscGizmo)
    • VCRs
  • Do not enter into the database (at least not yet):
    • Cards and Motherboards
    • CD ROM Drives
    • Floppy Disks
    • Hard Drives
    • Power Strips

Put the gizmos where they belong

  • Check the documentation to see where that type of gizmo belongs and take it there.
  • Check the map if you're unsure where the places are.
  • Anything that is not documented goes into the Offbeat Receiving room.
  • If there are a lot of donation coming in, concentrate on the biggest items (like monitors, printers, and scanners) first.
Gizmo Where it Goes
Apple Laptops Black Hole
Other Apple hardware Mac Shelf
Cards Card and Motherboard Sorting
CD ROM Drives System Evaluation
Cell Phones Recycling by the Black Hole
Fax Machines Printerland
Floppy Drives Recycling
Floppy Disks Recycling
Hard Drives System Evaluation
Keyboards Basic Testing
Laptops Black Hole
Monitors Warehouse
Motherboards Card and Motherboard Sorting
Mice Basic Testing
Power Strips Store
Printers Printerland
Scanners Printerland
Speakers Basic Testing
Stereo Systems Tree House
Systems System Evaluation
Trackballs Basic Testing
Typewriters Recycling
VCRs Tree House
UPS UPS Land

What to do when times are slow

  • Study the documentation on the wall if it's unfamiliar to you. Keep in mind that it does change over time, so review it from time to time.
  • Strip the plastic off of wires that are bound for recycling. Bare copper makes a lot more money for Free Geek than plain old wires do. (Not all wires are bound for recycling though.)
  • "Clone" gizmos. This is a way to enter a lot of similar types of gizmos into the database at one time. (For instance the Card Sorting volunteers may have produced a box of 100 PCI Modems. We could enter one and copy it 99 times to get 100 gizmo ID numbers.)
  • Check with the Reuse Coordinator on duty for odd jobs that need doing.
  • Clean up. Often there are abandoned cardboard boxes to break down and put away, sweeping up to be done, etc.

What you can learn here

  • Basic hardware identification
  • Basic data entry, keyboarding and mousing skills.
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