BarnCamp 2017 notes

(still) re-using computers in our communities

We discussed the social and technical challenges of computer re-use. It was noted that there were multiple environmental advantages to re-use (as opposed to recycling) of all electronics; these are well-known.

Perhaps more interesting and providing opportunities for variety are the potential social/political benefits of re-use projects, including;

• opportunities for building community cohesion by getting (for example) people who can't afford new computers to cooperate with people who have tech jobs/knowledge
• providing a focus for commonality with established community groups, e.g. artistic, tech, green organisations
• merging 'after sales support' with basic skills education
• developing everyone's experience of localised mutual aid
• opportunities to have discussions with different people about consumerism and it's social/environmental harms

There are many obstacles to these kind of projects. Some of our experiences included;

• people wanting to get skills they can use "in the workplace", i.e. wanting to know how to do things in microsoft office so they can get a drudge office job because our options of how to get our material needs met still require this, for many of us
• even public sector organisations can be phobic about FLOSS options that could extend the useful life of machines
• data destruction and other regulatory requirements (WEEE licenses for example)
• demand for standardisation, whereas our strengths might be more to do with personalisation (focussing on our individual strengths and needs, and the particular needs of our customers/neighbours/mates)

The struggle continues...