[Gllug] It is not Microsoft

[Ryan Cartwright]

2009/1/9 Lesley Binks <lesleyb at pgcroft.net>:
> On Fri, Jan 09, 2009 at 02:35:55PM +0000, Ryan Cartwright wrote:
>> I'm currently in an email conversation with somebody who has set-up a
>> community suite of half a dozen Edubuntu desktops and a Fedora server
>> for people to use to learn computer/web skills etc. One of the
>> knock-on effects has been the way different sections of the local
>> community are now getting together through the project. The whole
>> thing cost £1300 to set up and now that it is shown to be working the
>> council are more interested. They did support the project from the
>> start but from a greater distance shall we say. The guy running it
>> gives 6 hours a week to the project.
>>
> I'd be very interested to know how they got accomodation for the
> desktops.  Where was this user space set up and how do they fund the
> costs e.g. electricity, broadband ?

I don't have the answers to all that just yet. This is not a (direct)
plug but I am currently interviewing him for Free Software Magazine
and that includes some (but not all) of these questions. We're part
way through the e-mail interview so details are sketchy on my side
just now. I also have to be careful not to pre-empt the article too
much because the guy I'm interviewing has final say on that but not
this e-mail.

The project is run on a housing estate and was suggested at a tenants
meeting as an "IT suite/Internet cafe" to help people pick up IT
skills (there is low percentage of web access on the estate). The guy
I am talking to  had some experience with Linux and offered some time
to help set it up. It ended up with him lumbered as the only person
doing it. The hardware was donated but I don't know how or where from.

I presume the facility is permanent as he got some builders
refurbishing the estate to put in some worktops etc. Again I don't
know where it is located but I presume it's in a common facility on
the estate. He also got funding for the broadband as well but again I
don't know where from - the council I think. The money was mostly
spent on non-computer hardware - quote: "Whiteboards, a projector,
laser toner and cabling were the main expense along with the broadband
connection and some sticks of RAM"

hope this helps
-- 
Ryan Cartwright
Equitas IT Solutions
http://www.equitasit.co.uk
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