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How Can Techies Give Back?
KReilly asks: "As the school year starts back up for me, I have been looking for a volunteer program I could work in. This year I have been considering creating my own non-profit organization, but I still lack a clear picture of what I hope to accomplish. I have read about communities wiring classrooms for the internet in California, and repairing computers donated by businesses for schools. I would like to do this, but find many schools and libraries would deny this donation since its maintenance would be too big of an investment for them and they do not want to experiment with Open Source alternatives that would lower the PC repair cost. So my question to you is how do you, as a tech, give back to society and aid in social programs? And, any information/advice you wanted to share on my original idea would be much appreciated."
Help in a gubernatorial election campaign.
Volunteer at the soup kitchen.
Donate unused stuff to Goodwill.
Offer your time to the old-folks home.
Pick up litter in your neighborhood.
Give money to the Salvation Army.
Offer to read to children in the hospital.
Drop a few dimes into a homeless person's cup.
Buy a couple dozen Krispy Kreme donuts for your coworkers.
Start a community watch program in your neighborhood.
There are so many things you can do that do not necessarily require technology. These things are easier to give and easier to receive because people in need do not always have the means to support technological donations. It's the human touch that is important in charity.
they do not want to experiment with Open Source alternatives that would lower the PC repair cost
What Open Source software packages are going to lower the repair costs of a PC?
If you are, go to a retirement community and teach seniors how to use computers to access the Internet (mail and web). You will be bowled over by how thankful they are and how excited it makes some of them.
So long, michael. Don't let the door hit you...
Look for non-profit organizations such as the local Food Bank, the American Heart Association, the Red Cross, or Junior Achievement.
Even if these organizations don't need technical help, volunteer your time and encourage friends/coworkers to join you. It won't (or at least, it shouldn't) kill you to walk away from the computer world for a few hours a week.
I don't know about where you live, but I know there's a lot of small non-profit/charity orgs in my neighbourhood (Eastern Canada) that already have some sort of net access. But what they *do* need is help in getting the best out of their often old hardware, or just getting it to work at all.
I'm not talking classrooms (afaik most classrooms around here have access to *paid* staff of some sort, no?) but more like your local literacy council, small library, soup kitchen, women's shelter, yadda yadda ...
They usually have the hardware. What they need is the (open) software, and the training. And then you've just made a difference in their operation, and their life.
Don't put salt in your eyes.
Most service groups need bodies more than they PCs. If a problem with a tech fix presents its self, offer to solve it. You might even shudder have to support some windows apps. When a real problem that is best solved with open source software happens, you'll be on hand to do it.
I'm doing some some office work for my church, and I set up a mysql database to make it easier. Nobody but me knows, or cares, that it takes half the time it did before.
I found a small homeless youth advocate non-profit that needed a lot of computer help. Since they were small I spoke directly to the Executive Director and convinced her to let me solicit donations for old computers and fix em up. She even gave me a budget for a new computer when I explained I could use 1 server to power the desktop of all these old computers she had. Now they have 3 computers (soon to be six) running FreeBSD with no licensing costs that she can give access to these homeless kids. I networked up the whole place and setup their dsl and firewalled it with some other old computer. She couldn't be happier, but since I was a volunteer and I couldn't find work I had to move back to California to save money. I can do most administration tasks from here (thank god for ssh) but sometimes the dsl modem gets disconnected and I have to walk a kid there through ifconfig down, ifconfig up routine, bleh.
The great thing about this is now that I'm moving back they can help me find work and an apartment since I'll be a homeless youth, YAY!
I work for NPower, a nonprofit that works with other nonprofits to help them use technology. We do all sorts of things around technology: training, planning, building networks, building applications--all at heavily subsidized rates.
We also match volunteers with nonprofits that need help and don't want/can't pay consulting rates.
I don't know where you are, but there are 9 NPowers nationwide [check our site] plus a number of "sister" organizations of ours do similar work in cities we don't have a presence in, like Compumentor in San Francisco.
Check us out. Also check out N-TEN, a national membership organization of nonprofit technical assistance providers.
I'm much funnier now that I'm a subscriber.
How about give back to your less well-todo brothers.
1. Buy raman noodles and mountain dew.
2. Donate to someone at the local lug.
3. Nonprofit!
Everything will be taken away from you.
If in the US, jobs are disappearing at a frightening rate, esp techie jobs. Consider the idea of creating a for-profit company that create jobs. Then use some of that profit to help drive the non-profit.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
I hate to get on my soapbox, but this is Slashdot and it's a slow article. Incidentally, the first half of my post is a relevant rant and the second half is my deduced idea. Ever in the Slashdot tradition, I delimit my rant in non-W3C compliant XML for all of you.
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I'm one of the many dot com layoffs. I returned to school to finish my degree. In doing so, I've been getting by as a contract programmer. It's not stable so I've had to pick up some side work. However, most non-tech businesses won't even touch me. Ever try getting a job at a wal-mart when your last salary was twice the store manager. I tend to water down my background on those applications, but they won't even look at me. So, I've been working some pretty ugly labor-intensive temp work. My co-workers (and bosses) are severely uneducated. I'm not trying to be arrogant. It's just a fact. A couple of them are quite bright, but they never applied themselves.
For instance, one coworker who I've become friends with is a perfect example. He has quite a bit of street smarts. I think he has a lot of potential. He even had a chance to go to college on a football scholarship. However, he somehow has it pounded into his head that school is impractical or completely unnecessary. (Of course given the state of urban American high schools.....) All of his plans are nothing but a bunch of get rich quick schemes. They also have a fair amount of holes in them as well. I think he also had trouble in school. However, he's been taking classes at a local community college and his grades have vastly improved.
I'm pretty much a self-taught kind of guy. On the one hand, I think college is somewhat just a piece of paper. However, I realize the relevance of that paper in attaining a job. It's an unfortunate but necessary certification. We live in an age of watered down and proliferated certification. On the other hand, I'm probably more self-educated that the average person. When I was younger I spent quite a bit time acquiring books (on the cheap) on everything from computers, mathematics, physics, etc. I didn't even own a computer as a kid and had a bit of a steep learning curve in my first CS course.
I can only imagine the digital divide is even worse. The guy I mentioned earlier wants to learn about computers. So I'm plan on helping him set up a home network with some older PCs I'm picking up at a local surplus auction. I'll introduce him to Linux. Maybe I even try to get him to learn a little about electronics and build a radio. Even if he doesn't plan to study CS, Math, or EE etc, hopefully he'll gain some insight in how to solve problems and think in a more analytical way. Hopefully he'll pick up a few job skills as well.
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Here's my idea. Try finding a community center and teach a class in programming or networking. Not a stupid intro to the web/HTML class. Offer a serious course. Get the students to open up a few machines. Set up a LAN. Throw a LAN party at the end [run Quake if the machines are too old]. Trust me, if you go to a real inner city neighborhood, they probably won't own high-end PCs anyway. Most colleges and gov't agencies sell old PCs in bulk at low rates. DON'T TEACH TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR. Try the Feynman approach. Make it challenging and throw hooks that will catch the interest of your listeners. Raise the standards of the students. Sure, some will get bored, confused, or drop out. However, there will be those one or two students who will get hooked. This is why public schools SUCK in this country. Always lowering the standards to meet the needs of the worst students. Apparently the average EdD hasn't hard of Zeno's Paradox. Let's reduce our education to an infinitesimal level. Great idea!! Anyway, personally I'd love to design a GPL type collection of books to introduce CS.
What do you mean my sig is repetitive? What do you mean my sig is repetitive? What do you mean....
NGP Software
that said they're looking for programming interns to build a database for Democrats who want to fundraise. Mostly when I hear about tech help needed from anyone doing something social or political, it's pretty small-scale stuff, but these guys look like a big, interesting operation. I assume there are similar orgs. serving other major political parties.
Also, Geekcorps has always looked like a great bunch, if you want to go overseas.
Finally, you mentioned libraries. I volunteered for quite a while just training people to use computers & the internet a few years back. Libraries may be more willing to accept volunteer labor to run community education classes than for stuff like wiring, because the education volunteers aren't giving something with an on-going support cost.
Or, you could always do what I did...decide that programming just doesn't offer the opportunities for volunteer work that you want from your career, and then go to law school (law school being the absolute least pleasant experience under the sun, AFAICT) ;-).
Good Luck.
I work at a public High School and turn down many donations for computers, the main reason being they are too old, I can't talk about all school systems but anything I am offered is usually much worse then what I currently have and will not support the software I am running.
That said one thing we have looked at is repairing the computers we ourselves throw away and giving them to needy students. Our main hurdle has been finding the manpower to do this. Try contacting local schools and see if any are trying to do something similar, Or just ask them what they think you can do. Asking is alot easyer and more productive then trying to quess what you can do for them.
iRepairIT - iPhone, Mac, & PC Repair
Well, I'm not a tech, but one way you can benefit society is to put your skills to work and write a free replacement for some needed piece of software. It's the kind of thing that not many people can do, and, since your work can be copied by millions of people once it's written without much extra work, it has the potential to have a great impact.
If you're interested in helping society at a different level, you could volunteer to make or maintain a web page for some community organization that you support.
Consider looking into the local branch of the United Way. Here in Minneapolis they run a volunteer needed column in the paper and I just checked they had at least 9 positions open looking for techies in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The cool part about the United Way is that they are a roll up of many different organizations. You can easily find one that you like and work with them. Hmmm...a place needs a database developer...might have to give them a call
Also look for something like this - Volunteer Twin Cities in your neck of the woods.
-Seraphim
Slashdot, where armchair scientists get shouted down and armchair theologians get modded up.
If you're in the UK (since I'm talking in general here, rather than specifically for the OP), then find your nearest UK Online or Learn Direct centre, and ask what they need help with... in all liklyhood, they *will* need help.
I work in one as their sysadmin, and we're constantly looking for people either to maintain the machines here (I'm not full time), or do one to one teaching of the clients in everything from using a mouse, to database design.
It's a great thing for yourself as well... when I started here I assumed I'd just be doing sysadmin, but because people know me, they'll ask me how to do things - and it's turned out to be the best part of the job, since I get the satisfaction of someone knowing something they didn't before.
Maybe I'm a cynic, but when someone days computers in the classroom I respond with why. Nobody has given an answer to that. Classrooms are for learning, and computers are a tool. A computer in every classroom makes as much sense as a hammer in every classroom. A hammer is a useful tool, and your education is incomplete if you don't take one shop class where you use one (in todays world you shouldn't spend much time with it, but shop is at just as important as art, music, and home ecconomics classes - give everyone a basic introduction to the subject and let those who like it take more), but there is no place for a hammer in many classrooms. A computer lab is useful. Perhaps several, because there are useful things to do with a computer in school, and some teachers will require many papers written on the computer.
So your first task is to ask why when you have an idea.
As for ideas: that is up to you. I recomend you stay away from things that need your day job skills. You don't want to get burnt out on the day job. Obviously if things are going to be wired for computers it takes an expert, but try not to burn yourself out.
How about orginizing your local parade, or town days. These commities need a lot of help, and you get to meet people in the comunity useful to know. Is there an orginization that you support? Ducks unlimited is my favorite, but there is also the EFF, which gets more press on slashdot. As a kid I was in 4-H, and they need help all the time, what groups where you in as a kid? How about local parks? Not the playground, (they might or might not get all the help they need from local taxes), but the state and federal parks that maybe nearby, which generally need more help than they get.
I think you're too involved in "the big picture". Being involved in social causes, when all said and done, comes down to a single person, doing something, giving something, helping out someone who needs it. you don't have to do something grandoise. Pick a local school, offer them your services free of charge to set up and maintain (administer) a computer lab, or teach an afterschool program for the kids, or hell, do that at the YMCA or something. you don't have to get famous or well known, just do something that makes a difference to someone, just find someone in need and help 'em out.
--Keeping the flame wars alive, one post at a time
Over the summer, I did volunteer work for a school district. I started off helping them clean their ~1500 client machines, spread between over 25 buildings. Once that was done, they let me observe/work at one of their new schools, which was being re-modelled. I learned a lot about pulling cable there. Volunteering isn't just about giving....
Over the years I've slapped together a good number of computers from semi-obsolete parts businesses get rid of (think Pentium IIs, Celeron 533mhz's, etc).
To which I'll add a $20 Geforce MX, slap on a pirated version of XP, install a few games like the Sims, Fifa Soccer, Putt-Putt.. and lots and lots of educational software.
I used to also load MS Office but I've been finding that OOo is good enough that I may just go with that in the future.
I'll harden the system as much as possible.. install all the latest patches, configure automatic updating, remove all traces of Outlook, etc. I used to load a cracked version of Eudora pro but Thunderbird is good enough that I will typically put that on now.
I freely give these systems out to underprivelaged families living in and around local slum. Not sure whether you would call this "giving back," but it helps keep kids out of trouble and gives them something productive to do.
The unofficial
As a techie, I've spent countless hours setting up virtural communities. Now though as a way to give back to the community I'm working with my real community setting up an online presence that all of my neighbors can use to exchange information about city council meetings, park rules, road work information in the neighborhood... The stupid crap that would normally be on a physical bulletin board, but due to the size of my neighborhood (we're talking about 2 square miles in the heart of midtown Atlanta) simply isn't workable in the traditional manner.
It's kinda funny. After setting up so many communities for people who will never see each other, it's an odd feeling to do it for people who live nearby and you see everyday. We are actually in the process of setting it up to track local council decisions and upcoming votes and the like. It's nice having a history of those votes publicly available and commentable.
Um, not sure why you think doing your job isn't contributing to society. You're paying taxes, you're not sponging, you're doing something useful to someone, and your spare cash is pushing the economy along as you spend it. You want to contribute to society - do your job well, get pay rises etc.
So you're a student. Getting an education, even if it's at the country's expense, *is* giving to society. Instead of leaving and sponging, you're seeking to improve your skills, and thus eventually be able to do the above even better. Most societies, if not all, recognise the value of education and know the future lies in that route, even if it does cost a lot of tax$$$. Not educating people has a much greater impact on a society than educating people at that same society's expense. If you really feel you must do volunteer work as well, make sure your first, second, third and fourth priorities are your education and that you cannot possibly do better, then and ONLY then look to do a few hours outside that. You probably have a lot of homework - excel at that, then you can do the volunteer stuff when you're doing a 9-5. Don't underestimate the value of idle time - you need time to recover so that you can do your top priority best.