Major Linux Hardware Donor Is a CNN "Hero"

christian.einfeldt writes "James Burgett of the Alameda County Computer Resource Center calls himself a 'tattooed freak' and a recovering drug addict, but CNN is calling him a hero (video) for diverting tons of computers from landfills, installing Ubuntu Linux on them, and giving them out to schools, non-profits, and poor people. Burgett's filmed interview is currently leading a CNN contest among videos of 'ordinary people' whom CNN considers everyday heroes, narrowly edging out the video of a man who is saving gorillas from extinction. In his interview, Burgett points out that the people working for him are also recovering drug addicts or recovering mental illness patients." Update: 10/02 23:46 GMT by KD : Reader stefanlasiewski posted a journal article describing how, bewilderingly, the state of California is threatening to shut down Burgett's ACCRC.

Comments

He says vote for someone else ;)

[stefanlasiewski]

Interestingly, James is asking voters to vote for the other folks:

"Vote for the gorillas. 25 grand and fame that id probably just piss away anyway is not worth a specie.".

Nice honest opinion from the Hero.

Re:Life imitates art. Unbelievable.

[E-Lad]

Can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day, diggin' through their closets and attics, findin' somethin' that still works, and givin' it to someone who ain't got one? And friends, they may think it's a movement... It already exists. It's called Freecycle.