This sounds like a good opportunity to take advantage of the proposed "Faith Based & Community Initiatives" office . I know it's mostly aimed at religious organizations, but I've seen nothing yet that says the organization has to be religious. I'm not sure that all schools would qualify as needy enough, but here in the Detroit area, we're having trouble keeping the elements (rain, snow, etc.) out of the buildings, so I'd imagine there's no way that they wouldn't qualify. The only real problem I see is convincing the gov't that computer access is a "vital life and social service".
Aside from that, it'd be pretty easy: just start a local LUG to administer the Linux network in your local school district. Then start hiring HS students to run the network. You'd have to teach them how, but if you get the right students, they'd probably teach themselves. You can accomplish four goals at once:
Go here and find out for yourself how useful geographic addressing through IP address can be.
I first saw this site about a year ago, and at that time gave it my address and geographic location to put into its database, thinking, "hey, this is kinda nifty."
This afternoon, it took one look at my current IP (probably not the same one I gave it last time, but it shouldn't be vastly different), and immediately gave me three incorrect guesses as to where I'm physically located. None was within 300 miles, but they were all within the continental United States, so I guess the site should get some credit.
I keep hoping someone will come out with something that beats my 6 year old HP200LX, but I haven't seen it yet. I have access to thousands of DOS shareware programs, a full PCMCIA slot, a keyboard, and a screen that's visible in most light conditions (I'm not quite geeky enough to install my own backlight, like those crazy japanese). I'm an embedded s/w engineer, and I can use the standard serial port to give me access to a fair number of diagnostic devices that would otherwise require a laptop. I can carry my source code around in it (though the 80186 is DOG slow to use for editing 100,000 lines of code!). It has 6 MB internally, so I can keep a large amount of information on it. There are two sets of batteries, so I never lose any information unless it sits unused for a month or more. It'll talk to my Linux machine or my WinDoze machines, and I have duplicate versions of the PDA applications that run on my laptop as well.
It has lousy graphics, but I can still play "LodeRunner" or other classic x86 games on it during boring meetings. It's not quite as small as a regular Palm, let alone a Palm Vx, but I've still managed to carry it with me all over the world for the past 4 years. It takes standard AA batteries, so I'm never far from a power source, and it'll last me for 3-4 weeks between battery changes.
When they come out with a palm device that at least equals this one for usability, then I'll consider the upgrade, but I haven't seen one yet.
If the 200LX ran Linux and was backlit, I wouldn't even be thinking about an upgrade. Where are the Palm devices for the geeks?!
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Aside from that, it'd be pretty easy: just start a local LUG to administer the Linux network in your local school district. Then start hiring HS students to run the network. You'd have to teach them how, but if you get the right students, they'd probably teach themselves. You can accomplish four goals at once:
Sounds like a winner to me.
I first saw this site about a year ago, and at that time gave it my address and geographic location to put into its database, thinking, "hey, this is kinda nifty."
This afternoon, it took one look at my current IP (probably not the same one I gave it last time, but it shouldn't be vastly different), and immediately gave me three incorrect guesses as to where I'm physically located. None was within 300 miles, but they were all within the continental United States, so I guess the site should get some credit.
Anyone else note that ./ has been ./ed today?
It has lousy graphics, but I can still play "LodeRunner" or other classic x86 games on it during boring meetings. It's not quite as small as a regular Palm, let alone a Palm Vx, but I've still managed to carry it with me all over the world for the past 4 years. It takes standard AA batteries, so I'm never far from a power source, and it'll last me for 3-4 weeks between battery changes.
When they come out with a palm device that at least equals this one for usability, then I'll consider the upgrade, but I haven't seen one yet.
If the 200LX ran Linux and was backlit, I wouldn't even be thinking about an upgrade. Where are the Palm devices for the geeks?!