[NPMUG] Goodwill CRC update, April 24

[Robert A. Donaldson]

Dear Mac friends:

Many thanks to Charlie Hutchens, Rich Fitzgibbon, John Hamill, Tucker  
Trainor, John Bauerlein and Dave Sevick for joining me at the Goodwill  
Computer Recycling Center today.

Do you know how you go through life, accumulating knowledge, and  
finally feeling you have a certain degree of competence? Well, today  
wasn't that kind of a day.

As we move towards implementing our enhanced software package for our  
refurbished iMacs, we hit a bump on the road.

We came across a technical problem nobody has really seen much before,  
caused by something we didn't know was there, and creates a problem  
that is seemingly totally unrelated, and we think we found a solution  
that really doesn't make sense. It means adding another step to our  
refurbishing process. We think. Maybe.

Actually, we feel pretty dumb about now. We were beginning to think we  
were getting this thing rolling.

Anyway, once we figured out what was happening we managed to refurbish  
10 Macs today. We de-manufactured another 11 "recent" Macs, and  
consigned 17 beige Macs found in the basement to their greater glory.

Our all time total of refurbished Macs is now 1,835.

We'll have another work day next Friday, May 1. Please note PennDOT  
has begun the widening project on East Carson St., and the block in  
front of the CRC is restricted to two lanes. Meter parking in front of  
the building has been eliminated during the construction.

As a gentle reminder, please note Goodwill has finally re-instituted
the security procedures they were using in the Lawrenceville facility
before the CRC moved to the South Side. Security cameras have been
activated, and the metal detector at the exit has been switched on and
staffed.

Entry is only from the South 26th St. entrance. We cannot enter the
ComputerWorks Store and go through the back door as we used to.

We are asked to stop at the reception desk at the main lobby to sign
in to get a volunteer badge, then sign in to the log book at the CRC
entrance at the metal detector. The log book now has a separate tab
section just for our members to sign in and out.

We followed these procedures when we were in the Lawrenceville
building, and it's taken Goodwill some time to re-install all the
devices to cover the area with video surveillance.

These measures are to make sure data on disk drives does not get out
of the building before the drives can be securely erased or destroyed.
Goodwill is serious about this, as everyone should be. Any incident of
data from the drives they are entrusted to wipe or destroy getting out
would destroy the credibility of their operation, and lead to people
sending computers elsewhere for recycling.

So please, check in. It takes two minutes, and we're not in any hurry.

Hope to see you there!

Robert A. Donaldson
radonaldson at mac.com
(H) 412-922-3303
(M) 412-477-9188