[NPMUG] Goodwill CRC update, May 15, 2009

[Robert A. Donaldson]

Dear Mac friends:

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

We spent most of the day today doing other tasks while we reconfigured  
our new, enhanced OS X disk image. We only managed to refurbish one  
iMac that didn't require a server net boot, and re-imaged a store  
return. Our all time total is now 1,871. Seven Macs were de- 
manufactured. 133 keyboards and 30 mice (note the disparity?) were  
checked and made ready for store distribution. Eight Studio Display  
CRT monitors (six 17-inch, and two 21-inch) were checked and made  
ready for the ComputerWorks store.

We hope to have the new disk image we worked on today ready for  
production next week, May 22, at our next regular Friday work day. If  
it checks out, we'll begin churning them out by the dozens again.

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