[NPMUG] Goodwill CRC update, May 22

[Robert A. Donaldson]

Dear Mac friends:

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

AAAUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Thanks for letting us get that off our chests.

We continued to troubleshoot our unpredictable conflicts with the  
workflow surrounding our new enhanced OS X image. Last week, we  
reconstructed the disk image thinking that would cure our conflicts.  
We were wrong.

After much trial and error testing, we've determined the problem lies  
in the server software (DeployStudio) we use to boot and image our  
Macs over an ethernet network. It's a frustrating process as it  
produces unpredictable errors at random. We'll be concentrating on  
fixing this next week.

In the meantime, we've continued to re-image Macs using external  
FireWire hard drives. Today we managed to produced 11 Macs and Marty  
Swartz' laptop lab chipped in another dual USB iBook to bring our all- 
time total of refurbished Macs to 1,883. We re-imaged two more from  
ComputerWorks store returns, and de-manufactured seven others.

We'll have another workday next Friday, May 29.

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