Non-Profit Rantings Part 2: Shitty Technology

OK, so in a way, this is almost like Part 1, but it still bears repeating, simply because it happens so often. Apart from giving us books that are falling apart, chewed up crayons and cow figurines, the second favorite donation people love to give us is shitty technology. At least with this donation, the giver isn't just tossing us junk--I think in their minds, they've taken one step away from just chucking it in a landfill. But it's one teensy-tiny step. It's still a shitty donation. Why?

Because most people donate broken technology. Or, technology that "will run just fine, IF...", and there follows some list of instructions on the various time and expense we will have to go through in order to use their "gift." I recently crossed town in the freezing cold to load the trunk of my car with two things: a scanner with no cord, no driver/installation CD or any other form of instructions, and a printer that doesn't work. The lady that gave it to me was a very nice lady. I can't imagine why she didn't tell me it was broken in the beginning, so I could've told her kindly to keep it.

In order to get these things to work, I'm going to have to haul it all to Office Depot, or some other place with technology boys with names on their shirts, have them look at the ports, track down a cord, or hire somebody to take the thing apart and figure out what's wrong with it. And even then, I can't guarantee our computers will recognize the hardware. It looked ancient. So "free" stuff suddenly becomes very expensive in terms of both money and time.

Here's a clue: if you want to get rid of it, we probably will, too!

-- Virgil

Oh, and Sam asked me how much time we actually wasted with the previous shitty donation. I work a four hour day on the day that donation happened to arrive. It took me all of those 4 hours to sort through, heave it up on the pickup truck, drive down to the dump, wait our turn, heave it over the side of the truck, drive back, etc. When I took the usable crap to KY, negotiated with the librarian, etc., somehow I guess I managed to still be on the clock even when I was supposed to have a break. As far as money goes, I work cheap. I'd estimate it only cost around $34. But my sanity is priceless.