Bristol Wireless Wiki - Digital Donation Day by John Serpico

Digital Donation Day

Bristol's first Digital Donation Day held at Easton Community Centre came in to being after the Institute of Physics heard about Bristol Wireless and what they were trying to achieve. Very generously, 25 complete computers were donated to the project; the only proviso being that if they could not be put to use then they should be returned. From a variety of other sources, in the end, a total amount of 40 computers were available for the big day.

Leaflets publicising the event were duly distributed around the vicinity of the venue, encouraging and inviting novice computer users to become part of the wireless network and participants in the digital revolution.

Come the day, before the Community Centre was even opened at 10 o'clock, people were queuing up outside. Old, young, male, female, black, white, Asian - a cross-section of Easton's multi-cultural community. When the doors opened, patiently they waited as Bristol Wireless volunteers sat down with them on a one-to-one basis to give quick, basic lessons in computer use. As the Linux software was loaded onto each computer, introductions to the ideas of the Bristol Wireless project were given. Everyone was impressed and quite amazed on being informed about Linux. Up until that moment they really had no idea that there was an alternative to paying out hundreds of pounds for typical Microsoft equipment.

Putting back into use, old, obsolete computers and getting Internet technology into the hands of local Easton residents was one of the main aims of the day. People were keen and enthused about what they viewed as a valid project, with all expressing interest and support to the possibility of open training days at Easton Community Centre and getting connected to Bristol Wireless. Witnessing these people leaving the Centre, carrying with them their new, free computers - beaming smile on their faces - was a joy to behold.

By the end of the afternoon, every available computer had been given out. The day also saw representatives of LinuxIT, Easton Renewal and the Institute of Physics visiting the Centre to see how it was all going. All were impressed.

Following the huge success of the day, everyone was keen to repeat it. Next time, however, the software will be loaded in advance so as to enable the Bristol Wireless volunteers to spend even more time demonstrating the capabilities and potential of high-speed Broadband connections, as well as video/audio streaming and inter-active tv. Hopefully, the same number of computers will be available to be given away, demonstrating once again how communities can benefit from this technology. Anyone wishing to become involved at any level with the project are urged to get in touch. Any financial help would also be very welcome, along with of course, any unwanted computer hardware.