- Can you give me an upgraded computer? [toc]
-
Possibly, yes. As far as I (mjb )
am aware, the rules are that you need to be
some kind of community organisation or non-profit organisation in
order to be eligible to receive a computer. Please
contact Damien Gooley or Ian Price for more
information. The idea behind these rules is that these Work for the Dole
projects should not compete with the 'private sector', that is to say,
normal businesses which are operating in the district. The Government
clearly has not heard about the concept of synergy
- Can I donate a computer? [toc]
-
That would be nice. It can be difficult to find uses for computers
which are 486s or less but I believe that the project is still
receiving these computers.
- I have some software which I have pirated. Would you like me to give it to you? [toc]
-
Thanks for the offer, but the answer is definitely NO. The PC Recycle
project is committed to observing the various national and international
laws regarding intellectual property and software copyright. We avoid
all use of unlicensed and pirated software. This inevitably is leading
us down the path of investigating and using Open Source
[*] alternatives to proprietary software.
- Can I volunteer on the project? [toc]
-
Yes but it is requested that you either already have some skills
in these areas or that you are able to work reasonably autonomously.
- What is work for the dole? [toc]
-
It is a system introduced by the Australian Federal Government
to require unemployed people receiving a Government social security
benefit ('the dole') to do some part-time work on community
based projects.
- Does Mission Australia run other 'work for the dole' projects? [toc]
-
Yes. The current site has some information about many of them.
Some are located in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and others
are located in nearby towns.
- What is the difference between a 'participant' and a 'volunteer'? [toc]
-
A participant is somebody who has been required by Centrelink
(The Australian Federal Government Social Security department) to
undertake a 'work for the dole' (WFTD) activity. A volunteer is
somebody who has decided to donate their services to a WFTD project
without being required to by Centrelink.
- What will I learn on the PC recycle and Web-Design WFTD project? [toc]
-
The PC recycle and Web-design work for the dole project is largely
based on the principal of self-motivation and 'iniciative' (a word
much used by Australian Liberal governments). This means that you
will not be receiving intensive one-on-one instruction in the tasks
at hand. The project will therefore most benefit participants who
are comfortable with learning and contributing in a reasonably
independant way. There is a very wide range of skills that can be
learned from this project including Hardware trouble-shooting,
Hardware upgrading, Network administration and troubleshooting,
Internet Development and programming, and Web-design. There is
a large selection of donated computer hardware with which the
participants can experiment and construct new systems. This is
a valuable training environment since it requires the participant
to overcome the various obstacles which surround combining different
computer hardware components into one working system.
- I have heard that this WFTD project is really -Surf the Internet for the Dole-. Is this true? [toc]
-
No, this is not correct. Internet facilities are available at the
Mission Australia building but they are reserved for use which is
related to the project. In other words, the Internet may be used
in order to learn and practice web-design activities and in order
to carry out any research related to the project. The accessing of
offensive material from these computers results in the participant
being immediately asked to make alternative arrangements to fulfill
his or her Work for the Dole obligations.
- Is it OK if I make changes to these web-pages? [toc]
-
I [*] dont personally mind, but
it would be nice if you could be constructive in the way that you
make the changes. If you are a participant of the PC Recycle project
or another project, then you contributions would be most welcome.
For example, your suggestions about how the projects could be improved,
you feelings and experience of participating in one of the projects
are things which you could write about in these pages.
