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RE: [Sheflug] Re: [SlugBug] Your PC fixed by volunteers at the C
On 21-Nov-04 Andy Davidson wrote:
>
> Hi, Slugbug/Sheflug.
>
> On 19 Nov 2004, at 12:37, Gareth Coleman wrote:
>
>> We feel that fixing our neighbours computers for free is
>> good because then they can be better connected in our community
>
> That's a very community spirited attempt, and your thoughts are
> well intentioned.
>
> But what you're doing is devaluing the work of commercial computer
> repair people. This is dangerous. I'm sure it's not your intention
> to take a means to earn away from local IT shops, but this is
> precisely what you risk doing.
>
> If people can't be allowed to make money out of IT, the industry will
> collapse in on itself. I don't like the idea that my pay might be cut
> because my trades and unique skills that I have invested years learning
> are being handed out on the street corner (as it were.)
A fair point, as far as it goes; but I don't see the Linux community
causing commercial IT maintenance to collapse!
The issue has broad boundary areas in several shades of grey.
Where folk in one's neigbourhood may have difficulty simply
affording the cash for a 'professional' repair (and who knows
how expert/knowledgeable that might be -- quite possibly on
the level of taking out a video card and replacing it with
a new and expensive one, when the real problem was that the
contacts needed cleaning), then I see no possible objection
and everything to commend it. They will get a service and
an enablement when they couldn't have afforded it, and the
IT industry hasn't lost a penny in trade.
Nor do I have an issue with doing a friend, or a friend's friend,
a favour for nothing. any more than with helping them to erect
a shed or fix their leaky ball-valve. Are these going to put
plumbers etc. out of business?
Such "community actions" are on a small scale. It might be
different if there was a walk-in free-service shop in every high
street, but the financial support to keep that sort of thing
going would rule it out.
Ted.
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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding [at] nessie.mcc.ac.uk>
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Date: 21-Nov-04 Time: 13:00:35
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