[FreeGeek] Jan 5,2007 Minutes

[David Repa]

These notes are an edited version that graeme sent me.  Please excuse
any formatting errors.  OpenOffice and are going to meet at the bike
racks after school!

Jan 5, 2007 FG Meeting Minutes

Special Guest Star - jeff from Free Geek Portland "the mothership"

1)Free Geek Update

workgroup updates

-EDUCATION, GOVERNANCE, SOFTWARE - nothing to report

-LOCATIONS - google map module on durpal
- Burnaby may be an option
- primo location of West 17 and Ontario a no go

-COMMUNICATIONS - FG provided computer to Momentum Magazine
- changed over the Recyclistas, a non-profit in Victoria, BC to ubuntu
- did bike p/u's of donations from COPE, Spartacus
-FG donated power bars to Spartacus
-made ice sled out of computer case "sled v0.9"
-most of our donations came from contacts with in the bicycle community
-through Scott's contacts we will be having an article in the Georgia
Straight

MONEY UPDATE – we have $129

$100 from monitor fees, $49 from donations

$20 went to costs of movie night


GRANTS – many grants do not fund start ups

      * Graeme suggests using the mothership reputation to help, and to
        also have someone from Portland sit on the board

      * Sean Hill and David Repa working on Freedonia grant

      * private investments seeked out, nothing yet

      * mothership started with 40K in "sugar daddy" money

      * suggestions to do outreach to local activists/musicians to help
        raise funds

      * acquire money in whatever donations possible



NEW ITEMS


Georgia Straight article


-dave watson may be covering it

-focus should be "we need space"

-ifny suggests using the article for promoting a donation drive also

-others raise concerns about needing space and transport to handle a big
drive



CONTACTS WITH BUSINESS/GOVERNMENT

ERA - they are re-opening in Vancouver

they are hard to get a hold of, no transparency in conversations

they are planning on opening up a 20,000sq-ft facility

they do pickups, don't charge

have contracts with CP rail, office depot

they seem like they are hiding something


GVRD – talked to Paul Remillard

did not receive email sent on Dec 12

they will not endorse anyone who has not been cleared by Encorp

Free Geek does not meet the requirements of Encorp


TECHNO TRASH - talked to Peter, his boss is Rob

      * seemed very open and trying to be as transparent as possible

      * they do ship over seas, but not to china, they only ship to OECD
        countries

      * OECD stands for Organization for Economic Co-Operation and
        Development

      * they are seeking ISO certification and EPSC

      * EPSC stands for Electronic Product Stewardship Canada



LINUX CLINIC - education workgroup will take care of details

- comm. workgroup will take care of PR

                              * mothership has a education wiki page, if
                                we need ideas, help

                              * there should be more than one night

                              * these nights should be scheduled in
                                advance

                              * have monitors and mice available to
                                people who bring their boxes

                              * need a digital projector(scott may have
                                one)



WORDS FROM JEFF THE GUY FROM FG-PORTLAND(PDX)


      * never trust the assessment of 'working or not working from your
        hardware donors

      * do not try to model ourselves exactly like FG-PDX, every city
        brings its own unique situations



WORK PARTY


Joe brought up the idea of having a work party after we get a good
amount of computers so we have boxes ready to go


ACTION ITEMS


1) David to arrange meeting with Rob at Techno Trash.


     1. Georgia Straight article

             1. appeal for space

             2. promote a hardware drive

             3. use techno trash to deal with possible overflow of
                hardware



     1. Linux clinic – Windowless Wednesday – Feb. 7, 2007 6-9pm

             1. first hour is a lesson, next two hours is tech help

             2. location to be announced – vcn, purple thistle, some
                kind of community centre



     1. Next general meeting – February 3rd, 2007, Spartacus, 1-3pm










-- 
David
604-690-7372