There is an article in the Trib about the digital divide with minorities and a Tampa program's (Computer Mentors) attempts to reduce it. These days access to a computer is almost essential. It certainly helps Seminole Heights with it community organizing and activism. Researching issues, communicating those issues to our neighbors, disseminating action plans to deal with the issues.
When I go to the Seminole Heights library the computers are always filled with kids mostly but I see several adults who regularly connect that way.
The previous staff member was trying to get computers for the Kathryn Malone Center, but then she left. I don't know if those plans ever went through, but I think not.
If you have an old computer you need to get rid of the program Computer Mentors Group will accept them and clean it up and give it out. Make sure you get rid of you personal info first.
The more people have access to computers, the better for us.
Just a reminder that deleting personal information isn't adequate, at a bare minimum(for windows, don't know how they do it in macland) delete,clear cache on your browser, remove cookies, empty your recycle bin, and run defrag, it's not great, but it prevents most accidental or effortless recovery of personal information. Better would be to get a piece of freeware or shareware that is designed to remove and overwrite the data so it can't be recovered. Any computer gurus can probably advise further. I've been out of the IT loop for a while. Same thing goes for recycling or donating cellphones.
ReplyDeleteEvery hard drive manufacturer makes a bootable utility that will overwrite your hard drive with all "0's" (binary land) which is really the only safe way to clean up your information.
ReplyDeleteI've had to do this on countless retired pc's.