[Computerbank] solving the conundrum of the bush

[Da Moose]

Terry I think that the difference here is that we have a commitment to our
recipientrs, as volunteers.

for us the solution we would like to see is one of continuing education to
our clients. Trying to excite people about their capabilities and maybe
creating educated converts along the way.

Our recipient base has often low educational standards, low self esteem,
and low literacy and need support. Usually support drops off after about
6months. 

Computerbank is above all not a technical organisation but a social
justice organisation.

I know i was probably just venting and some days I hate the phone and
don't want to speak to recips but in the end I pick up and try to help
because that is what this organisatrtion is all about.

Pen

On Mon, 7 Jan 2002, Terry Collins wrote:

> Da Moose wrote:
> > 
> > Yes your right we have looked at support and it's a difficult and costly
> > area.
> > 
> > Some days we spend most of the day on the phone answering suppoert calls.
> 
> Unless this is a support line, then this is bad. I closed the office of
> a national association becasue of this - staff spent all time answering
> general problems instead of doing the work they were paid for - then
> they wondered why they had no jobs.
>  
> > 
> > But what else do you do? Well we are producing docs that go home with
> > people that address the most common support issues and that seems to be
> > having some effect on the type of client support calls we answer.
> 
> I was thinking about this at CBNSW site meeting on Sunday and I'm
> thinking that we are going to have to structure how much supportCB
> gives/offers  up front, say recipients can have one years support with
> one email/day (NSW doesn't have a phone {:-), then after that, they have
> to find other support (LUG,s newsgroups, WWW, etc).
> 
> On the day I mentioned a group that was encouraging organisations to
> install Linux, but they had all become millstones around their neck
> because it was ongoing (years of support) and this prevented them from
> taking on new clients.
> 
> 
> -- 
>    Terry Collins {:-)}}} Ph(02) 4627 2186 Fax(02) 4628 7861  
>    email: terryc at woa.com.au  www: http://www.woa.com.au  
>    Wombat Outdoor Adventures <Bicycles, Books, Computers, GIS>
> 
>  "People without trees are like fish without clean water"
>