Today on my blog, Igneous Quill, I asked some questions about reusing old computers in community development projects. Specifically, I was concerned about the following areas:

1) Difficulty of deploying/supporting multiple hardware configurations. If a company donates a large number of computers to a project, they are likely to have the same configurations. Otherwise, computers donated by individuals will vary widely in age and otherwise. How much of an issue is this to projects providing recycled computers, especially in the context of a community center?

2) Maintenance. Older computers are more likely to break down. Do non-profits providing them also offering service? If so, for how long and under what conditions?

3) Security. If you give a computer to someone it becomes their responsibility. There isn't much you can do about it if they live in a dicey neighborhood. What about community centers, though? I've been thinking and dreaming about eventually being able to help set up community centers in Brazil, where my wife is from and where I lived for a few years. Even older hardware there would be subject to the threat of burglary. Has anyone dealt with this before?

I'd be glad to receive feedback on all these points either here on on my blog. Thanks.