[Tfug] Worldcare

[Bexley Hall]

Hi, Chris,

--- Christopher Robbins <robbinsc at gmail.com> wrote:

> What would be handy (and I'd be willing to
> volunteer/help out with)

Excellent!

> would be a simple website that has some info on the
> servers/computers they have.

Joes and I have tried to do that just by listing
items, here.  Based on what we've seen *sold*,
this hasn't been very successful.  :<

The difficulty you will encounter is keeping that
list current.  Not only do you need to know when
items can be *added* to the list but, also, when
items need to be *removed* from the list (because
they have been sold, used for some aid purpose
or otherwise distributed).

Currently, the only way to do this is to physically
inspect what's there.  Thankfully, Dennis is very
good at listing the contents (hardware and software)
of each machine that he builds.

> Or some sort of database to catalog everything they
> have and an associated

Ha!  Dream on!  :<  You would have to do this
manually and maintain it manually -- the store
just treats all computer sales as "computer"
without regard to *which* computer was sold, etc.

> price.  I went out there today, and while they have
> some interesting things out front, I've heard they
> have interesting stuff in the back.

Technically, every other part of the building is
off-limits to the public.  This is a logistical
matter (we can't afford to keep track of random
people walking around the building) as well as a
liability issue (having to explain to the insurance
company why Joe Random Citizen happened to cut
himself on some surgical scissors that were in a
box of items he happened to be digging through).

Remember, this isn't a retail outlet -- it's a
relief organization.  For the most part, people
aren't sitting (i.e. stationed) in a particular
room waiting for someone who might drop in.
Joe, for example, could be in "his" room, or
sorting donations, or unloading an 18-wheeler
full of donated materials, or hauling scrap metal
out to the metal recycling dumpster, or bringing
items into the store, or...

And, each of those things are tasks that he is
performing *for* WC.  So, when someone shows up,
whatever Joe *was* doing suddenly has to wait.

It would be like someone showing up unannounced
at your place of employment and saying "Hey,
could you show me what you do here?"  After the
second or third time, your boss is going to get
a bit annoyed about the distraction and how much
of your work hasn't been getting done...  Or, if
you're salaried (and, thus, are paid for the task
and not the time!), *you* will get annoyed at having
to work later those evenings in order to finish
what needs to get done!  :<

The same is true of all volunteers.  While many of
them are retired (or, independently weathly as is
Joe's case), others of them are not.  So, the time
they spend has self-imposed limits.

And, of course, the facility closes each night so
there is *that* limit on what you can get done on
a given day.

> But Joe wasn't in and I couldn't check else out (I
> guess the room in the back with all the
> super-secret stock I've heard about).

It's not "super secret".  Rather, they are items
that don't appear to have a demand -- based on
what we see selling in the store.  E.g., if the
servers in the store aren't selling, then why
put *more* servers out there??  If 8-track players
(before most of your times, I suspect  :> ) aren't
selling, why put more of *those* out there????

> If they have as much stuff as Bexley says they get
> in, and the rest of us (who crave random/interesting
> electronics) have access to knowing what their
> inventory looks like,

But that's the falacy!  You're still thinking like
WC is a *store*.  WC has no real "inventory" in
that sense.  THe only things that WC considers
inventory are the (tested, reconditioned) computers,
clothing, personal hygiene products, medical supplies,
etc. that are being held for current/pending/future
relief efforts.  The *store's* inventory is *in*
the store.  It's not like a retail store where you
can see an empty shelf and ask a clerk if they have
any more Figgledorf Blue "in stock".  Instead, it's
more like WalMart in the sense that what you see is
what they have!

> it might make things move with a little more speed.
> If they have a way (via said website) to get the
> obscure stuff moving out the door, it might even
> bring in a little extra cash....

WC would love to find homes for things that it
would otherwise route to "materials recycling".
Even more if they can get a few bucks for it.
But, things don't just "sit around" waiting to
make their way into the store to be sold.  The
facility is a fixed size.  Accumulating items
at the rate they come in would have the place
bursting at the seams in a matter of days.

Recall, WC processes, on average, 3.5 tons of
goods EVERY DAY.  Even if those goods had the
density of *cement*, you're looking at ~40 cu ft
daily (i.e., the volume of a typical household
closet every day).  Of course, actual donations
are much less dense (e.g., a computer is probably
20-30 lbs/cu ft) so the actual volume of daily
donations is considerably more than 10 times that!

I.e., WC staff have to move that much material *out*
of the facility every day -- to "materials recyclers"
or relief recipients.  It doesn't matter how "cool"
something may be -- if it can't be reused or resold
in short order, there's no place to horde it.

I've been pushing the idea of a UofA style auction
but WC just isn't set up for that sort of event.
And, generating the traffic necessary to justify
the success of that effort...

> I don't know who to talk to, but it is an idea to
> ponder....

Start with Joe.  You'll find there are other issues
to be addressed (i.e., *which* web site!).  He and
I have tried to "create" demand by listing items
here but with little success.  It's a chicken-egg
problem -- the items *you* want to see won't be
made available unless there's a visible (to staff)
demand for them (as evidenced by actual $ale$).
But, the sales won't happen until the items are
made available!  :<

<shrug>  Welcome to our world!  :>

Regardless, any effort you are willing to extend will
be appreciated!

--don



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