Follow-Up To Getting Rid of Old IT Gear
Remember in December I asked how best to get rid of my redundant IT kit? My hope was to have it go to a good home; like a young aspiring web developer in need of a server to run LAMP on.
I had no takers though and had no luck in my search for a charity who might deal in this sort of thing.
So, six months later, on the day my new server arrived I finally got round to dealing with them. It saddens me to say that in the end I threw it all away. After dropping Felix off at nursery I called at the local tip and left them all there, out in the rain looking all sad and un-loved.
I'm guessing/hoping they'll be stripped down to remove any hazardous chemicals, rather than being shipped off (back) to some toxic mountain of waste in China. I tried my best to do it the ecological way. Honest.
Now when Karen asks how many computers I have I can say "only five" instead of having to admit to having ten.
Before I got rid of the computers I made sure I removed all the hard drives and have seven of them piled up on my desk. Not sure whether to destroy them or stick away in a drawer somewhere so I can look back on them in years to come. Maybe I should bury them in a time capsule in the garden for future generations?
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:( sad days.
Don't forget to pick up a can of air duster for the new server.
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You knew I would have an answer for old hard drives, didn't you?
Take them apart!
1) awesomely strong magnets
2) interesting machined aluminum parts
3) interesting read arm apertures
4) blocks of aluminum you can melt over a small fire to make your own interesting aluminum castings
5) awesome hard drive platters make interesting mirrors or drink coasters (similar to CD's but not as plastic-y)
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There was a time when I couldn't get rid of this sort of stuff - but now that my kids are involved in the local scout group, I can see how the bits can be used.
Scouts need computers to learn on, and even if they don't work, they can make awesome crafts out of the bits.
Next time, instead of trying to contact head offices of organisations, just talk to the local branches - the people who are desperate enough to take whatever they can find.
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