[GNHLUG] Re: Hosstraders Dead, but NEARFest Lives!!

[Ben Scott]

On 3/17/07, Jon 'maddog' Hall <maddog at li.org> wrote:
> I wonder if the issue is *all* of the "heavy metal" that was typically
> abandoned when the event ended, with CRT screens just being the most
> visible (pardon the pun) of them.

  I can't speak for them, of course, but I know that our local
computer junk dealer -- I mean, reclamation service provider -- will
accept a lot of stuff "for free", but they charge $5 for CRTs.

> I think that the $20. deposit basically puts a stop on the sale of CRT
> monitors at the event.

  Like you go on to say, it's doable, just a tiny bit more complicated
than before.  Hopefully, anyone who has use for a CRT can handle the
concept of a deposit.

> I was actually going to get a little more pro-active and try contacting
> them to see what their prices are, etc.

  Well, if you do, keep us posted.  At this point, I didn't want to
commit anybody or anything to an event that is still largely an
unknown.

> ... issues of power ...

  This would be my biggest question.  Well, that, and general
facilities.  At Rochester and Hopkinton, we were able to get an indoor
site.  If we cannot secure the same, it changes the logistics
significantly.

> But from the mission statement:
> http://near-fest.com/statement.htm
> it seems that some of the ham radio operators see the "Internet"  ...

  Well, that seems to be a Standard Lament among old hams everywhere.
It's like talking about how small your first disk drive or RAM was in
computer circles.  Just how seriously the operators take it, and how
much that will influence the general population, is one of the things
I wanted to scope out.

-- 
"One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel / And the next it's rolling over me"
                                                  -- Rush, "Far Cry"