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

[Ben Scott]

On 3/19/07, Bill McGonigle <bill at bfccomputing.com> wrote:
> On Mar 17, 2007, at 22:15, Jon 'maddog' Hall wrote:
>> Maybe we can get them to change their minds about the monitors.
>
> I understand the concerns about the illegal dumping.  Perhaps another
> option would be to register these monitors based on photo-id and
> brand/serial number at the gate on the way in.

  Sorry to rain on your parade, but that's got a lot of drawbacks:

- It puts most of the burden on the operators, not the perpetrators
- Some CRTs may not have a make and unit ID (this *is* a hamfest)
- The operators now *have* to comb the trash to find dumped CRTs
- The operators still have to pay for disposal (or storage)
- The operators have to wait for the authorities to find and convict
the perps, and then seek damages
- The authorities may not care (or may have bigger fish to fry)
- If the perps are never caught, the operators are stuck with the cost

  (As an aside, I note that this bares some similarities to the spam problem.)

  The nice thing about a deposit is, it gives people a strong
incentive to comply with the rules, and violations automatically cover
their cost.  Meanwhile, there's no significant long term impact on the
good guys.  Administration costs are about it (and registration has
admin costs, too).

  Again, if you can afford to a haul a CRT to Deerfield for a hamfest,
you can afford a $20 deposit for two days.

-- Ben

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