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

[Bill McGonigle]

On Mar 19, 2007, at 18:38, Ben Scott wrote:

> - It puts most of the burden on the operators, not the perpetrators

I'm much more afraid of the legal system than losing $20 - the burden  
would depend on individual decisions like that.  Some days I'd be  
happy to have somebody do monitor disposal for me for $20, especially  
if it's an old SGI.  The guy who sticks up a convenience store for  
$46 and a fist full of Slim Jims makes a different decision than me.   
But he's probably not at a ham fest.

Basically this boils down to "Is one line on a registration sheet  
worth saving the participant $20 for the weekend, eliminating the  
accounting, and making that ($20 * n) available for commerce at the  
flea market"?  They may decide that it's not worth it.

I'd also be very worried about scamming.  I could bring in 5 CRT's  
under the pile of crap and/or under a blanket, and head out with $100.

> - Some CRTs may not have a make and unit ID (this *is* a hamfest)

I've never seen such units, but it's possible, so the problem could  
be reduced to the $20 fee for just those units.

> - The operators now *have* to comb the trash to find dumped CRTs

They'll still have to do that, otherwise they wouldn't need the $20.   
You're assuming a 100% compliance rate with return.  They can't count  
on a deduction total because of the smuggling problem and/or  
perceived disposal service.

> - 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 police will take them as evidence.

> - The authorities may not care (or may have bigger fish to fry)

Could be - illegal dumping is a hot-button topic here, but maybe not  
there.  This is a 1-phone-call fine collection dream (whatever the  
town's local fine for dumping is - $200 here).

> - If the perps are never caught, the operators are stuck with the cost

For illegal dumping this is likely to be true, for units that are  
registered, identity is established a-priori, so they don't need to  
be caught, just served notice.

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

That's probably a good average-case scenario.  I could probably bring  
5 complete working systems to said hamfest, loaded with linux, ready  
for anybody to take home for $30 (or $50 - $20 at the door), but some  
weeks I can't afford to pony up $100 at the door to engage in such  
volunteerism.  If I did have $100 in the budget for it, that's still  
$100 I won't be spending inside the hamfest.

I admit that's an outlier case.  (And I'm in Virginia that week this  
year, so I'm arguing academically)

On Mar 19, 2007, at 21:23, Bill Sconce wrote:

> Photo ID and brand/serial number?  At a _fleamarket_?

It's a fair point.  If I were the organizers I'd raise the ticket  
price $2 and assume people will be dumping.

-Bill

-----
Bill McGonigle, Owner           Work: 603.448.4440
BFC Computing, LLC              Home: 603.448.1668
bill at bfccomputing.com           Cell: 603.252.2606
http://www.bfccomputing.com/    Page: 603.442.1833
New Blog: http://blog.bfccomputing.com/
VCard: http://bfccomputing.com/vcard/bill.vcf