rcurl
|
|
Press Releases to Newspapers - Discussion Item.
| 
Jan 14 23:29 UTC 1995 |
A suggestion to send a press release to newspapers was made in agora. Here
is the item, followed by some questions. What do you think?
#120 of 136: by Rane Curl (rcurl) on Fri, Jan 13, 1995 (14:16):
Grex Computer Rehabilitation Committee
Grex has just completed the transfer of a second computer system
as a charitable gift. In October 1994 we were asked by a person with the
North Oakland Child & Adolescent Clinic whether we might be able to find a
computer system to help in the education of an 11-year old, who had been
diagnosed as learning-disabled. That's the sort of thing this committee
was created to do. In fact, we had just obtained an IBM XT from UM
Property Disposition. We asked for the donation of a printer, by an
announcement in the Agora conference, and a grexer generously donated one.
It took a while to get the equipment, the Clinic and the child's family
all coordinated for the delivery of the system, but it has now been
accomplished. TS Taylor checked out the hardware, and arranged the
delivery. Here are some of his comments on how it went:
"Finally, the family from Pontiac and I were able to coordinate
in realtime and realspace - the machine is delivered!
"Mom is thrilled - Young Son is thrilled! We sat around and played
with "stuff" for about 4 hours of "familiarization."
"He watched me and also did things - including make mistakes and
recover from them. (DOS is like that ......) <heh-heh>.
"He disassembled the hardware and learned (and fed-back) how and
why certain wires go here or there, or the other place.
"I learned a lot from this also - who's next?"
Who's next, indeed? This Grex program needs both the donation of
equipment (or the money to buy equipment), and needy recipients. We have
been donating through other charitable non-profit organizations, and have
been asking for an agreement that, if the equipment breaks down or is no
longer needed, it will be returned to Grex. Otherwise, the donation is
unlimited.
If you know of a situation where even an "obsolete" computer can
make a difference in helping people, or if you wish to donate equipment
(or money), please write to rehab@cyberspace.org
#135 of 136: by Patricia Snyder-Rayl (pegasus) on Sat, Jan 14, 1995 (18:02):
Rane,
You should send that announcement about the 2nd system out to newspapers
as a press release.
Pattie
#136 of 136: by Rane Curl (rcurl) on Sat, Jan 14, 1995 (18:14):
Now, there's an idea. Has Grex done that before? Might edit it a little
for a non-Grex audience. Maybe, to the Ann Arbor Observer?? Anyone have
any contacts, or know to whom one sends something like this? Also, does
anyone have any comments on doing this? I am going to bring this over to
the publicity cf (starting with the announcement, and #135), for any
extensive further dicussion.
|
pegasus
|
|
response 2 of 6:
|
Jan 17 16:19 UTC 1995 |
My suggestion would be to send the press release to both the news and the
features editor of any newspaper you send to. You can find addresses,
usually, by looking in the phone book, or call them to get the contact
info. Pretty basic.
Pattie
|
rcurl
|
|
response 3 of 6:
|
Jan 23 06:09 UTC 1995 |
After some thought on the matter, I believe that this one computer
rehabilitation, while it is something about which Grex should be proud,
doesn't constitute a big enough public event to interest newspapers, etc.
If we could keep up the "momentum", with a steady stream of reabilitated
computer donations, I think there would be something to attract more
public interest.
What has occurred to date is that just internal word-of-mouth (port?) has
reached persons having a need for the two rehab computers we have donated.
More rehab activity, and internal publicity (and through the newsletter
that is planned) could lead to a level of activity that would be more
"noticeable". We'll keep working on it.
|
mta
|
|
response 6 of 6:
|
Feb 3 22:49 UTC 1995 |
Depends on the timeline, Rane. ;) I'd love to, but I'm moving next weekend --
if one can said to be "doing" a project of that magnitude in one weekend. I'm
also on the convention planning committee for a Science fiction convention this
June. (Yeah, I was on one for a con this January -- I just don't learn.)
Anyway, I'll try my hand, but if anyone gets around to it sooner, that's "A
Good Thing".
|