31 Mar
1998
31 Mar
'98
9:46 p.m.
As one facet of this, we might consider what people
would do with
their old systems, if they even got the *impression* that their
private information might be read by a new owner. They might
prefer to totally destroy the machine than to take a risk like
that.
I have had an instance of this recently. At work a tape drive attached to a
PC and which takes the same size casettes as my Sun386i is about to become
redundant. The an accounts clerk in the department concerned has said that
I will not be able to have the _drive_ because it has been used for
confidential data. The fact that the data is on the _tapes_ seems to
reflect on the availability of the drive!
Regards
Pete
31 Mar
31 Mar
9:56 p.m.
Pete Joules wrote:
Hehehe. Sounds a lot like my days at the Army Base ;)
--
mor(a)crl.com
http://www.crl.com/~mor/
As one facet of this, we might consider what
people would do with
their old systems, if they even got the *impression* that their
private information might be read by a new owner. They might
prefer to totally destroy the machine than to take a risk like
that.
I have had an instance of this recently. At work a tape drive attached to a
PC and which takes the same size casettes as my Sun386i is about to become
redundant. The an accounts clerk in the department concerned has said that
I will not be able to have the _drive_ because it has been used for
confidential data. The fact that the data is on the _tapes_ seems to
reflect on the availability of the drive! 
1 Apr
1 Apr
10:08 a.m.
On Wed, 1 Apr 1998, Pete Joules wrote:
Thus was it ever! Once a 'bean counter' always a 'bean counter'.
- don
As one facet of this, we might consider what
people would do with
their old systems, if they even got the *impression* that their
private information might be read by a new owner. They might
prefer to totally destroy the machine than to take a risk like
that.
I have had an instance of this recently. At work a tape drive attached to a
PC and which takes the same size casettes as my Sun386i is about to become
redundant. The an accounts clerk in the department concerned has said that
I will not be able to have the _drive_ because it has been used for
confidential data. The fact that the data is on the _tapes_ seems to
reflect on the availability of the drive!
Regards
Pete
2 Apr
2 Apr
2:48 p.m.
OK, it's probably legal to sift through Old Data, and 97% of it is boring
(which probably mirrors real life), but the original question was about
ethics. If this was *your* Old Data, you probably wouldn't want it in the
hands of one of the Dumpster Divers on this list, so how about a Classic
Computer Collector's Code of Conduct and Helpful Hints for Computer
Donors?
The CCCCC:
* I'll do my damnest to find a home for any orphaned classic computer.
* If I already have a clean example of a particular classic computer, I'll
offer newly spotted machines to other collectors before I hoard them for
myself.
* I will attempt to keep my machines in working order and will refrain
from turning them into fish tanks or putting them in
acrylic frames.
* I'll return or destroy any personal data I find on a machine I acquire.
* I'll respect software and publication copyrights.
* I'll actively promote ethical collecting and will aid mere users in
the decomissioning of their machines.
Helpful Hints for Mere Users:
* Backup your data before giving it away.
* Delete all personal data and overwrite the data with nonsense (e.g, from
MS-DOS: "TYPE FOO >> FOO" will fill the empty clusters with the contents
of FOO).
* If you have an old hard disk, park it before shutting down.
* Remove floppies from the drives, and leave the drives open. However, if
you have the original cardboard floppy protector, stick it in the drive
and close it.
* Include all system software, manuals, and cables in a zip lock bag and
rubber-band them together with the machine.
* Do not use spindle, mutilate, or put any sticky stuff on your machine.
* Pack the computer into a box, and use nearly as much packing material as
you would if you were going to ship it.
* Get a receipt for your donation.
Comments?
-- Doug
9680
days inactive
9681
days old
3 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
donm＠cts.com -
mor＠crl.com -
pjoules＠enterprise.net -
yowza＠yowza.com