Library, duplication etc...

We're definitely not trying to duplicate anything that's already there. We're working closely with Wellington ICT (who is running computer hubs in Council Housing) and other groups such as Computers in Homes. Our aim is to fill gaps, and any resources and materials we develop are being shared back with those other groups.

We've also talked to soup kitchen guests to find out if they do have access and where, and what they need most. One of the things we found is that it's important to go where people are. The CBDFree wifi is great, but requires people to have a computer or other wifi device, which is a huge barrier for most. Of course, it's not enough to just put a few machines in a room; this needs to be supported with mentoring, training, resources, etc. There's much good work already out there but often people don't know about it, or they work in isolation, so part of the effort is to better connect some of these disparate groups.

Anyway,we've written about the project in a lot more detail on the Retake the Net website if anyone's interested in getting more background than a half-sentence in an article. :-)