<html><body><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000"><div><br></div><div> I've noticed several eBay vendors are selling used laptops with Linux Mint installed. I sometimes buy <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-7C2310BB63108D07FA5E8DC53E18942F" data-pwa-rule-id="END_PUNC" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing punctuation" data-pwa-suggestions="these." data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="these" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">these</pwa></div><div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-4A48AA5257CBEF44CC2533E1C33EEB27" data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing capitalization at the start of a sentence" data-pwa-suggestions="And" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="and" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">and</pwa> <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-9757A2AAEE983BADC964232E6F6F4529" data-pwa-rule-id="EXTRA_SPACE_CE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible unnecessary space" data-pwa-suggestions="resell" data-pwa-heavy="true" data-pwa-dictionary-word=" resell" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done"> resell</pwa> them to community members at cost. I'm then able to provide free tech support via my public library job.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div> In some ways my job is analogous to an open source Apple genius bar <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-53253A423D608F3846C9231EC5A0A791" data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa> although I'm given no scripts of what I can</div><div><span id="selectionBoundary_1577813782029_0674975645329925" class="rangySelectionBoundary" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span></div><div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-58B4B6B7D4F2DC9C9EFDC2203B724C4D" data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing capitalization at the start of a sentence" data-pwa-suggestions="And" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="and" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">and</pwa> can't say. I just give people the best <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-9B47C7A01539C2E9F7BEC2F4D307A7BB" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_2886" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Possibly redundant word" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="possible " class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">possible </pwa>advice and support I can. </div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div> Anyway, there might be an interesting story about Linux finding its way into communities via eBay. I can.</div><div>pass along the <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-74BBD53753D8E491BF0AD2DE2B96A583" data-pwa-rule-id="POSSESSION_CE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible missing possessive apostrophe" data-pwa-suggestions="vendors’" data-pwa-heavy="true" data-pwa-dictionary-word="vendors" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">vendors</pwa> names, if anyone might be interested in running with this.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div> An interesting side angle to this <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-5879408A6A1B8DA8118D57195BAFEF34" data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa> the vendors would not be installing Linux Mint if there were no demand</div><div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-0981C7C1FB9A19F261C68D152F0AE4D4" data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing capitalization at the start of a sentence" data-pwa-suggestions="For" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="for" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">for</pwa> it... Another angle, I installed Linux Mint 19.3xfce on a 2002 Dell Dimension 4550 desktop this week. <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-D4D0E0810CA114730C0B58FC868901F3" data-pwa-rule-id="END_PUNC" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing punctuation" data-pwa-suggestions="Darn." data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Darn" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">Darn</pwa></div><div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-4B2253F60B9B2A3C1713B6B46893573C" data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing capitalization at the start of a sentence" data-pwa-suggestions="Computer" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="computer" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">computer</pwa> feels <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-EAB414E4B3A0833C53D22245D2B0C9FD" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_464" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="pretty " class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">pretty </pwa>snappy to me. Without Linux, that computer would be out of commission. With Linux installed,</div><div>it could see a few more years of use.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div> Too often tech professionals use the word "obsolete" as if it were a factual statement, rather than a statement of opinion.</div><div>If you're a refugee from some <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-FE7A9B39B2970C8968A7349445728C25" data-pwa-rule-id="HYPHENATED_BIGRAMS" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible missing hyphen" data-pwa-suggestions="war-torn" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="war torn" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">war torn</pwa> country, a 2002 computer with Linux installed would be a dream system to have at home.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div> If your name were <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-FA8E61F0F2B219C3E8B53A3D1A87FE9D" data-pwa-rule-id="SIMPLE_SPELLING" data-pwa-category="spelling" data-pwa-hint="Incorrect named entity spelling: J.K. Rowling" data-pwa-suggestions="J. K. Rowling" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="J.K. Rowling" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">J.K. Rowling</pwa> - and you were receiving public <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-D072784D83CD7D7A48B451805F38B543" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_2019" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by using: help" data-pwa-suggestions="help" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="assistance" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">assistance</pwa> <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-C103EA8319286EFFFC1707C6D4DA5B96" data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa> you could use such a computer to write your</div><div>first books.</div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div> <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-8B21408D14E701FAA1AE7F2761F6134B" data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_END_PUNCT_CE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible missing end punctuation" data-pwa-suggestions="Phil." data-pwa-heavy="true" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Phil" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">Phil</pwa></div><div><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div><div data-marker="__SIG_POST__">-- <br></div><div><div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-F864678B9A7BF4B8E5FE0E1B62534F95" data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa><br>Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com<br>http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/<pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-98925E20E5954BA2E820F5C1F59E32C9" data-pwa-rule-id="SIMPLE_SPELLING" data-pwa-category="spelling" data-pwa-hint="Unknown word: briefbio" data-pwa-suggestions="brief bio" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="briefbio" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">briefbio</pwa>.html<br>http://www.twitter.com/philshapiro<br>http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/stories<pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-4E6D2BE6055882C4C603D77F10F917E3" data-pwa-rule-id="WHITESPACE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="The punctuation mark '.' may require a space after it. Consider adding the space." data-pwa-suggestions=". " data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="." class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">.</pwa>menu.html<br><br>"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates<br>"Learning <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-A6AE675026EFDAA1B4591B1D883B1C7D" data-pwa-rule-id="IVF_CE" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Incorrect verb form" data-pwa-suggestions="Happened" data-pwa-heavy="true" data-pwa-dictionary-word="happens" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">happens</pwa> thru gentleness."<br></div><div><span style="color:rgb( 51 , 51 , 51 );font-family:'helvetica neue' , 'helvetica' , 'arial' , sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:rgb( 255 , 255 , 255 )">"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-1F896D7AB1165A1EA7694A2EB8E8170F" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_1514" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="that " class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">that </pwa>we can choose from real options." David <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-BD85EBC25EE78A28E792487190C902B5" data-pwa-rule-id="END_PUNC" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing punctuation" data-pwa-suggestions="Suzuki." data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Suzuki" class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">Suzuki</pwa></span><br style="color:rgb( 51 , 51 , 51 );font-family:'helvetica neue' , 'helvetica' , 'arial' , sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:rgb( 255 , 255 , 255 )"></div></div></div></body></html>