The Open Source Initiative has laid out 10 points in the definition of open source. Of these, two seem most relevant to our project.

1. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
2. License Must Not Restrict Other Software

These two principles speak dear to the heart of this project. All people with access to a computer and any software they want.

Microsoft Windows costs a lot of money to license. If we had the money, we could install it umpteen times and give it away to families. But that’s not our reality. Our reality is that we operate on less budget than a family of four receiving one of our computers. That being said, how can we make a computer work? What operating system will we use? Word Processing? Games? Web Browser? Are you mad not to use windows?

In a nutshell, no we are not mad, and Windows (or Microsoft’s programs) have an inherent flaw. Their cost.
That’s why we are proud members of the open source software movement. For more about open source, visit the Open Source Initiative home page.

Why use open source? Won’t that limit our options? Again, no. There is a fantastic office application suite OpenOffice and world class web browser FireFox. And a plethora of OS options. Currently, the leading candidate for this project is Ubuntu.

So you can see, we’re not mad. Just democratic and believe computers should be available to everyone.

Okay, so you’ve read about ReBoot and want to get involved, here’s how.

Email us at jonathanhuebsch@gmail.com.

If you live in Fort Greene or Park Slope, even better!

Welcome to our site! ReBoot is a small Brooklyn-based non-profit-to-be, based on some very simple principles.

1. Silicone used in computers is non-biodegradable and basically becomes landfill
2. Computers are damn near indispensible in this day and age
3. Not everyone knows how to use a computer
4. Not everyone knows how to fix a computer
5. (and finally) not everyone owns a computer.