🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1sh34e$sj2@max.physics.sunysb.edu>, mhollowa@ic.sunysb.edu (Michael Holloway) writes:
> 
> Whether this cache your talking about is in a commercial concern or at a 
> university I'm betting that the answer is the same: bureaucratic stupidity.
> Squandered resources are squandered resources, regardless of the excuse.
> Here at SUNY Stony Brook, equipment that could easily be put to use elsewhere 
> is either scrapped or made impossible to get at.  The rational seems to be 
> that this is state property and the only concern is that it not end up 
> being used by someone not in the SUNY system (shudder).  If its used PC 
> equipment it is placed in the basement of an easily accessible campus 
> building in a room whose door is routinely jimmied open by undergraduates who 
> cart the good stuff away.  At least its being put to use.

Hm.  At Iowa State, where I did my PhD, we had REAP - resource equipment
allocation program, I think.  It was a couple of fairly large rooms that
equipment that was operable but old (or could be made operable) were housed
in, under the care of a fellow who had the magic tinkering touch... grad
students, temps, beginning researchers -- anyone who needed a piece
of equipment could borrow it.  And probably get lessons in using it.
REAP is also the home of all the equipment manuals and schematics we
could scrounge... also quite useful!

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI