He Has Little, But Gives Back To Society by Kate Heartfield for the ottawa citizenFebruary 17, 2004 
Gary Oakley doesn't have an arsenal of advantages, but he's found a way to be a fighter for the good nonetheless. He lives on a disability allowance in the west end of Ottawa, dealing with pain in mind and body. At 39, he's unable to work for a living. So he spends his days fixing up old computers and giving them to people who, like himself, can't afford new ones.I found Mr.Oakley because my annual fit of spring cleaning came on me early this year. I managed to convince the packrat with whom i live that there might be a better place for our old computer carcass than in the cupboard, under the sink, next to the cat food. Reluctantly, he took out his old tools, salvaged potential transplants he couldn't live without, and left me the bones to do with as i would. I hate wasting perfectly good things. But my downtown apartment doesn't lend itself to a garage sale. So i often turn to the Waste-line set up by the Peace and Environment Resource Centre (www.perc.ca/waste-line). This is a great directory of ways other than landfill to dispose of stuff, from antifreeze to zippers. There, under "C" for "Computers," i found Mr.Oakley. Or, as he's known online, "That Computer Guy" (ca.oocities.com/that_computerguy). In his small way, Mr.Oakley is helping solve two intractable modern problems: technological trash and digital divide. Ottawa prides itself on being a wired city. The SmartCapital project, a partnership between goverment and industry, just launched a new web portal touting a new golden age of on-line citizenship (http://city.ottawa.on.ca/gc/takeitback/elec_computers_en.shtml. But there is still a need for Mr.Oakley ; he never lacks work. His computers and suport come free, or sometimes at a small, pay-what-you-can fee. He takes pride in the sturdiness of his re-build computers. He is motivated not by profit but by stubborn passion, turning nothing away that might work, and working it it until it does. "This stuff cannot go in the trash", says Mr.Oakley, gesturing at the jagged pils of metal, paint and plastic in what he calls his "closet of doom". "That will never biodegrade." I drop off my old clunker, speakers, and keyboard, and we go into the living room of his little apartment. Mr.Oakley explains his web alias; "Everybody in the building started calling me That Computer Guy, and i figured it was better than That Fat Guy." That was about seven years ago, after MrOakley had left his goverment job and moved into social housing. One day, he found a old 486 MHz computer in the trash, took it home, and fixed it up. Soon, he was doing repairs for people in his building who couldn't afford to buy a computer. He found himself spending his own money on parts for his fix-up jobs. So he decided to set up a web site where people could e-mail him with their unwanted parts. He figures there are about 30 of his computer systems in the apartment building and another 10 in other homes, and he's done technical support work for about 80 people. Mr.Oakley doesn't get out much; he injured his back, and has phychological problems that include panic attacks and phobias. "If i don't do something i'll go bonkers," he says. "It's something to keep busy. I feel that i'm contributing to society." Meanwhile, computers are going to waste in the trash (or in kitchen cupboards). Mr.Oakley knows he can't bridge the digital divide himself, but he can help where he can. "I call it pluggin the hole in the dyke." says Mr.Oakley. "I believe that you should give more than you get out of life."
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