1. What does Labdoo stand for?
   1. Labdoo stands for Laboratories for Edoocation; the name is also related to the concept of “Building Laboratories for Edoocation one location at a time.” It stands for the idea that everyone can make a difference in a child’s education.
2. What’s the premise of the Labdoo project?
   1. What makes Labdoo any different from other groups?
      1. Labdoo is  unique in that we’re a grassroots project; a working community of volunteers from around the globe each contributing in their own part in bringing education closer to a child.  It is based upon the simple idea  that a large project can be simplified by dividing it into smaller tasks. You don’t need every person to be in the same location or need each person to have all the know-how in order to get a laptop successfully refurbished and sent to a child.  
      2. Labdoo is able to provide the logistical resources to help organize this wide network of laptops and volunteers through social networking tools such as “tagging”, “dootrip”,“dooplet”, and the Labdoo Tracking Engine (see glossary below).  
3. What is “tagging”?
   1. “Tagging” is part of Labdoo’s solution in mobilizing laptops.  When you “tag” you’re simply registering your laptop within the Labdoo’s online inventory.  In registering you’re only entering information about the laptop (e.g. memory, operating system, etc.).  In the event there is a call for laptops we can notify individuals who’ve tagged their laptops to see if they wish to donate their laptops.
4. I’m not quite ready to donate this laptop, should I still tag it?
   1. Yes!  Tagging in itself does not imply that you’re donating your laptop now or at any point.  It’s simply making you and your laptop part of the overall Labdoo network. 
5. How do you tag a laptop?
   1. Go to labdoo.org and create a user account if you have not already.
      1. In the left-hand column of the Labdoo homepage, there’s a user log-in and underneath that there’s a link to create a new user account.  Input a username for yourself, a password, and an contact email address.
   2. From there, go ahead and log-in to your account.  You’ll be lead to a page called your Dashboard.  Click on the icon there that says “Add Laptop”.
   3. Enter as much information about the laptop as you can (while most of the fields are optional, the more information you provide the smarter decisions we will be able to make in terms of assigning a laptop to a school project).  Click Save, you will receive a 9 digit tag number.
      
   4. You have successfully tagged your laptop!
6. How can I be sure that all the information on my computer is properly erased?
   1. The Labdoo QA team goes through a full erasing of the hard drive when re-furbishing the computer. When installing the Linux Operating System, we randomly write zeros and ones to the hard drive to make sure all data that was previously on the hard drive is gone forever.
7. How do you decide where the laptops are sent?
   1. We benefit different projects around the world. We search for and have been sought out by organizations with projects that coincide with our goals, aka projects that are donating laptops to students to promote “laboratories for edoocation.” Also, we partner with Engineers Without Borders so we are in direct contact with projects that they have set up.
8. How do you ship laptops to their locations?
   1. Labdoo is a grassroots based organization so we have correspondents through EWB (Engineers without Boarders) in the US and we corrdinate with them where they go and how they can bring laptops in their luggage. We also use a technology called Dootrip where our volunteers can broadcast their trip details to help in mobilizing the laptops.
9. Have you thought about collecting desktops or other electronics for your projects?
   1. Currently we are focusing on laptops in order to focus on the “edoocation” aspect of our goals. Furthermore, because we send the electronics through people travelling, we are using laptops because they are compact and lightweight.Eventually, Labdoo will consider a much larger set of technologies.
      
10. What do you do with the laptops once they’re donated to a Labdoo hub?
    1. Donated laptops are checked out to see if they are still in a useable condition or ready to be recycled.  If they are still useable, we’ll tag the laptop if it has not been already, and then refurbish it (i.e. clean it, clear the hard drive, and install Ubuntu, a simple Linux based operating system). 
       
11. What do you do with donated laptops that are broken?
    1. Short answer: We recycle them. Long answer: We look for partners with a recycler facility who can help guarantee that the broken laptop can be recycled safely. Electronic waste is a huge problem, and one of the goals for labdoo is to help efficently resolve this problem by going through an E-Stewards Recycler.
12. What do you do about laptops that become broken while deployed in their respective locations?
    1. When a laptop becomes broken while deployed it can be reported through the main website, labdoo.org.  From there we can inform volunteers or partnering groups that work or are traveling through the area to pick up the laptop and bring it to a proper recycling facility.  Thus process is assisted through technologies like Dooplet and Dootrip (see glossay and also check our Labdoo Labs page).  
13. I’m ready to donate my laptop, where can I drop it off?
    1. First, make sure that you have tagged your laptop. Second, e-mail labdoo at contact@labdoo.org and we will follow-up with you to determine how your laptop can be brought to a hub.We currently have physical presence and can pick up laptops from the following locations: California (North and South areas), Barcelona, New York, Taiwan (North and South areas). We plan to extend Labdoo hubs in other parts of the world, but currently, even if you are not close by any of these locations, let us still know because we can use our dootrip technology to bring your laptop to a hub.
14. What do you do for projects that don’t have access to internet?
    1. With all our laptops we send off, we install a copy of Edubuntu which is an educational software based in the Ubuntu Linux Operating System. This software provides educational games, computer typing development and an introduction to technology to students abroad. In addition to Edubuntu, we are also making available a stripped down version of Wikipedia through a burned CD so children can have access to it without the need of Internet.
       
15. Can I still contribute even if I don’t know much about computers?
    1. Yes! in fact, knowledge about computers is only a very small portion of the Labdoo project. So come and join the Labdoo mission by registering and/or contacting us at contact@labdoo.org.
       
16. How can I get updates about Labdoo?
    1. By going onto our website, http://www.labdoo.org/ you can find updated information. Also, by tagging your laptop, receiving a Labdoo ID, and providing your e-mail address, the Labdoo team will contact you with important updates.

Glossary

Bridging the Gap - Labdoo’s goal in crossing the digital divide and bringing education to children in developing countries.  

Digital divide - The lack of access to information as well as technology that people have.

Dooplet - A software client that’s loaded on to every deployed laptop that periodically reports the laptops’ status, location, usage patterns, and problems.  It also helps with updating of education packages and determining which applications are most popular.

Dootrip - A Labdoo Labs feature that globally coordinates trips made by Labdoo members by using avaialable excess room in their luggage; this mechanism provides a solution toward a sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation system.

Excess Capacity - Excess storage available for labdoo to use to help relocate it’s resources. Including help the shipment of laptops within the states as well as abroad.

Labdoo Tracking Engine -  A social networking tool that allows for the monitoring, tracking and management of labdoo laptops

Wikidoo - A labdoo project that provides condensed versions of wikipedia stored in local storage systems (CD, DVD, hard drive, pendrives, etc.) to provide access to information for situations in which schools don't have internet access.