A Word From Coop

I've always loved technology, though I must admit that, as a child, I didn't really understand it. There was just something about tech that drew my interest. In the 90s, tech was very different to how it is now. My first computer wasn't a computer at all, but a word processor. No, that wasn't anything to do with Microsoft Word, but rather, a device that was dedicated to that function only. Think something like MS-DOS, a command line interface with nothing else. The second computer my family had boasted only 32mb of RAM. Yes, I am that old.

Even though I had absolutely no clue how any of it worked, I was interested. Not just in computers, but technology on the whole. How did the VHS player know how to read the VHS? How did the TV send and receive signals? I remember, when I was around 10 or so, my uncle took apart my grandparents VHS player and I saw the circuit board. I wondered how this strange thing made it all work! 

My professional journey, however, didn't start until 2012. Now, more than 10 years later, I hold a Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology, diplomas in Business and Management and a Bachelor of Information Technology. 

That's my formal education. However, that means little, in my opinion: not all learning comes from a classroom. In fact, most of what we know in life comes from real-life experiences. Since graduating from university in 2019, I've continued to further my knowledge in technology, with a particular focus on Linux. I spend much of my time - especially in the last twelve months - testing and experimenting with different technologies. I've owned and operated a few websites in the past, but I always felt as though I was missing something. I love technology, and I love Linux. But I had no focus.

It wasn't until I saw something that reminded me of a class I had at TAFE - where I completed my Certificate III - that it clicked. That something was Agbogbloshie and I was reminded of how outraged I was that so much technology was discarded. It was Agbogbloshie that prompted me to look at open source systems like Linux, instead of throwing away my old Netbook when Windows XP no longer worked on it.  And just like that, I was reminded of what I thought back then: that technology doesn't need to be discarded anywhere near as much as it is.

Technology is amazing, but you don't need to drop several thousand on a new computer when yours starts to have issues. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get what you want out of your device. And suddenly, I knew what I wanted to do: to spread the word that money doesn't always mean anything in the tech world. And so, this site was bron.

I'm Coop, The Broke Tech, and this site's sole purpose is to spread the word that there are alternatives to pulling out your credit card and dropping massive amounts of money on technology. This site will give tips, tricks and hacks about free or low cost alternatives for software and hardware, including the many, many alternatives you can use for your operating system to give your tired computer a new lease on life.