9

I was in the non-profit shop of a local charity. They accept donations of used computers then resell them to the public. The profit goes to charity. I asked for their oldest machine. It had an AMD chip from the 16h family. Thus, a spychip.

So their oldest machine was still too new for me. I asked why don’t you have anything older? They said the general public would not accept anything older, and so the shop also does not accept anything older. When machines are rejected, they go to a factory that destroys them and recovers the raw metals.

It’s sad to see that pre-spychip machines are being destroyed and that even 2nd-hand customers are being limited to anti-consumer spychip hardware.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] MrEff@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I don't think you know what you are talking about with non-profits. I used to have one for my reddit socials group. I founded it and was the president/ceo for about 8 years. I can tell you right now, you can definately run it as a for profit. In fact, there is a specific dollar amount you can profit off it. Every year when I submitted financial documents to the state I had to show generally (high level only, not specific) every dollar that came in or out, but they didn't care about where it came from or where it went to. The only real question was if I had over exactly $1 million in profit. Obviously I never did, but if I did there would simply be a slightly different set of rules on what I would have to do with it or how to declare it. If I had a non-profit that sold computers and grossed $999,999 per year, then paid myself or banked everything left over, then I am still a perfectly legal non-profit and don't need to report any details on my finances other than general numbers.

And as far as financials related to the mission? Literally nothing stopping me from spending it on whatever I feel like. If my mission is slinging used computers to help kids with cancer- i can buy a fucking yacht with all my computer sales money under the non-profit then donate $1 to st.judes. This is why millionares and billionaires love to found their own charity and wash money through it. The rules are so gray.

Want to know the most common bullshit with non-profits if you still don't believe me? Look up Equine Therapy non-profits. It is how you make your horse(s), stable, and pasture all sheltered as a non-profit. Then once a year you have some nondescript, unverified, person ride one of your horses and count it as your charity event to justify the existence. I know so many people who own horses who do this bullshit to help cover the cost of owning them. And most of these people aren't even that rich, just well off. And again, totally legal.

this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2026
9 points (58.8% liked)

retrocomputing

5459 readers
1 users here now

Discussions on vintage and retrocomputing

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS