Dunno where you living , but that Q6700 is not worth more than 10 pounds , IF THAT.

As for the bent motherboard , send it to the graveyard , they can recicle the cooper and stuff.

Mike_ wrote on 2026-04-03, 14:24:

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-03, 11:19:

That is beside the point. Their junk may be treasure for you, but you can not judge them for wanting to send it to a landfill to reduce what they think is basically clutter and pollution. The owner has decided that it needs to be destroyed/recycled whatever; who is anyone to question what they do with their own property to the point of legitimizing theft? This is borderline sociopathic entitlement.

What? Usually people just want to get rid off stuff they don't need and is taking space. Most of the time they couldn't care less if somebody scavenges it, and if it goes to use, that's also a way to reduce pollution.

People can have all kinds of reasons from privacy concerns to simple principle for wanting their belongings not be used by others. Legally an ewaste has to respect that. Both legally and ethically so should we.

IANAL either but a person's personal trash within their property still belongs to them and you can not go through it and pick things out of it as if it were public domain, this is only the case once they use public trashcans on the sidewalk etc so you can grab PCs left on the kerb etc. In an ewaste, it is the ewaste's property and not junk in the first place, so this is not even a grey area, simply theft.

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-04, 08:38:

Mike_ wrote on 2026-04-03, 14:24:

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-03, 11:19:

That is beside the point. Their junk may be treasure for you, but you can not judge them for wanting to send it to a landfill to reduce what they think is basically clutter and pollution. The owner has decided that it needs to be destroyed/recycled whatever; who is anyone to question what they do with their own property to the point of legitimizing theft? This is borderline sociopathic entitlement.

What? Usually people just want to get rid off stuff they don't need and is taking space. Most of the time they couldn't care less if somebody scavenges it, and if it goes to use, that's also a way to reduce pollution.

People can have all kinds of reasons from privacy concerns to simple principle for wanting their belongings not be used by others. Legally an ewaste has to respect that. Both legally and ethically so should we.

IANAL either but a person's personal trash within their property still belongs to them and you can not go through it and pick things out of it as if it were public domain, this is only the case once they use public trashcans on the sidewalk etc so you can grab PCs left on the kerb etc. In an ewaste, it is the ewaste's property and not junk in the first place, so this is not even a grey area, simply theft.

Don't forget this guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin_buried_ … ewport_landfill

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-04, 08:38:

People can have all kinds of reasons from privacy concerns to simple principle for wanting their belongings not be used by others. Legally an ewaste has to respect that. Both legally and ethically so should we.

IANAL either but a person's personal trash within their property still belongs to them and you can not go through it and pick things out of it as if it were public domain, this is only the case once they use public trashcans on the sidewalk etc so you can grab PCs left on the kerb etc. In an ewaste, it is the ewaste's property and not junk in the first place, so this is not even a grey area, simply theft.

I'd say legal or not, it's ethical enough to scavenge old computer parts. It's one of those things that's fine as long as you aren't getting caught or making a scene.

Mike_ wrote on 2026-04-04, 12:45:

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-04, 08:38:

People can have all kinds of reasons from privacy concerns to simple principle for wanting their belongings not be used by others. Legally an ewaste has to respect that. Both legally and ethically so should we.

IANAL either but a person's personal trash within their property still belongs to them and you can not go through it and pick things out of it as if it were public domain, this is only the case once they use public trashcans on the sidewalk etc so you can grab PCs left on the kerb etc. In an ewaste, it is the ewaste's property and not junk in the first place, so this is not even a grey area, simply theft.

I'd say legal or not, it's ethical enough to scavenge old computer parts. It's one of those things that's fine as long as you aren't getting caught or making a scene.

The person with a conscience can catch themselves. What if you pick up parts that contain information that is illegal to possess?

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-03, 06:10:

What?.. Seriously?.. People have a right to dispose of their 'garbage' they deem unnecessary and recyclable. What is it with you and this entire attitude of being entitled to other people's stuff?

Disposing of something means it also no longer belongs to you. You literally and legally have abandoned ownership of it.

MattRocks wrote on 2026-04-04, 14:06:

The person with a conscience can catch themselves. What if you pick up parts that contain information that is illegal to possess?

Destroy and ignore. Or just don't pick up the HDD.

We've had a nice little debate about cyber security for the Easter Bunny here and I agree with both sides.
Companies are paranoid about data security because who knows how a dumpster diver will use the data he found. Will he just ignore the data, erase everything or even destroy the hard drive or will he do something illegal with it?
On the other hand the responsibility to destroy the data doesn't fall on the recycling company, it falls on the guy who takes the computer to the recycling center. If you don't want your data to fall into the wrong hands then you just smash the drive and everything that could contain personal/company data.
Most people are aware of this and sell/recycle old rigs without the drives in the computer but many people are ignorant or too lazy to do it.
They are the ones SOMEWHAT protected by recycling laws preventing people from taking old computers. BUT!
It's not at all about data protection because these centers don't allow you to take anything, not just computers. Back in the old days you could get to a waste recycling yard and find perfectly usable scrap metal for your DIY needs and buy them. Nowadays they turn you away no matter how much you offer for stuff.
There were perfectly fine roofing metal sheets I'm trying to find cheap but no, can't be taken. Basically unused mint condition sled just tossed away, waiting to be destroyed instead of a kid having fun with it during the winter? No deal, stays there.
So it's not just about computers unfortunately.
I understand the security concerns though and not that mad about this anymore.

TechieDude wrote on 2026-04-04, 15:07:

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-03, 06:10:

What?.. Seriously?.. People have a right to dispose of their 'garbage' they deem unnecessary and recyclable. What is it with you and this entire attitude of being entitled to other people's stuff?

Disposing of something means it also no longer belongs to you. You literally and legally have abandoned ownership of it.

This is technically not true for things disposed of by being dropped off at an ewaste - you have deliberately passed on the ownership of the part to the ewaste with the mutual agreement that they will destroy it on your behalf; they are not allowed to give it away, use it or sell it.

This whole discussion should be stopped in this thread and be put in its own thread .

Could some moderator please do this ?

Thank you.

This comment may be deleted since it has no inherent value to any of the subjects at hand.

edit : Gerry, No it's not ok.

appiah4 wrote on 2026-04-06, 08:12:

This is technically not true for things disposed of by being dropped off at an ewaste - you have deliberately passed on the ownership of the part to the ewaste with the mutual agreement that they will destroy it on your behalf; they are not allowed to give it away, use it or sell it.

Not my problem.

To stay on topic, more freebies from Marketplace.

weedeewee wrote on 2026-04-06, 08:55:

This whole discussion should be stopped in this thread and be put in its own thread .

i think its fine here, the "whole discussion" is a few posts long, the thread is about finding stuff, its ok for occasional tangents because, given the thread topic, we'll soon get back to...

Mandrew wrote on 2026-04-07, 11:54:

more freebies from Marketplace.

you have some build plans for these? looking good for free 😀 bare though, nothing attached to add to freebies? like cpu etc?

gerry wrote on Yesterday, 13:00:

you have some build plans for these? looking good for free 😀 bare though, nothing attached to add to freebies? like cpu etc?

No plans, I just can't resist free stuff. 😁 The guy was cleaning house and wanted all that e-waste gone. I also took an old typewriter, a bunch of older radios and some ancient medical equipment. The AMD board has problems, nothing else was included. Was a good run though, I'm always looking for freebies because I'm fixing stuff up and sell locally and use that money to buy hardware I actually want. A nice way to keep the costs down.

Mandrew wrote on Today, 10:20:

gerry wrote on Yesterday, 13:00:

you have some build plans for these? looking good for free 😀 bare though, nothing attached to add to freebies? like cpu etc?

No plans, I just can't resist free stuff. 😁 The guy was cleaning house and wanted all that e-waste gone. I also took an old typewriter, a bunch of older radios and some ancient medical equipment. The AMD board has problems, nothing else was included. Was a good run though, I'm always looking for freebies because I'm fixing stuff up and sell locally and use that money to buy hardware I actually want. A nice way to keep the costs down.

my rule is to sell something to earn money and only then spend that money on what i actually want. It keeps me movitated to find deals, fix everything and from a hoarding situation (it can get ouf of hand FAST with electronics)