The e-pioneer does not hesitate to look a gift horse in the mouth
When a horse grows older its teeth protrude increasingly towards the front – you can determine the animal’s age by opening its mouth and observing the splay of the teeth. A prospective buyer does this inspection to ensure that the horse is still young enough to be productively used, since an old horse can not work anymore but must still be cared for.
What is one supposed to do when the horse is not purchased but is presented as a gift? There is a saying that you must never look a gift horse in the mouth. It is viewed as bad manners to perform a critical evaluation of a gift.
Should the same courtesy be displayed when a school is presented with a gift of computer equipment? Should one investigate the age and quality of computers when these are offered by a donor?
What happens if one is too polite to examine the condition of the equipment? The school may land up with a gift that is as valueless and burdensome as an old horse.
E-pioneers must protect schools against accepting equipment that has already exceeded its useful life and will only become a maintenance nightmare.
Don’t hesitate to look a gift horse in the mouth and refuse an offer of technology if it looks somewhat long in the tooth.
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