Wednesday, July 19, 2017

I shared how to build a blog, let's address monetization $$$

*I don't use my blog to make money because what I am really into requires a great deal more freedom with design, graphics, HTML, baclinking and many other aspects.
 Have you signed up for a free blog yet?
 Reviewing your analytics will be simple:

 Go to day stats
Day posts to monitor

 Audience

 Referring URLs

*The numbers matter less than the direction which is of your on choosing.

With that information gathered you can determine if you wish to monetize. (I'm not advertising for myself but a website is so much better)

And here I'll get you started;

How To Make Money From Your Blog

Now that you have your blog set up and traffic is coming your way, you’re ready to start monetizing your blog.
You must have seen or heard about people who make a lot of money from blogs. Some people aren’t even afraid to show it off to their readers. Here are a couple of folks who do extremely well with blogging:
  1. Pat Flynn from SmartPassiveIncome.com makes around $80,000 per month (he started his blog 5-6 years ago, though).
  2. Lindsay from PinchOfYum.com makes around $20,000 per month (she started her blog in 2010).
  3. Regina from ByRegina.com makes around $7,000 per month.

Email marketing to your own list the best way to make money with your blog.

List building refers to adding new subscribers to your email list. You can entice readers to subscribe by offering a free gift exclusive to subscribers and, of course, by consistently producing great content that people want to come back to.
But how does this help you monetize? It keeps people in-the-know. When you launch your eCourse, start offering consulting services, or publish an eBook, your subscribers are going to be the first ones to care. So, if you want to see quick results after a launch, be sure you have an email list built up to gain access to a pool of interested individuals.
That’s not to mention that you can also monetize your email campaigns with banner ads and affiliate links, too. In some cases, you might even set up a separate paid subscription email list for exclusive tips and offers.
If you want to start gathering your visitors you will need a email service. I recommend Constant Contact. *Constant Contact has a 60 day free trial (no credit-card required). After that their pricing starts as low as $20/month but I was able to get you 20% off if you click here! I like their service because it isn’t expensive, they have excellent support, and a great autoresponder management system.

Here are six more excellent ways you can monetize your blog:

1) Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing. As the blogger, you include links to a product or service offered through another business’s affiliate program. If one of your visitors clicks on that link and purchases the good or service, you’ll receive a cut of the cost.
That’s how I monetize my blog here at Start Blogging Online.
If you choose to join an affiliate program, it’s always a good idea to:
  1. Only promote products relevant to your niche.
  2. Only promote products you’ve personally used and recommend.
  3. Include a disclaimer on your site as to not mislead your readers (like I do here).
So how do you get involved in affiliate marketing? You can start by joining a popular program such as:
But you don’t have to stick with just the big-name programs. Businesses can also set up their own programs for a single product or a small group of products, and you can become one of their affiliates. For instance, a fellow blogger might offer an affiliate program for eBooks or eCourses in your niche, which would be a great opportunity for you since it’s highly relevant to your readers.
How much can you make through affiliate links? Melissa Culbertson of Blog Clarity points out just two examples of a mommy blogger and decorative concrete blogger who make $20,000 and $32,000 per year respectively, and that’s with minimal visitors.

2) Google AdSense

Some people create a self-hosted blog solely for ads and Google AdSense is one of the most popular ad networks around. Simply put, you make money by displaying ads on your site. There are two ways to start earning cash from Google AdSense:
  1. Based on impressions: This depends on page views. For instance, for every 1,000 page views you get, you earn a set dollar amount.
  2. Based on clicks: Regardless of page views, if a visitor clicks on the ad from your site, you’ll earn a certain cut of the ad revenue. This can range anywhere from $0.01 to a couple of dollars depending on the ad.
AdSense is compatible with free Blogger blogs and self-hosted WordPress blogs, but keep in mind that it won’t work with a free WordPress blog (although you can monetize with WordAds if you have a custom domain).
How much can you make with AdSense? Well, that all depends on your traffic and how many people are willing to click on your ads. (Remember that you should never click on your own ads since Google can penalize you for it.) Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income has reported earning upwards of $3,000 per month on AdSense revenue alone, but other bloggers like Spencer Haws of Niche Pursuits have reported earnings well over $10,000 per month.

3) Course and/or Services

If you’re already teaching your visitors through your blog, why not create an exclusive learning opportunity by building a paid online course? A common way to sell these courses is by setting up an 8-week course through automated email messages or releasing the full package all at once so students can work at their own pace. Just some examples of online courses include:
  • Audience Business Masterclass (from Firepole Marketing)
  • Article Writing Masterclass (by Carol Tice and Linda Formichelli)
  • Social Media Training for Serious Marketers (from Market Motive)
How much can you make selling eCourse memberships? Again, this all depends on how much you sell it for and how many people are willing to purchase the course. Gina Horkey of Horkey Handbook made over $1,000 in her first month after launching a freelance writing eCourse.
Like courses, you can also offer services. For example, many bloggers are also freelance writers, and they get paid to write blog content for other people. Other common services include speaking engagements and private coaching. Depending on your niche, you can get more specific. A wedding blogger, for instance, might offer wedding planning services.

4) Consulting

Consulting is another popular way to make money through your blog’s traffic. With these services, you charge a fee to give feedback to readers. For example, let’s say you blog about social media. You could charge $75 for a one-hour Skype session where you discuss your client’s social media strategy. Along with the Skype call, you might send a full written report via email on how to improve that strategy.
Let’s look at a few examples. Jim Connolly of Jim’s Marketing Blog sells two-hour-long “Pick My Brain” sessions for $319 a pop to discuss marketing tactics. Sophie Lizard of Be a Freelance Blogger sells one-on-one mentoring sessions for freelance bloggers in packages ranging from $197 to $497.

5) Paid Reviews and/or Banner-ads

If you’re generating a decent amount of traffic, you might be approached by a business looking to sponsor your site. There are usually two requests you get in these cases:
  1. Paid reviews or sponsorship posts
  2. Banner ads
Paid reviews are when the business sends you their product and pays you to write a review about it, but you are not obligated to write a positive review. Alternatively, some businesses will sponsor a specific post in exchange for a link back to their site. It is an ethical practice to disclose the sponsorship to your readers.
Banner ads are just what they sound like. They’re ads you place in “banner” style, usually in your sidebar. The business sponsoring the ad will often pay you monthly to keep the ad up on your site.

6) eBooks

Writing eBooks is a super popular way to start selling a unique product in your industry, and it’s ideal for pretty much any niche. With so many self-publishing opportunities available, too, it’s easy to get your book published and ready to sell with major retailers like Amazon or directly on your site.
How much money can you make? Darren Rowse of ProBlogger reports earning $72,000 in just one week after launching his eBook. If you’re not terribly well-known, you can still make a decent chunk of cash. Steve Gillman reports at The Penny Hoarder that he made about $2,000 from an eBook on ultralight backpacking that he wrote in just a few days.

Need more advice? 




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Cable Plant Design and Management

*I'm searching for a picture to convey who's responsible for the ISP and the OSP. I see the term "NIU" which we referred to as the "NID".

I may have to dig out my own books.


 Coupled with a detailed Assessment and Planning engagement, our engineers and consultants plan and design a cable plant management system that will allow businesses to cost effectively plan, install, and manage the complex cable and fiber infrastructure required by today's networks. Our senior telecommunications consultants understands the high cost of physical plant change and implementation, and the challenges of effectively maintaining that physical plant for an increasingly mobile work force. Employee moves, additions, and drops can also be managed through this solution.
Paradise Communications senior Telecommunications consultants broad experience in cable and fiber plant design and implementation can assist businesses in deciding the best investment of scarce IT resources into new infrastructures. Designs are consistent with today's business needs, characteristics, and requirements. Along with the information transfer needs of organizations, the solution incorporates planning, required facility modifications, installation planning and implementation, start-up and check out, testing and certifications, and on-site support services.
Use Cable Plant Design and Implementation to:
  • Ensure manageability, operability, and infrastructure requirements are part of the planning, development, and deployment of the project plans
  • Improve overall IT availability, performance, and quality-of-service levels by aligning development and deployment of new applications or equipment with operational requirements.

Cable Plant Management
What is Cable Plant Management?
Cable plant management is the design, documentation, and management of the lowest layer of the OSI network model-the physical layer. The physical layer is the foundation of any network whether it is data, voice, video or alarms, and defines the physical media upon which signals or data is transmitted through the network.
Approximately 70% of your network is composed of passive devices such as cables, cross-connect blocks and patch panels. Documenting these network components is critical to keeping a network finely tuned. The physical medium can be copper cable (e.g., cat 5), coaxial cable, optical fiber (e.g., single or multimode), wireless or satellite. The physical layer defines the specifics of implementing a particular transmission medium. It defines the type of cable, frequency, terminations, etc. The physical layer is relatively static. Most change in the network occurs at the higher levels in the OSI model.
Key components of the cable plant include the entrance facility, equipment room, backbone cable, backbone pathway, telecommunication room, and horizontal distribution system.  We can show you how to develop an online inventory and management system that will let you take control of these critical infrastructure resources.

 Entrance Facility
The service entrance is the point at which the network service cables enter or leave a building. It includes the penetration through the building wall and continues to the entrance facility. The entrance facility can house both public and private network service cables. The entrance facility provides the means for terminating the backbone cable. The entrance facility generally includes electrical protection, ground, and demarcation point.
 
Equipment Room
The equipment room serves the entire building and contains the network interfaces, uninterruptible power supplies, computing equipment (e.g., servers, shared peripheral devices and storage devices) and telecommunication equipment (e.g., PBX). It may be combined with the entrance facility.

 Backbone Distribution System

A backbone distribution system provides connection between entrance facilities, equipment rooms, telecommunication rooms. In a multi-floor building the backbone distribution system is composed of the cabling and pathways between floors and between multiple telecommunication rooms. In a campus environment the backbone distribution system is composed of the cabling and pathways between buildings

 Telecommunication Room
The telecommunication room (TR) typically serves the needs of a floor. The TR provides space for network equipment and cable terminations (e.g., cross-connect blocks and patch panels). It serves as the main cross-connect between the backbone cabling and the horizontal distribution system).
Horizontal Distribution System
The horizontal distribution system distributes the signals from the telecommunication room to the work areas. The horizontal distribution system consists of:
  • Cables
  • Cross-connecting blocks
  • Patch panels
  • Jumpers
  • Connecting hardware
  • Pathways (supporting structures such as cable trays, conduits, and hangers that support the cables from the telecommunication room to the work areas)
  •  
Why Document Your Cable Plant?
Your network is one of your company's most valuable assets. It's the central nervous system of your organization—and it's growing along with your network management problems. Your challenge is to harness the power of exploding technology and make it work for you. Every minute spent tracking data, reconfiguring your cable plant or searching for the source of a problem means loss of time and productivity—and loss of profit. Cable plant documentation software can help maintain the integrity of the network by tracking the continuity through equipment, patch cords, cross-connects, connectors, cables, and outlets. It encompasses the design and maintenance of the cable plant. Cable plant documentation can be an ally against the ravages of system downtime, giving you the power to configure your cable plant so you have fewer network problems.
Cable Plant Documentation Can:
  • Reduce the time it takes to modify the original installation.
  • Minimize network downtime.
  • Increase the life of a cabling plant.
  • Reduces the number of technicians needed to handle problems.
Let us work with you to develop a Network Management system you can use to manage all of your cable plant, including all the connectivity, connectors, pathways, and device relationships—to truly visualize and understand your network's infrastructure.  Let's get started today, just give us a call.


Bookmark worthy > http://tinyurl.com/c6y9aw4

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What is the difference between primary and secondary bootloader? (Older but spot on)

Where did you find the use of such terminology? "Primary/secondary" could also connote significance/importance, which doesn't make sense in relation to bootloaders. It's really about the ordering, and first/second/third stage (or level) is a better description IMO. – sawdust Mar 24 '14 at 0:13
ou're confused because it is an over-simplistic way of describing the process. If you've been reading the same IBM article as mentioned in primary and secondary boot loaders, which is one place where people seem to have drawn this primary/secondary notion from, note that it takes a rather narrow, Linux-only, view of the world (as it clearly states in its first sentence), that it was written in 2005, and that it is actually making a distinction between the same boot loader program (GRUB) installed in two different places on a hard disc (the MBR-virus area and a disc partition) rather than between two different boot loader programs, one "primary" and one "secondary".
In reality, bootstrapping most operating systems for PC Compatible and workstation class machines (per the tag on the question) is a series of loader programs, each one loading the next. A primary/secondary distinction erroneously implies that there are only two programs, or (as in Thayne's answer) erroneously implies that only two out of the several programs in the sequence have special status as "primary" and "secondary", or erroneously implies that PCs nowadays necessarily even use boot loader programs in MBRs and VBRs at all.
Three very brief examples of such chains with more than just two programs:
  • The loader program in an old-style PC98/PC-AT machine's firmware loads the loader program in the Master Boot Record which loads the loader program in the Volume Boot Record which loads the Basic Input/Output System part of PC-DOS/DR-DOS from the IBMBIO.COM file which loads the Basic Disc Operating System part of PC-DOS/DR-DOS from the IBMDOS.COM file.
  • The loader program in an old-style PC98/PC-AT machine's firmware loads the loader program in the Master Boot Record which loads the loader program in the Volume Boot Record which loads the OS2BOOT loader program which loads the OS2LDR loader program which loads the OS2KRNL program.
  • The EFI Boot Manager program in a new-style EFI machine's firmware loads the bootmgfw.efi program which loads the winload.exe program which loads the ntoskrnl.exeprogram.
There's no good case for designating any of these as more "primary" than the others. Indeed, there's no good case for designating the loader programs built into the machine firmware as "primary". If one looks at TianoCore in detail, for one example, one finds that there's even a series of boot loading stages that occur within the firmware and that there's even a concept known as the Firmware File System. (Those both go well beyond the scope of this answer, though, as does the boot process of IBM MicroChannel Architecture machines, which loaded stuff from DASD before even the MBR boot loader program.)
The fact that GRUB 1 rather famously had a "stage 1.5" should tell one by itself, even ignoring the fact that there's obviously another loader program that loads GRUB "stage 1" in the first place, that the idea that bootstrap sequences in the PC Compatible world are just two stages long, and bootstrap programs neatly divide into "primary" and "secondary", doesn't match reality.

Further reading


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The most effective way to pay off debt, according to researchers

*Not sure if I agree with all this? I simply cut up all credit cards and if I don't have the cash I just don't buy what ever I'm looking at = simple.


By and large, Americans are drowning in credit card debt.
The average household with credit card debt owes $16,061, according to a recent report by NerdWallet. Collectively, US consumers owenearly $930 billion, the highest mark since the financial crisis.
It's time to start paying that off. Strictly looking at the numbers, it's smartest to pay down the accounts that carry the highest interest rates first. That way, you're staving off as much interest as possible and don't end up owing even more.
But what makes sense mathematically on paper doesn't always work best in real life. Paying down debt is as much about motivation as it is about money, and most people fall into a different camp of debt repayment: Prioritizing accounts with smaller balances, rather than those with higher interest rates, according to research from the University of Michigan.
While it typically goes against the advice of financial advisors, who will cringe as they see the lost dollars in interest piling up, new research highlighted by the Harvard Business Reviewsupports this strategy for paying off credit cards.
After analyzing data from nearly 6,000 HelloWallet clients, a financial services provider that caters to Fortune 250 companies, business professors Remi Trudel, Keri Kettle, Simon Blanchard, and Gerald Häubl determined that consumers who focused on repaying one of several accounts, as opposed to chipping away and multiple accounts at once, paid off more of their debt over 36 months than their counterparts who took the opposite route.
The researchers then simulated these two strategies in a series of three experiments and found similar results. In the first experiment, participants were given a 'debt' divided equally into five accounts and told they could earn money by playing a game to pay it back. The participants who were assigned to pay off the accounts one at a time worked harder than those assigned to pay back their debts equally, finishing 15% more quickly.
Ultimately, the researchers concluded that the factor that made the biggest impact on how hard participants worked wasn't the amount they were paying back or how much was left in the account afterward, it was the percentage of the balance they ended up getting rid of.
That means if you have two credit card accounts, one with $4,000 in debt and another with $6,000 in debt, repaying $2,000 of the $4,000 account would feel much more productive than spreading $1,000 payments over both of the accounts. Even though it's the same amount paid, with the first one, you're already halfway there to closing it out — a mental victory.
"Focusing on paying down the account with the smallest balance tends to have the most powerful effect on people's sense of progress — and therefore their motivation to continue paying down their debts," Trudel writes on HBR.
Dave Ramsey, bestselling author of "The Total Money Makeover," also supports this strategy, which he calls the snowball plan.
"Mathematically, it makes sense to pay on the debt with the highest interest rate first. After all, doesn't that save you the most money?" Ramsey writes on his website. "Maybe, but it's more important to pay your debts in a way that keeps you motivated to keep going until you've wiped them all out. If you begin with the biggest one, you might think you're not making fast enough progress, lose steam, and not finish the job."
At the end of the day, steadily paying off any debt is better than doing nothing, so do what works for you.
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The Digital Divide

*I can fully grasp the digital divide but there is an element many will not discuss. Most people in the group America labels "poor" lives 50 to 75% better than the upper middle class of the countries I have visited or lived in.
 Here is the truth: The poor people I have come to know in other countries walk miles to an internet cafe, most don't have cell phones that can connect to the internet. There they study!
 My poorer associates in the states have internet cafes, the latest model iPhones, libraries, free programs and quite a bit more access than a post can contain. "I can only speak for those I know", and you know what they do on the average? They watch TV, drink and or get high while playing on their smart phones @ Facebook. It gets worse, I've never seen so many people with no money shopping.
 Let us look at the digital divide.

As Stanford students, we are in the heart of Silicon Valley -- site of the largest and fastest creation of wealth ever recorded. By pursuing degrees in Computer Science, we are expressing our belief that technology will guide society and business into the 21st century. Why do we believe so strongly in computers when, for the vast majority of society, computer access is not a reality? Many communities throughout the United States and the world lack adequate technological knowledge and equipment. Even in close proximity to Stanford University, East Palo Alto lacks the quality of teaching and resources that many of the surrounding communities enjoy.

 To combat this, an organization entitled Plugged In began giving the community access to the future. Through their computer cluster and teaching programs, they are turning people on to the importance of technology. Our project will explore the current state of the "Digital Divide" and its related causes. We will focus specifically on the East Palo Alto community by examining its technical literacy, identifying the areas of greatest need and implementing a program to aide the community's development. Our hope is that this project will further Plugged In's tremendous success and help spread the benefits of technological change throughout the community.

Defining the "Digital Divide"
Interaction between human and computers has greatly increased as we embark on the twenty-first century. The ability to access computers and the internet has become increasingly important to completely immerse oneself in the economic, political, and social aspects of not just America, but of the world. However, not everyone has access to this technology. The idea of the "digital divide" refers to the growing gap between the underprivileged members of society, especially the poor, rural, elderly, and handicapped portion of the population who do not have access to computers or the internet; and the wealthy, middle-class, and young Americans living in urban and suburban areas who have access.

Factors Attributing to the Digital Divide
Although the number of Americans with access to computers and the Internet continues to soar on a yearly basis, the digital divide also continues to grow at an alarming rate. On the one hand, sections of society already connected - such as higher income, educated White and Asian Pacific Islander households - are adopting newer technologies faster and are connecting even more. On the other, groups with traditionally lower rates for Internet and computer usage continue to lag far behind. Unfortunately, according to a study conducted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), entitled Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide, the gap is widening along already strained economic and racial lines.
Education
Widening levels of education seem to magnify the digital divide; households with higher levels of education are increasingly more likely to use computers and the Internet. It has been observed that those with college degrees or higher are 10 times more likely to have internet access at work as than those with only a high school education. A study conducted by the NTIA from 1997 to 1998 determined that the gap in computer usage and Internet access widened 7.8% and 25% respectively, between those with the most and the least education.
Income
Not surprisingly, and in direct correlation to education, the levels of household income also play a significant role in the widening gap. Again, the study by the NTIA stated, "In the last year, the divide between the highest and lowest income groups grew 29%" (NTIA Falling through the Net 99). It has been observed that households earning incomes over $75,000 are 20 times more likely to have home internet access than those at lowest income levels and 10 times more likely to have a computer if living in the city or suburban area than in the rural area. Due to lower income levels, poor neighborhoods lack the infrastructure available in affluent areas. Telecommunication facilities are more readily available for wealthier communities and are more attractive for developing companies to establish themselves. As a result, poverty in less fortunate neighborhoods make it less appealing for investments by outside companies, further aggravating the divide.
Race
At the same time, the digital divide continues to widen along very specific racial lines. The difference in computer usage grew by 39.2% between White and Black households and by 42.6% between White and Hispanic households in the period between 1994 and 1998. Hispanic households are roughly half as likely to own computers as White households. Interestingly, race affects the amount of computers in the school. Schools with a higher percentage of minorities have fewer computers whereas those with a lower percentage of minorities have a greater number of computers. As would be expected, the gaps between racial groups narrow at higher income levels, but widens among households at lower economic levels. With regard to Internet access, Black and Hispanic households are falling even further behind: access by White households grew by 37.6% between 1997 and 1998. Hispanic households are nearly 2.5 times less likely to use the internet than White households. The NTIA study also demonstrated the racial disparities in Internet access exist irrespective of income. In a cultural study to determine reasons for the divide other than income, the Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American communities were studied. In the Hispanic community, it was observed that computers were a luxury, not a need; computer activities isolated individuals and took away valuable time from family activities. In the African-American community, it was observed that African-Americans, historically, have had negative encounters with technological innovations. Asian-Americans, on the other hand, generally emphasize education, resulting in a larger number embracing rising technological advances.
Percent of U.S. Households Using the Internet by Race/Origin

Something Must Be Done
With the technology continually advancing, the issue of the "digital divide" cannot be ignored. In our society, where the distribution of wealth is already heavily unbalanced, access to computers and the Internet is unbalancing the situation even more. Those with computers and access to the Internet are becoming even richer through the power of information, while those without them are becoming even poorer in comparison. According to William Kennard, the Chair of the FCC, "In a society where increasingly we are defined by access to information and what we earn is what we learn, if you don't have access to technology, you're going to be left in the digital dark ages. That's what the digital divide is all about." The digital divide will not close unless there is an initiative to seal the gap. With socio-economic divisions already present in today's society, the digital divide is compounding the effects. It is not just the cost of computers that results in the digital divide, but also the presence of widespread illiteracy among overlooked populations. One out of four adults in the U.S. is illiterate or has limited literacy skill. Technological literacy cannot be promoted if basic literacy skills are lacking. Rectifying the digital divide, according to President Bill Clinton, "is the greatest opportunity the U.S. has ever had to lift its people out of poverty and ignorance." As statistics have shown in the past few years, the gap is continuously expanding.
Note: Asterisk (*) indicates p<.05. All significance tests were obtained using Research Triangle Institute�s SUDAAN software and incorporate sampling weights. Sampling weights provided by Nielsen Media Research specified the probability of a respondent being selected into the sample. These sampling weights were adjusted for number of phones in the household and number of people aged 16 and older in the household, and were also adjusted for nonresponse by post-stratification adjustments to equate sample race, education, age, and gender distributions to Census data (Nielsen Media Research 1997)

Overcoming the Digital Divide: What Needs to Happen?
The digital divide, as a whole, remains an enormous and complicated issue - heavily interwoven with the issues of race, education, and poverty. The obstacle, however, is by no means insurmountable if broken down into specific tasks that must be accomplished. Aside from the obvious financial barriers, the following would help narrow the gap:
Universal Access
As the use of computers and the Internet increases, so does the necessity for access. In the public sector, policy makers and community members must recognize the importance of such resources and take measures to ensure access for all. While increased competition among PC manufacturers and Internet Service Providers has substantially reduced the costs associated with owning a computer and maintaining a home connection, for many households the costs remain prohibitive. Like basic phone service, the government should subsidize Internet access for low-income households. At the same time, the private sector must commit to providing equal service and networks to rural and underserved communities so that all individuals can participate.
More Community Access Centers, Continued Support of Those Already Existing
Community access centers (CACs) are a critical resource for those without access to computers and the Internet at school or work; such programs should continue to receive funding in order to expand and strengthen. According to data collected in 1998, minorities, individuals earning lower incomes, individuals with lower educations, and the unemployed - the exact groups affected most by the digital divide - are the primary users of CACs. In fact, those using the CACs "are also using the internet more often than other groups to find jobs or for educational purposes" (NTIA Falling through the Net 99). Community access centers, therefore, are clearly worthwhile investments.
Additional, Well-Trained Technical Staff
Computers and other technologies alone are not enough. Communities and schools must train and preserve additional, and more qualified staff, alongside new technologies to promote the best application of resources. In addition to understanding the new technologies, the staff must be able to teach others.
Change of Public Attitude Regarding Technology
At the same time, much of society needs to change its attitude concerning technology. Rather than perceiving computers and the Internet as a superfluous luxury, the public should view them as crucial necessities. The public must come to realize the incredible power of new technologies and embrace them as tools for their future and the future of their children.

Current Programs
Given the wide scope of the still expanding digital divide, help of any kind truly makes a positive impact. Fortunately, the government, nonprofit groups, and private foundations have started programs aimed at narrowing the gap. While the following list of programs and sites by no means covers all the programs in existence, it provides a mixed sampling of the types of initiatives currently underway.
Government

  • The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) 
    Enables schools, libraries, and rural health care providers - that could normally not afford them - with network wiring and access to both telecommunications and Internet services. Otherwise known as the "E-rate" program, requires telecommunications companies to provide services to those eligible at rates discounted from 20 to 90 percent. The highest priority and discounts are given to the most economically or geographically disadvantaged schools and libraries, based on the household incomes of student's families. Congress and the FCC approved $2.25 billion in annual funding. In the first year of funding, the program helped connect 80,000 schools and 38 million children.

  • The Community Technology Center's program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education
    Promotes the development of programs aimed at increasing and demonstrating the value of technology in "urban and rural areas and economically distressed communities." The program awards three-year grants on a competitive basis to fund Community Technology Centers.

  • The Neighboorhood Networks Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
    As a community based initiative, encourages the development of resource and computer learning centers in privately owned HUD-assisted and HUD-insured housing in order to make technology more accessible. Each community independently plans, manages, and funds their Neighborhood Networks center, but HUD often provides grants, loans, and volunteer service. The centers mainly offer computer access, computer assistance and training, GED certification, health and social services. The program currently contains 608 active centers, and plans on establishing 705 more with the help of business and community partners.
Private/Corporate

  • The AT&T Learning Network
    This program offers free online resources to help families, schools and communities use technology effectively to enhance teaching and learning. A "Virtual Academy" offers an array of online courses, while GetNetWise provides a Web-based resource for parents to safely manage children's access to content.

  • America Online's AOL@SCHOOL 
    AOL@SCHOOL builds upon the increased access in classrooms by providing a variety of age-appropriate educational content and tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries and online homework collaboration tools. The program is provided free of charge to K-12 schools.

  • The Intel Computer Clubhouse
    This is a successful program that uses technology creatively to enable under-served youth to acquire the tools, problem solving skills and confidence for successful lives. Intel will support the establishment of 100 Intel Computer Clubhouses in under-served communities worldwide and hopes to touch the lives of more than 50,000 young people.
    The Teach to the Future program, in conjunction with the Microsoft Corporation, seeks to train 400,000 teachers in 1000 days in effectively applying technology to improve student learning.

  • Microsoft
    Public libraries: In partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft will donate an estimated $200 million in software to create access to technology at public libraries that serve low-income communities.
    Working Connections: This 5-year, $30 million grant program supports the development and enhancement of information technology training for underserved populations through the nation's community college system.
Nonprofit

  • PowerUp
    PowerUp is comprised of more than a dozen nonprofit organizations, major corporations and federal agencies that have joined together to launch a major new multimillion dollar initiative to combat the digital divide. Based in schools and community centers around the country, PowerUP will provide access to technology and guidance how to use it.

  • Alliance for Latino Community Technology (ALCT)
    The ALCT is "an dedicated to preparing Latinos to acquire the skills of technology literacy." The ALCT runs the following programs in an effort to help underserved communities: Pathfinder, a Web-based tool hopes to link people with social services and resources; Edvantage, an on-site training program, provides information technology programs to help Latino non-profit organizations; Cybervan, a mobile technology resource unit is designed to expose technology and its uses in inner city and rural communities.

  • CitySkills 
    CitySkills is an online community focused on bridging the gap between urban communities and technology employers by extending technology education and empowering urban residents with real career-building opportunities. The site also offers fundraising tools relative to tech training, community Forums with bulletin boards and classified listings, and relevant research/news.
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