Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 17:12:54 -0400 (EDT)

From: CWHITCOM@bentley.edu

Subject: Virtually Wired article

Sender: CWHITCOMB@bentley.edu

To: madeline@rmi.net

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A REPORT FROM A DEN MOTHER



by Coralee Whitcomb







This is a story about a little miracle happening in decaying

downtown Boston, Massachusetts.  Much as Boston is equated with

high tech activity, there remains an incredible lack of ubiquity

to computer access.  Virtually Wired Educational Foundation is a

neighborhood learning center consisting if about 3000 sq. ft. of

space, 30+  386 computers, a donated ISDN link and Internet

service, 70 volunteers, and whole lot of heart.  The street

level  space came from a visionary with access to used

computers.  He set up the physical space and, as many

visionaries do, moved on.  It fell to me to breathe life and

purpose into this shell of promise.







With nothing more than a sign soliciting volunteers in the

window for one month, 35 people stopped in expressing interest

in the concept.  At the time the Yahoo search engine was just

becoming know, we opened the doors for drop in visitors to

receive a friendly, supportive and free introduction to the

Internet.  We coupled the drop in service with a heavy schedule

of low cost classes covering the introduction to various

computer topics. The vast majority of the machines were

connected to the Internet and most had access to the standard

office applications. Due to the age of the machines, games and

other graphically based software were out of the question. 

Fully believing that if we built such a place, the world would

pound down our doors. We opened on May 1, 1995 ready to deal

with the masses of underserved eager to learn all about

Cyberspace.  







Wrong







We've learned a lot since.







Who comes to such a place?







There are no public schools nearby and with  no games we don't

get the gaggle of teenagers one might expect.  Though we hand

out free daily passes to many nearby homeless shelters, we get

few visitors.  In fact, if you looked through our window most of

the day, you'd see mostly middle class white males.  In the last

21 months we've learned that a huge number of the underserved

and computer illiterate among us are not dying to get on the

Internet - in fact - they're not even paying attention.  Our

determination to reach these folks has us going through the

nonprofit organizations that serve them.  







Much like parents eager to get their kids online, nonprofit

staffs are eager to add a computer component to their services.

On numerous occasions we've hosted various groups on either

field trips or a series of weekly visits.  As a result of

monthly mass mailing, we're getting more and more interest from

nonprofit staffs as the realization slowly sinks in that the

Internet might also have some value to their organization.  In

spite of the many resources available in the Boston area, the

enthusiastic, low budget nonprofit is constrained from exploring

the Information Superhighway either by the price of commercial

training or the limited number of accessible hours.







The most compelling reason for a new user to pay us a visit is

their job search.  The ever growing number of sites of job

listings and the need for basic computer skills is the greatest

motivator to overcome one's fear of humiliation and potential

responsibility for nuclear war.  We've found the combination of

solitaire and the Web are most valuable in bringing people past

their fears and onto the Internet and computers.   Solitaire is

a great way to develop the eye/hand, drag/click coordination

needed with the mouse.  The web distracts the fearful away from

the fact they're using a computer by drawing them into an

exploration mindset.  Interest in the Web, alone, however, will

not suffice to get a new user to invest in repeated visits.  The

Web must serve as an effective research tool or the user must

discover an interactive Internet application such as email or

newsgroups to keep coming back.  An educated guess on my part

would claim that under 10% of our regulars use the Web for any

period of time during their visits.







When women visit, they are clearly on a mission.  The only all

day female visitors always arrive with a specific objective -

one that cannot wait. Most are preparing for work.  Their

activities are learning basic office applications, practicing in

preparation for skill testing by temporary agencies, or job

searching on the Web.  It appears that women never casually

"surf" unless it is in the process of learning how to use the

Net.  From the early days we've used Tuesday nights as Women's

Night (we received too much flak for calling it Ladies' Night). 

These nights are never terribly busy.  Children under 12 are

welcome, only women are allowed, and all the volunteers are

women.  Most women who visit on Tuesdays don't really need help

but come because of the all-woman environment.  I haven't

noticed much difference in the casual usage by women.  Just as

with men, interactivity and communication is the ticket to

repeat use.  Downtown Boston is not exactly on the beaten track

for most women in the evening hours - I believe our location is

largely responsible for the small number of our Women's Night

visitors.







I've often found that in the nonprofit world, glowing reports

are often not justified by the day to day reality of the

nonprofit's work.  I'm saddened that we can't be more honest

about our disappointments.  Sharing these disappointments might

help us to identify the unexpected successes hidden by our

agenda.  Virtually Wired is far from stabilized. After a year of

knocking ourselves out giving services away to pre-schoolers,

the homeless, youth at risk, and others, I've had to halt our

good deeds in the interest of finding funding and making

ourselves better known.  Our revenue just barely pays the light

bill and our subsidized existence rests on a landlord currently

in bankruptcy.  My personal financial picture has become

desperate.  Daily I'm ready to throw in the towel and seek

relief in employment where someone else is the boss.  Then I run

into a volunteer.  







The true miracle of Virtually Wired is our volunteers.  Our

pennilessness has been a key factor in bringing together and

changing the lives of a most remarkable group of people.  I

don't know what draws these people through the door in the first

place, but we've developed a core group of about 20 volunteers

with the most remarkable stories I've ever known.  Almost every

one is homeless or formerly homeless.  And, somehow, Virtually

Wired is putting them back on their feet.  Rachel is a victim

of a bad marriage and suicide attempt.  To avoid developing a

shelter mentality she spends her day greeting newcomers. 

Rachel is a writer.  She's currently re-editing a novel she's

written that has received interest from a publisher.  Eric built

one of the most successful music production studios in Boston,

but his heroin addiction brought him to poverty.  In one year,Eric

 has become a total expert in computers, tutors our disabled

clients from Mass. Rehabilitation Commission, and has been clean

for 15 months.  Greg arrived, sober for only a few weeks, last

August.  Since that day he has spent every day fine-tuning our

old computers to the point that they can run Windows '95.  Greg

recently qualified and moved into the first permanent housing

he's enjoyed in years.  These are just a few examples.  In a

world where miracles are seen as quaint myth, Virtually Wired

would bring a tear to your eye.  The only capital we have to

share is our sense of well-being.  The women volunteers need

good conversation.  The men need pats on the back and hugs. 

Based on this meager compensation, our doors are open 45 hours a

week.  All visitors get the help they need at whatever level

they need it.  Our machines are all almost always working, our

bathrooms are clean, and little by little, I'm able to build an

outreach campaign that will, finally, hopefully, put more than

love in our pockets.  







The world of "virtual" often seems like it's redefining the

definition of intimate and personal.  But in a little corner of

Boston, old-fashioned love and family is the fuel that is

bringing the Information Age to those waiting longest for its

benefits.