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I N S I D E
Somali Comm Svcs calendarInterConnection Open House Technology Matching Fund Information Workshops 4501 Delridge Way SW When: Wednesday, February 6 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Where: Northgate Community Center
apply now!
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 Bruce Harrell |
Bruce Harrell, elected to City Council in 2007, will Chair the Energy and Technology Committee. Councilmember Harrell’s priorities in the area of technology include promoting equal access to technology, increasing citizen engagement through technology, improving technology within City operations and exploring the citywide broadband initiative. The Energy and Technology Committee meets on the first and third Wednesdays in City Hall, 2:00 p.m. Citizens are welcome to attend or give public comment. To view the upcoming committee agenda or sign up for the Committee listerv, go here.
Bruce Harrell has spent 30 years as an attorney and community volunteer. Known for his ability to create high performing teams and motivate others, Bruce began his public service in 1979 working for the Seattle City Council under Council President Paul Kraabel.
After graduating in 1984 from the UW law school, he has served in a variety of leadership roles, representing kids and seniors, union members, non-profits, affordable housing companies and working as a senior attorney for technology and telecommunication companies. He has consistently protected the rights of people; always advocating for fairness, respect and civility. He is married to Joanne Harrell and they are raising their family in the Mt. Baker neighborhood.
jac de haan
joins cttab
Jac de Haan is a middle school technology teacher with teaching and information technology experience. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master of Communication, Digital Media, from the University of Washington. He has volunteer experience with Country Doc Clinic, Youth in Focus, the Seattle Animal shelter, and the King County Needle Exchange. Congratulations, Mr. de Haan!
When we reported on new Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB) appointments last issue, we didn't yet have the information on Jac.
If you have any questions regarding appointments or CTTAB in general, please call Jill Novik at (206) 684-8583.
blogs & wikis
Seattle.gov has created a new page of Seattle-area blogs & wikis here.
new issue
of youth dev
The fifth issue of Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice is now online here. The journal is free, but requires a username and password.
help a family
 Manuel Iturbe |
Sadly, Manuel Iturbe, a very committed member of our technology education community, died a couple months ago. Manuel had a gift for working with young people. He was a hardware and networking instruction specialist at the Digital Bridge Academy and was about to start a position at NPower Seattle. A memorial fund to help his family has been set up at Washington Mutual as the Manuel Iturbe Memorial Fund and is accepting donations. For more on this and how you can help, contact Beth Brady.
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q&a |
free internet
Free cable broadband Internet service is available for organizations providing technology training to community members. The free service is offered within the Seattle city limits, based on the City's cable franchise agreements with Comcast and Broadstripe (Millennium). For more information and to download a short application form, go to our tech web. If you have questions, email Derrick Hall or call (206) 233-5061.
archives
Back issues of Brainstorm including techtips and linkage are now available in our online archives. Previous TechTips and Linkage are also available. Click to revisit all previous issues.
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Greg Nickels, Mayor Department of Information Technology BILL SCHRIER chief technology officer GARY GIBSON director, office of electronic communications DAVID KEYES manager, community technology program staff  D.H. CASS MAGNUSKI editor |
somali refugees learn job
skills through tmf grant
Somali students learn to find jobs online. |
Somali Community Services of Seattle (SCSS) is helping adults learn valuable job skills to gain greater self-confidence and self-sufficiency. Located in the Rainier Valley, SCSS provides a range of services for refugees from Somalia now living in King County. The "Advanced Computer Skills" project received $8,600 in 2007 from the Technology Matching Fund to support technology instructors, project coordination and supplies. Over 10 weeks, SCSS trained 13 Somali immigrants and refugees in basic computer skills for job readiness and independence. The classes included resume and simple business letter writing and Internet search techniques to find jobs, housing and other resources.
By the end of the session, all of the participants increased their job search skills and knowledge of resources online. One student was a Somali senior who had never used a computer or received any formal education. By the end of class, she had learned how to listen to BBC Somali Radio on the Internet and set up an email account. "She's now ready to apply for a job," said SCSS executive director, Sahra Farah. "She's so active and energetic. She's now applying for an education position for which the agency has recommended her."
Another outcome of the project was that many of the participants shared their newfound technology skills with others in the community. "This creates a chain reaction," said Sahra, "which strengthens community ties, educates more people and raises overall standards for Somali immigrants."
For more information about Somali Community Services of Seattle, contact Sahra Farah or call (206) 760-1181.
legislative update: community
technology and b'band bills
The Washington State Legislature is in full swing, and there are a few proposed pieces of legislation concerned with broadband and community technology. The most exciting for community technology providers is Senate Bill 6775, which would provide grants for community technology programs by providing a tax credit to telecommunications companies that invest in it. Senators Kauffman and Kastama of the Senate Economic Development, Trade and Management Committee, are leading this effort in response to testimony provided by the Communities Connect Network. Seattle Senator Jean Kohl-Welles has also signed on as a sponsor, and this is just the beginning. This bill still has to go to Appropriations and then through the House.
Representative Zack Hudgins has introduced two bills in the House intended to encourage high speed Internet development and technology literacy. HB 2521 directs the state to map broadband distribution and create a state directory of community technology programs, along the lines of Seattle's Techmap. It also defines, community technology which could help direct resources to programs. The second bill, HB 2559, goes further by creating a statewide high-speed Internet deployment and adoption initiative with local planning groups. This bill is being championed by the Communication Workers of America (CWA) and is part of their national Speed Matters initiative. CWA is encouraging use of their web site to test your Internet connection.
To see the bills and their status, visit the state legislature site. If you want to speak up on these bills and get the latest info, email Betty Buckley.
Other states: Funds and Reports
The California Broadband Task Force recently released The State of Connectivity - Building Innovation Through Broadband.
In December, New York State passed $5 million in funds for connectivity, literacy and content services; they issued a request for proposals.
Each year, millions of dollars from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program go unclaimed by low-income families. The EITC is intended to offset a portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes, thus boosting take-home income. It’s a “refundable” credit, meaning that after it is figured against your tax liability, the IRS sends you any money you’re due. For 2007 tax returns, the maximum credit is worth up to $4,716 for people with two or more qualifying children, although it’s also available to some taxpayers without children. The rules and qualifications can be confusing. People overlook the credit because they believe it’s too complicated, they don’t have children, or their income is so low they don’t have a legal obligation to file taxes. Many aren’t native English speakers. If you had less than $37,783 ($39,783 for married filing jointly) in income in 2007 and had two or more qualifying children, you are eligible for the credit. People with no qualifying child can still be eligible for a credit of up to $428 if their income was less than $12,590 ($14,590 for joint filers). Those with one qualifying child and income under $33,241 ($35,241 for joint filers) are also eligible. Here are some free tax-prep and EITC resources to help your community to save money this year. Spread the word. NPower Online Tools and EITC Resources Yesler Community Center, 917 E. Yesler Way, Seattle;
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle;
Hours: Noon-7:00 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; Noon-4:00 p.m. Saturday; 1:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday Lake City Neighborhood Service Center,
12525 28th Avenue NE, Seattle;
Hours: 5:00-9:00 p.m. Tuesday; 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Saturday Rainier Beach Community Center Computer Lab,
8825 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle;
Hours: 5:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday; 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Saturday-Sunday More are listed here. "We here at Seattlest use the Internet a lot, so when a web site we visit strikes us as exceptionally useful, we think it deserves some props, even if doing so makes us look a little dorky. We'll warn you in advance, it’s going to be hard to swallow what we're about to say, so brace yourself.
For all its faults, our City's government has a truly great web site because it is astoundingly helpful and easy-to-use. There. We said it. Contrary to what you might think, seattle.gov is a lot more than a collection of government propaganda and contact forms for various departments, though that exists. For instance, the other night, we decided to go and check out the community center in our new neighborhood, but we needed the address and wanted to make sure it was still open after dinner. We went straight to seattle.gov knowing full well how to quickly reach the parks page. But it was the first time we'd been to the City's site for anything other than changing our electric account, in a while, so we were pleasantly surprised to find three new ways to start our search without even looking for them. Because we like to fiddle with new web tools, we eschewed the standard Arts and Recreation tab, the link to all city services, and the search box. Instead, we typed in part of our address into the "My Neighborhood Map" feature and were rewarded with a wealth of customizable information about our neighborhood in graphic and text form. It included a list of local, state, and federal elected officials, local crime data, types of recreation facilities, attractions and all sorts of other useful ephemera tailored to our address and our desires. Nice. Other features include links to Seattle Channel videos, some of which are interesting; podcasts, and more stats than you can shake a stick at. We are well aware of how dorky it makes us look to sing the praises of the City's web site, but it really is useful and we think it deserves to be said. We've spent plenty of time on other government sites at the local, state and federal levels and believe us, Seattle's is by far the easiest to navigate. Plus, you can watch a list of 911 responses in real time, or see where each call is going on the interactive map, which we find morbidly fascinating."
spread the word:
free tax and eitc prepbloggers review city website:
seattle.gov exceptionally useful
In December, we heard that Apple QuickTime versions 7.2 and 7.3 were vulnerable to a buffer-overflow attack. The attacker is able to input data to QuickTime that is not checked by the program and that is copied to a memory space or buffer that is not big enough to hold it. The extra data can contain executable code, enabling the attacker to run any program they wish on your computer. With this attack, they are able to infect your computer with malware or turn it into what's called a "bot," which means your computer is now under their control. Once that happens, the bot controllers can use your computer to send SPAM or attack other computers, often without you noticing. Apple QuickTime users should upgrade to version 7.4 as soon as possible.
s.e.c.u.r.i.t.y
quicktime attacks
You can always check Dave Matthews' Technology Security home page for new tips.
t.e.c.h.t.i.p
usability issues
When you’re running a computer lab, your primary focus is to allow users to access the Internet and use other applications. You think about security and making sure that access is restricted to keep users from making changes. It’s easy to forget about basic usability issues.
For example, do you know that in order to change the screen resolution size, you have to be able to access the control panel and have administrative or power user rights?
There are labs that cater to the disabled, and in those labs they try to keep administration issues down by allowing administrative rights to the computer, and by making sure that needed software is already installed.
Read more here:
Article about the Usability Market
Article on Understanding the Barriers of the Disabled
Alliance for Technology Access website for additional resources
d.o.l.l.a.r.s
Technology Matching Fund
Deadline: March 10
Funds projects that reach technology underserved communities to address one or more of the following goals: 1) to increase technology literacy and access; 2) to provide residents with access to computers, the Internet and other information technology; and 3) to increase residents' use of technology for civic engagement and democratic participation. Funds up to $20,000 from a total fund of $175,000.
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Adult Literacy Program
Deadline: March 4
Funds non-profits that reach low-level literacy adults and their families. Funds adult basic education, GED preparation, English as a second language, family literacy and workforce literacy programs.
City Artist Program
Deadline: March 17
Provides funds to develop and present original work by Seattle artists, with different disciplines in alternating years. Funds may support new works, works in progress, or finished works, and all projects must include a public presentation. Funding awards range up to $10,000.
l.i.n.k.a.g.e
Teacher's "You Tube"
The teacher’s version of You Tube with instructional and professional development videos, with and advertising for teachers' ringtones.
UN Youth
A service of the UN Programme on Youth, keeps you up-to-date on the youth agenda of the UN and partnering youth organizations around the world.
Track the Satellites
Are they over you now?
Hubble whirls around Earth at five miles per second. If a car could travel that fast, a road trip from Los Angeles to New York City would take only 10 minutes.
Math Dictionary
An interactive math dictionary, animated and fun for kids, and helpful for parents helping their kids with math homework.
Best Sledding/High Points in Seattle
For highest elevations in the City where you can get the best views, which can be more useful and possibly safer than sledding, click on the link.
sub/unsub
To subscribe or unsubscribe to Brainstorm, please email us, and we'll add you to our email notification list, or subtract you per your request. If you have ideas for future stories, please let us know and we'll try to accommodate them. We encourage you to visit the City of Seattle's Community Tech pages, seattle.gov/tech.