Re: Very GOOD idea and here's why...

> You're entitled to your opinion but keep in mind, I'm no newbie on the
> internet either so I'm not as naive as you would make me out to be, Bob.

Who cares about you??? I thought your post was about helping OTHER people?? Well then, you should know that making money on the internet is NOT EASY! It takes A LOT of time. It took me 2 years to build my internet business, and most people are NEVER able to even make a profit. How about finding them a job first??? Before we turn them into internet experts??? :-)

> You're talking like IM is the only way to make money on line...it isn't.
> Sure it will take time and effort but the idea was that donations could go
> a long way to helping these folks if someone would just co-ordinate things
> properly and get the ball rolling.

Actually, unless you've lived under a rock the past few months, many GREAT organizations are already coordinating and getting the ball rolling. Have you ever heard of the Red Cross, the Salvation Army or Craig's List?

HEre's the links:

http://www.redcross.org

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/

> Look at it this way: a majority of businesses in that area are, or will
> be, nonexistent. Where will the jobs come from unless someone provides
> them? There will be tons of people out of work. So what if it takes 6
> months or a year to get established?

Put yourself in their place, you've lost EVERYTHING. No computer, NO ANYTHING!
6 months from now will you be "established"?

The idea was to have a one-on-one
> mentorship relationship to avoid the newbie errors AMAP and shorten the
> necessary learning curve for these folks. If it takes a year for them to
> become even partially self-sufficient, that's one year out of how many
> they could cool their heels on welfare at our expense?

So you would invite a complete stranger to live in your home for 6 to 12 months, you would personally teach them? reagardless of who it is? or what their background was? What if he/she doesn't care about computers? ANd doesnt want to learn? what would you do then?? What if they have to bring their entire family with them? To your home?

Not to mention the
> fact that these are real human beings with feelings, pride, and some of
> them even may have ambition, which no doubt would surprise you,
> apparently. I say give them every chance we can.

> This was a way to take excess materiels, skills, resources, and put them
> to good use. What better use than to raise up another human being, and
> with it, his/her family?

Of course they're human beings, and mostly great people, but are you ready to take them on and help them to be webmasters?

> IMHO, Bob, you're being short-sighted but I do thank you for your
> feedback.

> Thanks also to Pete for his comments.

> Sandi Bowman

Sandy, if the world was as peachy as it sounds in writing, we would live in paradise but what about living in the REAL world?