#Google is bringing free digital training to local libraries

[songbird-at-the-fireside-chat]

Browsing the World Wide Web

Browsing the World Wide Web

One of my favorite passions is creating/finding ways to navigate the web that are healthy, authentic, and fun! Here are some resources I use to guide my internet usage. Some language has been slightly adapted for tone and accessibility. For more in-depth reading, follow the links! (taken with permission from https://yair.garden/browsing). Shared Ideals

MelonKing has an excellent list of shared ideals which I try to keep in mind as I browse the web. It's a great starting point!

Creativity is First: We see the ability to design, decorate, and graffiti digital spaces as essential and powerful.

The Internet is Fun: We want the Web to be a playground that's free to explore and enjoy.

Corporations are Boring: We are tired of the monetization, data abuse, and endless breaches of trust in corporate culture.

The Web is Friendly: We believe the Web should be friendly and supportive; caring is a radical act.

Right to Repair: We value the freedom to make, break, and repair our stuff - tinkering is a form of debate and protest.

One World Wide Web: We want free open knowledge and global connectivity, without paywalls, bubbles, or borders.

Chaotic Effort: We believe that value comes from the time and effort put into projects they love for no reason other than love.

No to Web3: In many (but not all) situations, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, unfairly trained AIs, and buzzword tech are unwelcome and uncool.

Manifesto for a New Web

The YesterWeb is an organization seeking to progressively transform internet culture and beyond. After two years, they created three core commitments and three social behavior guidelines to benefit everyone.

A commitment to social responsibility and partisanship.

A commitment to collective well-being and personal growth.

A commitment to rehumanizing social relations and reversing social alienation.

50 additional manifestos can be found here Social Etiquette

Engage in good faith.

Engage in constructive conflict.

Be mindful of participating in a shared, public space.

Why say no to Web 3.0?

One of the shared ideas of our community of web surfers is to push back against "Web 3.0". Here's why:

It's driven by predatory marketing tactics.

It requires complex technological and financial knowledge to fully understand.

It is actively harming the environment.

It caters to early adopters and whales.

It profits off artificial scarcity.

Investors are banking on Web3, and they really don't want to be wrong.

Personalized Web Surfing Guide

Make your web surfing personal and adventurous, away from corporate influences. Here's a simple guide for a unique browsing experience.

Configure your browser

Remove Ads and Clean up Privacy:

Ublock Origin for removing ads

ClearURLs for removing tracking elements from URLs

SponsorBlock for skipping sponsorships on YouTube

Make it a Safer Space:

ShinigamiEyes for highlighting transphobic/anti-LGBTQ sites

TriggerRemover for removing trigger-inducing content from pages

Clean up UI for Beauty and Minimalism:

CleanerReads for a muted Goodreads experience

Minimal; for a minimal and less attention-grabbing internet

Bonuses for a Cool Experience:

Library Extension: Check book availability at local libraries

Translate Web Pages: Translate pages in real-time

Return YouTube Dislike: Bring back the YouTube dislike feature

How to Browse and Surf the Web

Explore Beyond Corporate Sites: While the internet is vast, the majority of users only see a small fraction dominated by large corporate sites. These sites often prioritize shock value and extreme content, overshadowing the richness of the wider web. Explore alternative avenues to discover the internet's diversity.

Search Engines: Avoid corporate search engines like Google. Instead, consider using alternatives like Kagi, which focuses on privacy and doesn't sell your data. While it costs around $10/month, Kagi offers a diverse mix of web content, making it a worthwhile investment for varied search results. Other niche or non-commercial search engines can also provide unique content. While they may not be sustainable for daily use, they're great for discovering new sites. Find them here.

Webrings: Webrings are collections of websites united by a common theme or topic. They offer a unique way to explore sites created by real people, spanning a wide range of interests. Here are some of my favorite webrings:

Hotline Webring

Retro Webring

Low Tech Webring

Geek Webring

Soft Heart Clinic Mental Health Circle ...and here are some list of webring databases to explore!

Curated List of 64 Webrings

Neocities Webrings

Curated List of Active Webrings

Comprehensive List of 210 Webrings

Cliques/Fanlistings Web Cliques/Cliques are groups which you can join usually if you fulfill a certain task such as choosing an animal or listing your astrological sign. Fanlistings do the same for fans of various topics! You can then be linked on the clique's/fan group's site for further website discovery! Here are some web clique directories:

Project Clique

Cliqued

Fanlistings Network

5. Link Directories

Many sites have smaller link directories of buttons where you can find sites that they are "mutuals" (both creators follow each other) and "friends/neighbors" — sites they follow. It's a great way to build community. There are also larger link directories of sites which someone finds cool, and it's a great way to intentionally explore the web. Here are some of my favorites:

SadGrl Links

Melonland Surf Club

Neocities Sites

Onio.Cafe

Though there are many more! 6. Random Site Generators

Finally, there are random site generators which allow you to randomly stumble upon websites. While not very practical, they are a lot of fun and offer a unique way to discover new corners of the web.

A list can be found here

What now?

The next question you have is probably how can you become an active member/contribute in this world of the underground web? I unfortunately don't have the energy to write a guide right now but it will come soon! In broad strokes, consider making a site on Neocities. If you do make a site, remember to include a robots.txt file to get AI and bots out of there and don't forget to rate your site so we can know who it's for. If you'd like to transition off social media I recommend an RSS Reader such as the one at 32bit.cafe or on Fraidycat (guide on this to come soon as well!). For your twitter-fix you can always post a status at Status Cafe and your mood at imood. There is a whole world out there full of passionate and friendly people who are ready to reclaim the web. Excited to see you there!

[thebethriggs]

Google is bringing free digital training to local libraries

Instructors will also show small business owners how to use free Google tools to improve online marketing and search engine optimization. Provide it by Tips about Real Estate Structure Finance

from Google is bringing free digital training to local libraries

[georgetownacsjobs]

Technology & Social Justice Fellow, at Libraries Without Borders

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL JUSTICE FELLOW

Position: Technology & Social Justice Fellow Employment: Full-time, 1 year term with opportunity to renew Location: Baltimore, MD and/or Washington, D.C. Start Date: As soon as possible Salary: $45,000 - $55,000 with health insurance

ABOUT LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS

Libraries Without Borders (LWB) is an international nonprofit committed to expanding access to information and critical services to underserved communities around the world. By partnering with libraries, schools, small businesses, community-based organizations and civic institutions, LWB transforms laundromats, lobbies, parks, recreational centers, and other public spaces into pop-up learning centers. Through this approach, we literally meet people where they are—whether that’s a laundromat in the Bronx or a refugee camp in Jordan—to amplify the impact of our partners, expand community access to relevant and reliable resources, and equip individuals with the tools and training they need to provide relevant and reliable information to their communities, bridge the digital divide, reduce poverty, promote civic engagement and improve the quality of people’s lives.

Internationally, LWB has designed, implemented, and evaluated library programs in refugee camps, remote villages, and disaster relief contexts since 2007. Our US efforts have won numerous awards, including the Google Impact Challenge and the Library of Congress International Literacy Award. Supporters include the City of Washington DC, the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, Sony, Google Fiber, the Knight Foundation, and the Alexander Soros Foundation.

POSITION SUMMARY

LWB seeks a highly organized, strategic, detail-oriented technologist with a demonstrated commitment to racial, economic and social justice to serve as our 2020 Technology and Social Justice Fellow. The Tech Fellow will focus on developing innovative and scalable models for providing equitable access to information, technology, and digital literacy opportunities to underserved communities. This individual will provide technology support for internal staff, as well as for our programs nationwide. They will be responsible for troubleshooting issues with technology, creating/adapting communication and training materials, building effective relationships with libraries, local partners, and other major stakeholders in order to accurately assess their needs, in

addition to developing creative tools and technology that advances our collective mission. The Tech Fellow will spark innovation, expand the reach of our efforts, and maximize the impact of our programs.

The Fellow will work closely with LWB staff to incorporate a human-centered, design-based approach to develop technology and tech-based solutions for our growing portfolio of programs, with a strong focus on the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI). As WALI expands, the Fellow will have the responsibility and autonomy to draw on the needs of libraries, community-based organizations, and residents to create and adapt accessible digital tools and trainings that are relevant to local needs and advance digital equity.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate will possess a wide range of technical and design skills, as well as a passion for equity and inclusion. The candidate’s professional and academic background should demonstrate an intense curiosity in technology, and a commitment to ensuring that underserved communities have access to the information and tools needed to thrive in today’s increasingly digital world.

As a member of a small and scrappy team, the Fellow must be a dynamic, experienced, and mission-driven person who values respect, cooperation and collaboration. The Fellow must possess both technical acumen and strong people skills. They must be proactive in addressing challenges and willing to take initiative; to explore ideas, options, and scenarios that may not be readily obvious in order to identify and design constructive solutions.

Most importantly, the Fellow must believe that technology is about humans, not hardware. They must view technology in a constructive context, as a tool whose value is determined by its application for the benefit and empowerment of people—whether in their personal or professional lives.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES & TASKS

Create, update, and maintain digital tools and trainings that enable libraries and local organizations to curate educational content for select WALI sites and other informal spaces

Design and distribute communications and training materials for meaningful integration of technologies into informal learning settings

Deliver orientations and supplemental trainings for technology integrations (e.g. “How to...”)

Troubleshoot issues with technology, both hardware and software, for LWB’s in-house team and staff in the field

Coordinate logistics for project implementation, which may include completing purchase orders for tech and complementary security devices, furniture, and educational materials, among other items

Train librarians and other facilitators on how to use and troubleshoot program curation tools

Disseminate online training materials, best practices, and case studies that can be adapted by libraries and non-profit organizations around the country

Forge strong relationships with community partners, librarians, local residents, and other relevant stakeholders (e.g. foundations, government officials, civic institutions) to solicit meaningful feedback that informs the iteration and improvement of digital tools, trainings, and programs

Collaborate with monitoring and evaluation experts to inform the design of survey instruments to accurately, respectfully and responsibly collect data from program participants

Interpret findings from survey data and other project indicators, and communicate major takeaways with relevant stakeholders (i.e. generate reports, present information at quarterly check-in meetings)

Integrate data, stakeholder insights, and project learnings into the redesign of all WALI software and tools

Present global learnings, digital tools, training guides, methodologies and best practices gleaned from programs at educational and tech conferences, as well as directly to library systems, implementing partners, and foundations

Lead internal technology planning meetings and provides strategic guidance on technology solutions for the organization

Contribute to general administrative, fundraising, and communications tasks as needed

Track finances and maintain all relevant documentation pertaining to technology used for operations and programs (e.g. receipts, contracts, MOUs)

ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS

The Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI) equips laundromats with laptops, tablets, specialized software, Wi-Fi hotspots, books, and other educational resources, and then couples these tools with programming that aligns with the needs and interests of laundromat patrons. It represents a collaboration between libraries, small businesses, local nonprofits, and civic associations that brings relevant information and critical services to underserved communities through neighborhood laundromats. By training librarians and local nonprofits on best practices for facilitating fun, inclusive and educational activities at the laundromat, WALI expands and amplifies the reach of community-based organizations to new, typically underserved, audiences, those who tend to fall through the cracks of traditional outreach programs. Whether it’s English language classes, free tax preparation or digital literacy workshops, WALI meets people where they are and provides them with the tools and services they need to make the most of their limited time at the laundromat. Through this approach, the WALI has served families in Detroit, the Bronx, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Washington DC, and other cities across the United States.

The Legal Literacy Initiative re-imagines how low-income families access legal information by partnering with legal service providers and law libraries to bring resources directly into communities—from laundromats to day labor centers!

The Ideas Box Program in Puerto Rico created a pop-up library and learning center in Loiza, an underserved community that continues to struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. This program strives to fill the gap left by the closure of public schools and cuts to critical services by transforming abandoned spaces in centers for education, resiliency and entrepreneurship.

LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

TO APPLY: Interested candidates should send a resume and brief cover letter (embedded into the email) to: kat@librarieswithoutborders.us and adam@librarieswithoutborders.us

[duo-log]

Libraries Build Communities

This past week my four-year-old little one watching ‘Peppa Pig’ told me in a matter-of-fact tone, “Mom, I never went to the Library!” I instantly felt ashamed when I realised that I deprived her of an experience that could easily be the most influential contributor to her personality and growth. As a kid, I grew up in quite a few remote villages/ towns in southern India and availability of non-academic bookstores was scant and so the school library was my sanctuary. I understand the importance of exercise and outdoor games for children, and yet I proudly tell this to anyone who would listen that I was a bookworm. When at home, I spent most hours buried behind books than anything else, and when not at home, I used to look forward to the Library hour. Friends and family of mine never had to think twice before getting me a gift; it was always a book. Fortunately, my little one shares our love of reading or let’s say listening while we read and so when she said that she had never been to a library, my reaction was one of surprised confusion. How did I let this happen?

So, this morning, while we were out to visit the dentist, I decided to head to the library with her and get library cards for both of us. The last time I was in a library was as a student at university and thus the image I had in my mind was of a humongous building built with stone with high arches and vaulted ceilings, large dark rooms with aisles and aisles of books, long tables with people quietly reading and the place enveloped in silence. I thought my little one will not obey and will end up disturbing those trying to read. But I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I walked into a spacious, airy, hustling bustling bright space with a lot of activity going on. There was a large room especially for kids of all ages sectioned away from the main space. There were summer reading challenges for kids, computers to play games on, toys for them to play with when they get bored of reading, clean and bright carpets, couches and bean bags for them to lay, sit or snuggle in while reading. All public libraries in the area are digitally connected and the account holders can choose to pick up and drop off the books in the location of their convenience. Our experience was not primitive. On the contrary libraries have transitioned into the digital age and was successful in providing us, iPhone users, a seamless experience that we are so used to now.

Something else that I admired when I walked around the book aisles was that for a change I was not worried about where my little one was. I was comfortable in the knowledge that she is working on the computer games or finding her way around the functioning of a library. It was her first visit, but I didn’t have to hush her even once. The children were roaming free, and yet they were disciplined, and they did that without being told. She was quiet and speaking in whispers although she didn’t have to. Kids were allowed to be themselves and were handled with love and care by the librarians on duty. The focus seemed to be on encouraging the habit of reading while acknowledging the short attention of children. The reading material was vast and up to date with the old and the new and best of all, free of cost. No racial barrier exists, and neither does societal strata. Everyone from a millionaire to a homeless person has access to the books, games, movies and all free of cost.

The question that whether libraries should be obsolete is preposterous. If you think of libraries only as a source of books, then you are genuinely the dinosaur because libraries today are one of the pillars of the community. Teaching new immigrants the local language, providing help with writing a resume and training for interviews, allowing access to books and internet for free; these things are crucial to the homeless and to the poor and needy to assimilate back into the society. The guidance and assistance libraries provide in a safe and controlled environment are what makes them superior to the Internet. If you never considered replacing universities with the Internet, I don’t know why you would think of doing that to a Library?

“Google can bring you 100,000 answers, a Librarian can bring you back the right one” - Neil Gaimand

Read the other part of this Duolog(ue).

Saying Yes to Libraries

Forbes recently published an op-ed which proposed that Amazon should replace the local libraries. The author, whom after a little bit of digging I found to be suspiciously in cahoots with Amazon, argued that availability of information on the internet, the ease of access, and the rising popularity of e-books have reduced the libraries to an old-school way of accessing knowledge.

[williamlwolf89]

Writer’s Block: 30 Ways to Roundhouse Kick it in the Face

Want to know how to beat writer’s block? Today’s your lucky day.

Let me guess…

You’re staring at a blank page. Your brain is fried. And you can feel a headache coming on.

You know you should be writing, but…

You can’t do this anymore. Your muse is gone. Your well of inspiration is empty. Finished. Stone-dry.

You’re not just bored or tired. No, no. This is far worse:

Writer’s block.

You try to stop your mind wandering off. You try to stop being distracted by your long to-do-list. And you try to write, but you feel like everything you do manage to jot down is… well… terrible.

You know you have to keep going, but how? How do you overcome writer’s block and get back into your writing groove?

The truth:

You need to have some fun.

Not take a break, not go for walk, not get some sleep. All of that is fine and good for a simple case of boredom, but the real cause of writer’s block is you’re holding on too tight.

You need to loosen up and go a little crazy. You need to let the goofy side of you out for a little while and get your creative juices flowing again.

How to Overcome Writer’s Block Once & For All

Here are 27 refreshingly original ways for overcoming writer’s block (plus 3 bonus tips provided by Smart Blogger’s Editor-in-Chief).

Let’s dive in:

1. Talk to An Imaginary Friend

Whether you’ve just started a blog and have 10 readers or have been blogging a long while and have 10,000, thinking about them makes writing a post daunting.

So, forget about your readers. Instead, create an imaginary friend.

Your friend is a real fan. He (or she) loves everything you write. He supports everything you do.

Give your imaginary friend a name. Create a little drawing or find a picture of a lookalike. Pin this picture on the wall above your desk.

Instead of writing a blog post, start a conversation with your friend. Or write him a letter. Discuss his dreams and challenges. Help him with whatever he is struggling with.

Be a good friend.

2. Curse Like a Sailor

Feeling a little frustrated?

Well, let it out.

Before you start writing, curse like a sailor. Get angry. Be emotional.

Write something you’re passionate about. Have a good rant. Don’t worry about going too far.

Good writing isn’t about picking the right words. You need to make your audience feel something. Inspire them.

Writing is emotion.

Sure, you’ll have to edit your first draft. You might even decide to toss it.

It doesn’t matter, though, because the point is to overcome writer’s block, not write the perfect post.

Just remember: you can correct mistakes in a passionate piece of writing, but you can’t add emotions to a flat post. So, let it rip.

3. Use a Different Writing Tool

Stuck in a creative rut?

Try using a different writing tool.

Switch from Microsoft Word to Google Docs. Or type your post directly into WordPress.

Switch from a serif to a non-serif font. Or try a script font and change your font color to blue. Or my favorite option: Increase your font size.

It seems silly, but it’s amazing how those small changes can cure writer’s block and make writing interesting again.

4. Take a Short Trip to Overcome Writer’s Block

Missing your family? Got a friend you haven’t seen in a while?

Well, let’s go see them.

The key:

Don’t drive.

Instead, hop on a bus, a train, or a plane that takes you there. Then challenge yourself to write a short story before you arrive.

My advice: leave your iPad or laptop at home. Just bring your mobile phone or a pad of paper.

And don’t stop writing until you arrive.

5. Chug Some Caffeine

Okay. Okay. I know caffeine isn’t good for you. But sometimes you need something to keep going. Don’t waste your fantastic ideas just because you can’t keep awake.

Try this schedule: Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes — or use the focus booster. After 25 minutes of concentrated writing, take a break. Stop even if you feel like finishing a paragraph.

Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Start your next 25 minutes and drink your cup of coffee.

Green tea fuels my blog posts. What fuels yours?

6. Stop Writing for Your Readers

To get over writer’s block, sometimes you just have to write something you want to write. It doesn’t matter whether it suits your blog or not.

Just get on with it. Get it off your chest. Why not?

7. Stop Planning Your Posts

Writing a post outline can speed up your writing project. It’s a proven technique.

But it can also suck the joy out of writing.

Download our Writer’s Block Techniques (a handy, free PDF delivered to your inbox)

When you find yourself bored with a particular piece, stop planning. Write whatever comes into your mind. It may all be gibberish, but somewhere you’ll find a precious idea. A thought you can use to create a full post.

8. Clear Your Head of Noise

Give your mind time to wander. Get distracted. Embrace serendipity.

Don’t read only blogs about your topic. Don’t just follow industry peers on Twitter. And don’t just read the latest books of thought leaders in your niche.

Go to a random movie. Watch a random channel on TV. Go to a museum. Surprise yourself. Find unexpected metaphor examples.

The creative process is unpredictable, mysterious, and serendipitous. Fuel your creativity by reading outside your niche.

9. Write at a Different Time

We’re always told about the importance of forming habits and having a fixed writing schedule. Stephen King has a fixed schedule. So does Haruki Murakami. And John Grisham.

Routine habits can be good for creativity and reducing writer’s block. But what if your writing practice gets associated with lack of inspiration, procrastination, and despair?

Break your writing routine.

Try a different writing time. Experiment.

10. Write at a Different Place

Leaving your desk is a proven cure for creative blocks. If you can, take a break and go traveling. If you can’t travel, just drag yourself away from your desk.

Go to the park. Try your local Starbucks or go to the library. Go somewhere that’s not associated with work.

Day after day, you sit down to write at your desk. Mix things up. Take your iPad and write wherever your feet take you.

11. Go to a Bookstore

If you’re lucky, your bookstore sells coffee and tea. So, make yourself comfortable, find the shelf with books about your niche, and open up your notepad. (Thank you to Sean d’Souza for this idea.)

Look through the table of contents of each book to find blog post ideas. Write them down in your notepad.

Don’t leave the bookstore until you’ve written down 10 story ideas for new blog posts. And if you’re enjoying yourself, outline one or two posts in your notepad while finishing your cup of coffee.

Don’t read any further than the table of contents. You should write the content of your blog post yourself (of course).

12. Wash the Dishes to Get over Writer’s Block

Do you get your best ideas in the shower?

Your brain needs to relax before coming up with an insight. Staring at your computer screen might work counterproductive. Trying to force an insight might actually prevent the insight from appearing.

If you don’t want to waste water by showering three times a day, try other routine tasks: Vacuum your room. Fold the laundry. Or wash the dishes. Above all: Relax.

13. Create Your Own Merry-Go-Round

Done all your household chores? Or just don’t feel like cleaning again?

Try this alternative routine: walk around in circles. Or just pace up and down your room.

Seems silly, I know, but sometimes just the simple act of movement can help you overcome writer’s block. Give it shot.

14. Shut Down Your Computer

In his book Steal Like an Artist (affiliate link), Austin Kleon describes his digital and his analogue desk. The analogue desk is where his work is born. The digital desk is for editing and publishing.

Come on. Shut down your computer. Get a pen and paper. Or pencils, markers, and index cards. Try free writing. When you free write, you get the feeling that you’re making something. It will inspire you.

15. Browse Your Photo Albums

Sharing tidbits about yourself is a good way to build up a relationship with your readers.

Browse your photo album to find anecdotes to share, and link these stories to your topic. That’s how I came up with the idea of comparing cycling trips with surviving a content marketing journey.

Remind yourself of who you are. Think about the lessons you’ve learned. Who has inspired your career? How have your travels influenced your thinking?

16. Stop Worrying About Grammar to Deal with Writer’s Block

Perfectionism can discourage you from writing.

Stop trying to be perfect.

Accept your first draft may be crappy. Just write as fast as you can. Editing can come later.

17. Goof Around on Facebook, Linkedin, or Instagram

Social media can be a huge time suck. We all know that.

But if you feel stuck and don’t know what to write about, then social media is a rich mine full of precious ideas.

Give yourself half an hour. Interact and ask some questions. Enjoy yourself.  Above all, absorb what others are talking about. You’re bound to find a good idea.

Just be sure to set a timer. You don’t want to get lost out there while trying to get rid of writer’s block.

18. Start in the Middle

You know you need to draw a reader into your post with a fantastic introduction. That’s true. But trying to write the perfect opening can obstruct your writing process.

Leave your introduction for later. Just get going with your post.

19. Reread Your Glory Posts

Feeling down?

You’ve lost your mojo and doubting your writing skills. It happens to all bloggers at some stage.

Remember that post you’ve written a while back? Your best ever post?

Go back and read the post. Word by word. You see how good you are?

That talent didn’t go anywhere. It’s still inside you.

Sometimes we just need a little reminder.

20. Take a Cigarette Break to Get past Writer’s Block

Whoa. A smoke?

Well, you don’t have to light up. But a cigarette break takes about five minutes. And that’s the perfect time to recharge yourself.

The secret to creative productivity is to take breaks while you’re still in a flow. It helps you to get started again after your break.

If you don’t crave a cigarette every so often, good for you! Just set a timer to take a break.

Don’t spend your break tweeting, liking, and plussing. That’s not truly relaxing.

Spend five minutes staring out of the window. Stand outside on your porch or balcony and listen to the traffic. Or watch the clouds float by. As if you’re a lonely smoker.

21. Listen to the Rain

What’s the most relaxing sound?

When you take your “cigarette” break to stare out of the window, switch on the sound of rain.

22. Be a Misfit to Overcome Writer’s Block

Being a blogger isn’t about conforming to the norms.

Don’t feel the pressure to be like your hero bloggers. You have to stand out on the web. You have to be YOU.

Accept you’re a misfit. Just like me. And just like Jon. Just like all other bloggers.

Be yourself. Enjoy yourself. Because your enthusiasm is contagious.

23. Steal Ideas

Is your wish to be original causing your writer’s block?

Learn how to steal ideas and make them your own. Snatch post ideas from different writers, but don’t copy outright.

Read widely. Mix ideas from scientists and artists. Plunder quote books.

As Austin Kleon says: “All creative work builds on what came before.”

24. Read Health Magazines to Cure Writer’s Block

I won’t lecture you about keeping fit. You know that.

But health magazines are one of the best sources for headline and blog post inspiration.

For instance, the idea to write 36 Quick Fixes to Jumpstart Lifeless Business Blogs came from the headline Food Fixes for Insomnia.

You don’t have to go out and spend money to buy a few magazines. Read covers of Men’s Health Magazine or Women’s Health Magazine online. Or check out the health section on Amazon (affiliate link).

25. Reread Your First Ever Blog Post

If you’ve been blogging for six months or more, you’ve written a lot. And you’ve learned a lot.

Don’t wait for inspiration to strike — go back to your first few blog posts.

Find one you can rewrite. Add power words, glean new insights, develop new arguments, and new examples.

Voila. You got a new post.

26. Create Weird Challenges

Is writing becoming a chore? Fed up with writing how-to posts?

Create new challenges to have some fun. For instance:

Introduce a new metaphor in your next post. Or set the bar higher by stipulating your metaphor has to some from sports, or movies, or cooking.

Estimate your average post length and challenge yourself to write a blog post in 20% fewer words.

Try alliteration. Or rhyming. Or onomatopoeias.

Start with an unnusual writing prompt.

Use the power of three. How often can you introduce three of something?

Tickle your brain to make writing fun.

27. Get Your Inner Critic on Your Side

The difference between good and great bloggers is your inner critic. As Mike Monday says:

“A good producer and a great producer have the same number of ideas — some good, some great. But a great producer will know the difference.”

Your inner critic can help you become a better blogger. So how do you get him on your side?

Start writing a few practice paragraphs. You’re just warming up. Listen to your inner critic to see how you can improve. Write and edit as you go.

Your inner critic doesn’t need to be your enemy. He could be your cure for writer’s block. Make him your friend.

3 Writing Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block (from Smart Blogger’s Editor-in-Chief, Kevin J. Duncan)

28. Dance, Dance, Dance

Ask Alexa to play your favorite song. Get up and dance like no one’s watching.

And if someone is watching, ask them to join you.

29. Listen to a Writing Podcast

Anyone who has suffered from writer’s block knows it’s a lonely feeling. When words escape you, it can feel as though you’re the only writer on the planet who is struggling.

Writing podcasts offer a community of like-minded writers who can provide support, motivation, and writing strategies. They’re people just like you. People who have been where you are right now.

Find a favorite podcast and listen to an episode.

Here’s a good one to get you started: Break Through the Noise with Jon Morrow. Call me biased, but it’s awesome.

(And if you’d like to start your own podcast, but you don’t know how, check out How to Start a Podcast: No Fluff (Just the Essentials).)

30. Bribe Yourself

Working on a freelance writing gig or writing contest? Promise yourself a prize when you reach 500 words. An ice cream sandwich. A thirty-minute “Parks & Rec” or “The Office” break. A hot bath with lighted candles and Beethoven playing in the background.

A proverbial carrot (or literal carrot, if a carrot happens to be your prize) could be just the thing to get you back into the writing groove.

The Truth About Writer’s Block

Writing is hard work. There’s no doubt about that.

But you can make it even harder by accepting writer’s block.

Don’t become a tortured genius.

Choose to get on with writing.

Experiment. Find out what works for you. Write where and when you like. Be as crazy as you like to be.

Come on. Have fun. Let’s try something wacky.

The post Writer’s Block: 30 Ways to Roundhouse Kick it in the Face appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/writers-block/

[cdrforea]

Texts for frontline workers, a crisis prevention hotline and more – smarthometec

New Post has been published on https://bestedevices.com/texts-for-frontline-workers-a-crisis-prevention-hotline-and-more-smarthometec.html

Texts for frontline workers, a crisis prevention hotline and more – smarthometec

What do a heating filter company, a robotics startup and an architecture startup have in common? Usually nothing. But just as COVID-19 conquered the world and endangered the lives of millions, companies were relocating to produce N95 masks and ventilators for healthcare workers.

The innovation from the startup world was breathtaking and frankly difficult to manage. It feels like everyone in Silicon Valley and beyond is up for the challenge, even if they don't have pockets as deep as Amazon and Google.

To gather some good news and hope at least once a week, we summarize some of the startup efforts we see to combat the effects of COVID-19. This is not a place where we analyze startups working on suggested healing methods (you can see Darrell's tireless work for it). Instead, we're going to look at the unique ways that companies try to feel less lonely and unpack how technology answers the questions we ask ourselves.

Stopcovid.co

The founder of Managed by Q, Dan Teran, has partnered with the startup of the training service ESLWorks to send the latest corona virus updates in real time via SMS to the employees at the front. The Stopcovid.co initiative is aimed at workers who may not be supported by a large organization but still need to follow the CDC's health recommendations. The messages are sent via WhatsApp and text messages so that non-digital users can easily access the information. When I caught up with Teran, he said, "I don't want to characterize the population we want to reach, but if I were a delivery driver 12 to 14 hours a day and tried to put food on the table, I'm probably not up to date State of the virus and how it spreads. "

Cornell Tech Clinic

The Cornell Tech Clinic helps survivors of domestic violence to receive support at a time when individuals are forced to stay in the house and rely on virtual communities. The clinic launched a remote program to provide advice to survivors of abuse who fear that their partners will use technology to abuse them, be it cyberstalking or monitoring every call or chat. The new program includes information on how to get in touch with a case worker remotely, how to help yourself, and a research study to help people with technical abuse.

S’More and Hopeline

S’More, a dating app that connects users beyond physical appearance, works with a mental health prevention hotline, Hopeline, to raise money. The campaign, titled "Social Distance is Not Emotional Distance", brings Hopeline a $ 1 donation for every person who starts a conversation about S’More.

Procore construction management

Procore, a developer of construction management software, offers customers free access to its software for projects created for COVID-19 related emergency relief products. The hope is to help the construction industry turn hotels, convention centers, and more into medical emergency facilities without the extra money for software.

Wize tutoring platform

Wize, which is made up of a number of Edtech companies offering giveaways, will provide its tutoring platform free of charge until the end of the school year. Students who have felt the effects of the closure of their school or university can access a library of exam or exam preparation materials.

Springboard career coaching

The Edtech startup Springboard offers a free weekly career coaching seminar to help job seekers prepare for an "economy after the pandemic". The AMA takes place every Wednesday from April 1st from 12.30pm to 1.30pm PST.

Voxel51

Voxel51 uses existing live cameras to keep track of how preventive measures are taken worldwide. It uses artificial intelligence to give a window to social activities in popular public spaces and to "rate" areas based on social behavior. This allows you to track how much people listen to public health recommendations.

Tech Manitoba and computers for schools

When Tech Manitoba, a local nonprofit in Canada, had only eight outdated computers for the 150 needy families, the company knew that a bigger solution was needed. Tech Manitoba has partnered with Computers for Schools and is now giving 200 refurbished, refurbished computers to those in need.

One Planet prayer beads

One Planet, a venture company, launched a global prayer chain. On the LightUpTheWorld.org website, people from around the world can post prayers and reflections that focus on health and optimism. When you go to the website, the prayer you see is written and published in real time by the author.

Stilt interest loan

Stilt is a tech startup that claims to offer low-interest loans to immigrants to help them build loans based on requirements that go beyond social security number and credit rating. It offers customers who are hourly workers and earn less than $ 45,000 a year, an immediate freeze on payment interest and a leniency – which is a delay in foreclosure – for two months.

[jsonnuniverse]

Weekly Reflection 1

Steve Rogers sat back in his chair, defeated. His eyes were dry and itchy - it seemed that this device in front of him (Tony called it a “laptop” when he gave it to him all those years ago) had some sort of burning effect on his eyes. His years of training and battle back in the War could never prepare him for 21st century technology - weapons or otherwise.

It was Natasha who came up with the idea. Steve thought back to the team briefing they held earlier that day at the Avengers facility. They had just come back from Wakanda, where they spent hours fighting against Thanos’ faceless alien army, culimating with half of the team mysteriously vanishing into dust. Their friends - Sam, Bucky, Vision, T’Challa, Wanda, that tree named Groot - all vanished into thin air.

But the Avengers had no time to mourn - they got back to work right away, calling the team to headquarters for some brainstorming. The million dollar question: how would they defeat Thanos, and bring all their friends back? After a long, depressing silence, Agent Romanoff piped up with an idea: 

If there’s a way to do it, it has to be on the internet. 

Steve had no idea what the internet was, but since the rest of the team was in high spirits after hearing her idea, he decided to go along with it, stopping by the local library for its copy of “The Internet for Dummies”.

Now he was cursing himself - it was 1 AM, and the rest of the team had long since left the facility to use their home computers. In addition to getting sidetracked by all the cat videos on a website called “YouTube”, he had entered in query after query in the search engine: “how to beat thanos”, “thanos weaknesses”, “what mehodology would work best against thanos”, to no real results. I probably should’ve adjusted my seat height if I knew I was going to work this long, Steve thought. He was right - even the super soldier serum coursing through his veins could not prevent his neck and back from aching due to his poor posture. Having to look down at his screen, not using a mouse pad, and looking away at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes was too much for even Captain America. It wasn’t just his neck and back, but his wrist was aching too. In addition, he was not using the blue light filter on the device, inhibiting his body’s ability to produce melatonin.

He was about to take a break when something on the screen caught his eye: an ad for a comic book. Right there, at the top of the results for what must’ve been his thousandth search (”ant-man thanos meme”), was a link to amazon.com for a comic book called “Infinity War”. But what was striking about the book was the cover. Purple skin, sinister smile, devilish eyes - There was no doubt about it: that was a drawing of Thanos. This is it, Steve thought.

Eagerly, he looked up “infinity war comic book” on Google Images. Countless scans of comic pages filled the screen, with the likenesses of all his friends in the panels. And there was Thanos, gauntlet, armor and all. 

He clicked on one of the images’ link to the source. In what felt like an eternity, a comic collector blog loaded into the browser, lined with digital pages from the Infinity War comic book. One glance for each page was all it took: this is what the Avengers needed. This was the plan.

He saved each image onto his computer in a folder called “Endgame”, and opened up the Avengers public forum. Since the forum only allowed one picture post at a time, he had to upload each page of the comic individually. He smiled to himself. Who would’ve thought that the soldier out of time would be the one to use the internet to save the world?

He was making good progress on posting pages to the forum, when suddenly a portal opened up behind the screen. Steve remembered this feeling - it was the same as the one he had hours ago, right before he saw his friends vanish right before his eyes. From the darkness of the portal, out stepped the Mad Titan - Thanos. 

Steve was too stunned to do anything, but even if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. Without a word, Thanos made a fist with his gauntlet hand. A blue glow eminated from one of the stones, and Steve felt himself being lifted into the air by the neck. The Space Stone hummed with a deep otherworldly tone.

“Why?” Steve choked through the invisible force around his neck. His back made a cracking noise from changing position after being slouched for so long. Thanos already accomplished his goal - why had he returned so soon?

Thanos’ expression remained stoic. “If there’s one thing that displeases me more than imbalance, it’s people who disrespect copyright.”

For a moment, Steve was too confused to remember that he was being suffocated. But Thanos tightened his grip and stepped closer, brushing the desk and laptop aside as if it were a children’s toy. The screen of the laptop shattered as it hit the floor.

Thanos’ face was now just a foot away from Steve’s. He flailed his legs wildly in Thanos’ direction, but it was no use - he was almost completely out of strength. Thanos continued with his monologue, in his deep, menacing voice:

“Those images were licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0. You were supposed to provide attribution for sharing them on a public forum. A simple link to the license and to the original source, along with the name of the author of the orignal work, would have sufficed. You should’ve only searched within images in the public domain, which have no licensing restrictions, or filtered your search results with the usage rights drop-down menu.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Ironic. The personification of the free world doesn’t even know his own internet rights. Perhaps it’s destiny that your life will be spent for the sake of perfect balance.”

It was over. Steve had absolutely no idea what Thanos was talking about, but that didn’t matter anymore. As his final breath escaped him, he knew that it wasn’t just the Avengers that he failed. He had let down the entire world - no, the entire universe, all because he didn’t do adequate research on internet copyright restrictions on creativecommons.org.

Thanos’ smile didn’t reach his eyes. He lifted the broken laptop and used the Reality Stone to repair it. He then opened Sublime, his favorite IDE (integraged development environment), and, after some debugging, used it to code a program in C++ that printed out the following text to the console:

I AM INEVITABLE.

Parody of Marvel characters is protected under fair-use.

I hope to use my skills as a web developer to create entertaining experiences for all internet users.

I chose Sublime because the window is easy on the eyes, and the contextual color-coding system is helpful.

I now use the 20-20-20 rule when I’m on the computer.

[dwscmt]

January Meeting Recap

Hi Downtown and Wooster Square Community,

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our January DWSCMT meeting! Below are the minutes from the meeting.

We hope to see you at our next meeting on February 19th at 6pm in City Hall, Meeting Room #2.

---

A few additional notes to the minutes:

Economic Development Survey: As a part of their presentation, Economic Development and City Plan created a survey about the Development Process. Fill out survey and send back to Economic Development or bring to next meeting to discuss.See survey here.

Point in Time Count: The CT The Point in Time Count (PIT) 2019 is next week - this is the one day of the year that we have an unduplicated count of sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families. This one day count informs how we utilize services and it influences how we request and gain access to much needed resources on the state and federal level. The Greater New Haven area will be completing the PIT Count this year on January 23, 2019 from 4:00am-7:00am. If you are interested in joining us this year please visit the CCEH website and sign up! Thank you Jim Pettinelli of Liberty Community Services, Inc. for providing this helpful information!

Speed Sign on Olive Street News: Two “Your Speed Is…” street signs have been approved for intersections at Olive and Green Street, and Chapel and DePalma Court. They will be installed soon. Learn more here.

The Storehouse Project: The Storehouse Project has applied for CBDG funding for their Mobile Food Pantry. The Mobile Food Pantry has a site at Gateway. They are looking for letters of support from individuals. Learn more about the project and how to provide letters of support here.

DWSCMT Summer Movie: It's time for City of New Haven Parks & Recreation to start planning their annual summer movie series! Each of the 12 Management Team areas will have a Friday night showing of a popular movie which will be selected by popular vote in March. The DWSCMT Executive Board would love your input on when and where the Downtown-Wooster Square movie should happen! Fill out the survey here.

General Updates

DWSCMT Meeting Time: The DWSCMT monthly meeting has official been extended from 6 pm to 7:30, with the last half hour for Economic Development updates, and at times, presentations from developers.

Civilian Review Board: The Board of Alders passed a Civilian Review Board ordinance last week. The Management Teams play a role in recommending representatives from the district to serve on the Civilian Review Board — to then be nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by majority vote by the Alders. It’s important to the DWSCMT Executive Board that the process of recommending CRB members is transparent, fair, and representative of the diversity of Downtown and Wooster Square. We are going to be exploring best practices around what this process could look like and would love input from multiple perspectives. More updates to come.

New Haven Police Department

Crime reduction down by double digits in 2018, specifically violent crime

Recent increase in commercial burglaries, Sgt. Maher has been working to investigate but they have since been reduced to zero this week

Green initiative is still ongoing to address quality of life issues – officers on beat 7 days a week

Full time radio car is coming to Wooster Square to address recent property crime issues

Town Green

Night Market in December was a success, looking to do another event in Spring/Summer so it will be held twice a year in the future.

2020 budget planning is currently happening for next year’s events

Flights of Fancy taking place on January 24 – shop, sip, and taste at over two dozen local shops and restaurants

Beginning a window display program for empty storefronts – looking for artists, partners on supplies, property owner sponsors. Contact elizabeth@downtownnewhaven.com

New Haven Free Public Library

Free Tax Prep being offered Jan. 29

Grow with Google program Feb. 13,  9 – 4:30: representatives from Google will be holding workshops at the library

Women in Stem programming, youth events, Democracy in Crisis conversation with New Haven Scholars

Yale

Yale is planning a number of events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, please check their website for more info.

One event includes: Yale University’s 2019 MLK Commemoration on Wednesday,January 23. With a theme of “Think Globally, Act Locally,” this event will feature community organizers who honor King’s life and legacy through their daily work towards social justice from the intersection of activism, art, faith, and healing. Moderated by Hanifa Nayo Washington (Communications & Participant Engagement Coordinator for Co-Creating Effective & Inclusive Organizations), this dynamic panel discussion will feature: (1) Barbara Fair, social worker and social justice activist; (2) Kerry Ellington, Community & Economic Development Organizer, New Haven Legal Assistance Association; (3) Aaron Jafferis, Founding Artistic Director, The Word New Haven; and (4) Mikveh Warshaw YSN ’17, psychiatric nurse practitioner and founding member of Mending Minyan. The event will be held at Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Auditorium (SSS 114), which is located at 1 Prospect Street at the corner of Grove Street. Doors will open at 5:30p.

Alder Catalbasoglu

Yale students have returned to campus

On Wednesday, January 16 the Education Committee will hold a workshop on the school to prison pipeline. We'll hear from experts, NHPS administrators, and stakeholders. 6pm, Alder Chambers of City Hall

Alder Roth

Budget season is coming March 1, there will be a calendar of public hearings and workshops

The state is getting grant money for renovating the Crown and Temple street garages, could affect parking during construction time

Feb 7, 6 pm – there will be a public hearing on Bikeshare before City Services, new bikes are coming that you will not need to use a credit card for

Traffic Safety – there will be a banner placed across the medical center bridge to alert people to stop at red lights to address recent incidents where people are frequently running red lights. Also proposing red light cameras be installed.

Point in Time Count taking place on January 23 from 3-6 am. This program will count the number of people experiencing homelessness, both on the streets and in temporary housing. It will also audit the programs offering shelter. This is a very important event that affects HUD funding. There will be a Youth Point in Time event as well, led by Youth Continuum on January 23 for a week. Register to volunteer here.

Alder Greenberg

On Thursday, January 24 the Affordable Housing Task Force will vote to finalize its report and recommendations. The report and recommendations will be made available to the public in advance of the vote. 6pm, Alder Chambers of City Hall.

Sickle Cell Disease Association of CT

The first community center in the Northeast to open in a month on the corner of Orchard and Chapel

They are currently looking for letters of support in order to obtain grant money for programming at the facility.

Interested individuals can write their own letters of support. Contact James Rawlings@scdaaofsouthernct.org or here.

Emergency Management — Rick Fontana

New Snow Emergency plan

New communications will be sent during parking bans and snow emergencies, with shorter SMS messages and more concise info

They have new equipment to pre-treat road surfaces (ice-eater instead of brine, more effective and safe for trees/cars).

New focus on treating/shoveling sidewalks, quality assurance

New zone structure for parking bans: Zone A (Downtown), Zone B (Snow Routes), and Zone C (Residential)

For $3 a day, affected residents may park in Temple and Crown street garages, and there will also be designated school parking lots

No odd side parking during parking bans (if even is regularly banned, residents must find another place to park. Example: Lyon Street)

City homepage has FAQs and the number of the Emergency Operation center for any reported issues. Contact Rick Fontana – rfontana@newhavenct.gov

See full presentation and materials here.

Other Reports

Update from Doug Hausladen: Two “Your Speed Is…” street signs have been approved for intersections at Olive and Green Street, and Chapel and DePalma Court. They will be installed soon. Learn more here.

Update from Anstress Farwell: The New Haven Urban Design League held a meeting to discuss a new parking garage design for Union Train Station. An abbreviated report will be coming out soon about what Union Avenue could look like.

Economic Development Presentation – Mike Piscitelli and Aicha Woods

The Economic Development Division has 6 departments

Their goal is to look for a more comprehensive place strategy for Downtown, which acts as both a regional center and neighborhood.

Focused on defining development values and looking for successful development project criteria; the projects relationship with Development has changed in recent years, more private investors are involved now, and the rulebook needs to be re-written and have more clarity over development values

Upcoming Plans:

Path of a Development project

How to Stay Informed

Getting rid of the Route 34 connector in order to better connect the Hill area/train station to Downtown

Long Wharf Plan is going before the Board of Alders and City Plan Commission

Olive, Elm, and State Street Corridors- focusing on commercial corridors and zoning regulations that may be out of date (newhavencorridors.com)

Examples: 80 Elm Street Hotel in former Webster Bank building.

Buildings on east side of State Street

170 Olive Street, more mixed-use buildings for this area

Ninth Square Residences will have new owners, with first floor retail and market rate apartments

RFP for community event use at State and Wall parking lot in evenings/on weekends areas

Development deals with both building codes and zoning codes

If it’s a deviation from the standard, project goes to the BZA (Board of Zoning Appeals)

If it’s checking a technical detail, it goes to a Site Plan Review with the City Plan Commission

If the project requires a zoning change, it can go to the Board of Alders

Deviations with special exceptions go to BZA, special permits go to CPC. Exceptions have one set of criteria, where permits are more elevated and often involve design criteria

Public Hearings – some are required and some are requested by Alders. Public Comment by letter is also allowed

The Historic District Commission deals with changes to property in a historic district.

Projects with the city’s direct interest (where city land is involved) go straight to the Board of Alders.  

Items on public agenda are listen on websites

Fill out survey and send back to Economic Development or bring to next meeting to discuss

Sign up for development e-blast

Additional info: Wooster Square TOD Plan and Commercial Corridors

See article in the New Haven Independent about Economic Development's presentation here.

See you next month!

DWSCMT

[jeramymobley]

Google’s Digital Garage: Turning Small Businesses Into Online Giants

Since 2015, Google’s UK team has delivered digital training to more than 5,000 small businesses across the market via Digital Garage, a free digital skills academy that was launched by Google UK and Ireland MD (and Time Inc. alum) Eileen Naughton.

The public affairs program is a model of a brand sharing its skills—and creating a generation of small businesses who are well-versked in its products and services and grow their own people’s skills and offerings.

“Our vision is simple: businesses of all sizes stand to benefit from the transformative power of the digital era. It is Google’s responsibility, as both a catalyst and an engine for growth, to help individual businesses prosper, and the UK economy grow,” Naughton wrote in a blog post.

The current Digital Garage in Sheffield is open seven days a week through next month, with 12 staffers on-hand to walk participants through the offering, with topics ranging from launching a website to search engine marketing, social media, video and more.

People can drop in for a chat, or sign up in advance for a particular course and offer free advice on leveraging the web for businesses, individuals and community groups or charities. Partners in the education program include the British Library’s Business and IP Centre.

As Google Europe puts it, “The Digital Garage Academy provides users with a bespoke training path, based on their needs and interests and delivers digital knowledge in a rich and interesting way through bite-sized videos, with the help of everyday experts: real-life business owners.”

Sheffield, like so many smaller towns in the UK, has a digital skills gap, making Digital Garage a welcome resource. Online training is also available.

At the recent launch Louise Haigh, shadow digital economy minister and Labour’s candidate for Sheffield Heeley, commented that it was a ‘major coup’ for the city.

“With investment in the city centre and major businesses choosing to make Sheffield home, now could not be a better time for the leading digital business on the planet to come,” Haigh told the Sheffield Star.

“Too many small businesses lack the digital skills needed to unlock growth because the training isn’t available. Bringing Google’s experts to Sheffield will change that and thousands of businesses will benefit during their stay.”

While the initiative is geared to start-ups and creating new jobs, established businesses are also welcome.

Case in point: Plastic Tokens, which has been based in Attercliffe for more than three decades. A market leader and the UK’s largest token manufacturer, the brand makes tokens to fit any requirement, supplying schools, gamers, auto makers, amusement arcades, supermarkets and more.

Wanting to expand their expertise and reach, Amy Coghlan, in charge of sales and marketing explained why they sought help from the Digital Garage.

“We want the website to be fully functional,” she told the Yorkshire Post. “We want it to be selling, but also for customers to know what they want when they log on. We want them to be able to make three clicks to a purchase.”

“We have been wanting to rebrand for a long time. The Digital Garage is helpful for me to understand as well as to implement. I know things about SEO and analytics, but that’s a job in itself. I can oversee it but it’s for someone to do the day-to-day.”

Get down to @Google's 'Digital Garage' in #Birmingham #NewStreet to develop your digital skills and create a strong online presence http://pic.twitter.com/tAn1cCiF3G

— BritAsia TV (@BritAsiaTV) July 14, 2017

Digital Garage launched in Leeds in June 2015, and has popped up in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and South Yorkshire, each market getting its own local invitation.

As agency Blue State Digital notes, the online course is designed to encourage and reward users, and has been rolling out across Europe:

They motivate, congratulate, guide, and mentor—all in plain language and a friendly tone. The result: more than 30% of users who started the Digital Garage went on to earn at least three topic badges. The Digital Garage keeps users informed throughout their learning journey. The platform has been rolled out across Europe to more than 20 markets—each with a custom email journey so as many people as possible can make the most of the web.

Ushiwear co-founder Neil Kapusi told the Yorkshire Post why it was worth his time to participate: “Before we attended the very first pop-up in Leeds in June 2015, we had quite a low web presence and our online sales were definitely taking a hit as a result. Within two weeks, we noticed a dramatic increase in sales – not just nationally, but internationally and from March to November, we experienced a 50 per cent increase in turnover due to our greater digital exposure.”

At that time, Naughton noted that less than 30 percent of small businesses had an effective online presence, and Google’s mission was to “jump start” the other 70 percent.

“We understand (small businesses) don’t have the benefit of large IT tech infrastructure and development, and they need our assistance in this area disproportionately more than a large business would,” she told Reuters. “We’ve never set up an outpost in a city—in a garage—as we have here in Leeds, and offered these services openly. For us, it’s an exciting experiment.”

The experiment is working. An iteration of the original “Garage bands” that flourished in the mid 1960’s, the Digital Garage offers access to a creative digital space without any walls, and would be welcome in many other parts of the world too. Find out more in the videos below.

The post Google’s Digital Garage: Turning Small Businesses Into Online Giants appeared first on brandchannel:.

[android-for-life]

"Libraries help entrepreneurs write their next chapter"

In our over 20 years working with small businesses, we’ve met countless entrepreneurs who have turned problems into opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for small businesses, and we’re committed to finding new ways to support these problem-solvers who are the cornerstones of their communities. That’s why this year alone Google has committed over $300 million to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in the U.S. 

Thanks to a $2 million grant from Google.org, one of the ways we are supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs is through the work of local libraries. Today, as part of our longstanding support of the American Library Association (ALA), we’re announcing that 13 public libraries have been selected to form entrepreneurship centers across the country, focusing on low-income or underrepresented entrepreneurs. 

These libraries will provide virtual and in-person services including workshops such as Business 101, English as a Second Language (ESL), Web Design, Marketing and Accounting. They will also provide one-on-one coaching to small business owners, secure access to specialized equipment and technology, plus help with promotion and marketing assistance, research, and tasks like navigating legal and business licenses and requirements.

The Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, is a great example of a library that is making a difference with their Google.org funding. They’ve built a resource center for underrepresented entrepreneurs by offering peer support, training and resources for people at every stage of business development. They’ve recently opened an online hub which helps entrepreneurs and businesses access the resources they need to stay up and running during the pandemic. Richland’s innovative program, and those of the other grantees, will be used to create a playbook that any library anywhere will be able to use to build out their own small business recovery services.

Libraries carousel 1.jpg

Googler Andres Ramirez explains how to use free Google tools to reach customers online in Florida.

Libraries carousel 2.jpg

Participants introduce themselves before a Grow with Google workshop at the Long Branch Free Public Library in New Jersey.

Libraries carousel 3.jpg

Grow with Google trainer Angelina Darrisaw teaches digital skills to help small businesses grow in Mississippi.

Libraries carousel 4.jpg

Googler Madison Garver teaches digital skills during a one-on-one coaching session at the Boulder Public Library.

Libraries carousel 5.jpg

Grow with Google volunteers take a break from coaching to peruse their favorite books at the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix.

This effort builds on a long-running partnership with the ALA. In January 2019, we worked with the ALAto bring Grow with Google’s free digital skills workshops to libraries, and this investment helped people develop critical skills they need to find jobs and grow their businesses. During these workshops, we connected with small business owners who were facing a range of challenges. We also worked closely with librarians to train their staff on digital skills and equip them with new tools and resources to drive digital learning in their communities. Using free resources from our Grow with Google Partner Program, one librarian in Kentucky trained her staff as well as other librarians across the state. She’s not alone: Through our Partner Program more than 1,100 local libraries use our free content, handouts and resources to train people in their communities.

From small towns to big cities, almost every community across the country has a place you can go to get free information, internet access and digital skills training: the local library. Thanks to ongoing collaboration with the ALA and community partners across the country, we’re continuing to help local libraries provide critical skills training at a time when people need it most. If you are a small business owner interested in learning more about how to grow your business with help from Google and your local library, watch our virtual workshop, Build Your Online Presence with Google and Your Local Library, co-hosted with the ALA. Or check out our other free virtual workshops, events and one-on-one coaching sessions to get the most out of digital tools.

Source : The Official Google Blog via Source information

[courtneytincher]

The last places on Earth with no internet

I just came back from a week offline. I was in Indonesia, on a two-masted pinisi, sailing east. The ship had no Wi-Fi at all. None of the places we docked – to meet friendly locals, to snorkel, to see Komodo dragons – were connected. When we were close to the coastline, I spotted the occasional mobile mast, and a couple of guilty looking fellow passengers checked texts – but, generally, the mood was analogue, the atmosphere news-free and the only chatter human to human. It was only the third time in perhaps five years that I’ve been in a place or situation for any length of time without the opportunity to connect to (or trap myself in) the net. Old habits returned, like curiosity, patience and thoughtfulness. After all, we text and even email one another without saying as much as “hello”. We stop WhatsApp exchanges without “goodbyes”. We share our fake news on Facebook and saturate our pics on Instagram. Going back to real-time, real-life conversation was like being reborn ca. 1985. Being off grid frees up so much time – according to Ofcom, the typical UK adult spends 23.5 hours online per week. I wonder how much this actually increases when we find ourselves on a beach, on a city break, far from loved ones. Our will tends to be week when Wi-Fi is made available. But it’s getting harder and harder to escape online temptations. Almost all buses and trains are internet-friendly, and aeroplanes are getting there, for a price. Mobile masts on mountain tops spread their communications over remote valleys. Powerful relayers bounce satellite services across deserts. Apparently, 93 per cent of Greenland’s population have access to Wi-Fi (though that might be largely because they can’t go very far for most of the year). Being unconnected is a human rights problem in some countries, for some people. For most Western travellers, however, an offline escape might be the one chance to delink from bills and other burdens, the woes of Brexit, the pesterings and pettinesses of family and work, the arguments and self-promotions of friends and acquaintances, routine, ruts and rivalries. Here are some suggestions for those looking for the luxury of a low-tech holiday. Greenland: big on beauty, short on Wi-Fi Credit: GETTY Countries where you might struggle to connect Greenland Notwithstanding the fact that Greenland’s householders are connected, this huge icy country is, according to its own tourist board, a “chance to unplug from the world wide web and get in touch with marvellous natural surroundings, yourself and your travel companions – and it’s probably better to come to Greenland with this mindset.” Visitgreenland.com notes that it’s possible to purchase Wi-Fi in most places “albeit at a higher price than you’re likely used to”. Nuuk library offers limited free internet access for all, and accommodations like the fine Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat, Hotel Qaqortoq, Vandrehuset and Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk offer their guests free Wi-Fi in their rooms. Greenland: rugged, untamed and not a tourist in sight China Despite having the largest number of internet users in the world, China’s internet censorship is pretty extreme. The so-called “Great Firewall of China” involves authorities monitoring internet access and blocking website content. Facebook (banned since the 2009 Ürümqi riots), Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, and Reddit are all on the blacklist, while Google’s China subsidiary is severely limited. You can't access most foreign websites in China Credit: getty Cuba Internet was introduced to Cuba back in the late 90s but its development has been piecemeal. Most public access, and tourist access at hotels, is through scratchcards that seem designed to malfunction – long passwords are easily rubbed off if you scratch a little too hard, and the minutes purchased never seem to be quite as many as promised. Mobile phones work but it’s expensive to call home. Web censorship has eased off, but in July the government moved to shut down gamers’ private network SNet. In Cuba, a special permit is required to go online Credit: marcin jucha - Fotolia Iran The Iranian government uses speed throttling – reducing bandwidth to slow down downloads – to frustrate users and limit communications. This happens in the lead-up to elections and whenever there is political upheaval as during the Arab spring. About half of the Iranian population has some kind of internet connection, mainly in the cities. Wealthy Iranians use VPNs to get round censorship of popular social media and news sites. Iranian hard-liners have called for tighter Internet censorship, including the blocking of Instagram, even while members of the political class are keen users. Iran: the world's friendliest nation, according to you North Korea Internet is strictly controlled in North Korea. Permission is only with special authorisation, mainly for government reasons, and access to the global internet is limited to a small group of elites. Nonetheless, the smart phone market is growing fast, and local clones of successful Western phones are improving. Foreign visitors can make international phone calls and go online by purchasing an international USIM card, available at the airport and a few other locations for a very un-Communist €200–250 euros. Note that the Foreign Office currently advises against travel to North Korea.  things facts you didn't know about north korea Turkmenistan “The number of places where you can’t access the internet continue to diminish and, aside from pockets where physical geography, such as rock formations, blocks a mobile data signal, it’s increasingly political actions and economic challenges, rather than technology, that keeps a place offline,” said Mark Weeks, MD EMEA, Akamai. “As smartphone penetration creeps up, even in developing nations, the idea of large-scale internet black spots becomes less likely as providers combine wireless, fixed and mobile technologies to bring the internet wherever there’s demand.  Just as it’s no longer possible to blame being on a transatlantic flight or being on the tube for being offline, claiming that you’re beyond the reach of the internet on a beach or in the countryside is fading into the past.  People who want a true digital detox holiday, will increasingly have to learn the self-restraint to turn off their own phones.”  The press and communication system of Turkmenistan is state-controlled, which means most social media apps are blocked, what you are seeing is heavily filtered and also that you are being watched while you’re trying to access your emails. Roaming charges for foreign phone users are sky-high. Some five-star hotels have fast Wi-Fi. Vietnam According to a survey by Cable, a UK broadband and mobile provider, Vietnam’s average broadband speed was “10 times slower than Singapore”. Vietnamese internet accessibility is blocked by the government, especially to sites that are critical of the government. Information about overseas political opposition, religious topics or human rights is also sometimes blocked. Others Bhutan, Central African Republic, Chad, Lesotho, Malawi, Solomon Islands, Somalia and South Sudan have limited, slow, dysfunctional wifi networks and, in rural areas, very limited mobile phone coverage. So, digital nomads: stay away! Accommodation offering a digital detox Hoteliers are now waking up to the fact that some of their high-paying guests need a break from the phone and the net (of course, dingy hostels and old-school seaside B&Bs; were always ahead of this curve). Business people who spend too much of their life in Hyatts and Hiltons and wired-up conference spaces understand “luxury” to mean less rather than more. Sometimes the service is optional. For instance, a silver switch next to the beds in the Villa Stéphanie spa resort in Baden-Baden activates a copper grid in the walls that blocks all wireless internet signals. At the starkly beautiful Fabriken Furillen hotel, located on a remote peninsula in Gotland, Sweden, guests can book into the Wi-Fi-free and off-grid Hermit’s Cabin; the nightly rate decreases every day as you prove yourself up to the challenge.  In Spain’s paradores, and in similar colonial-era and medieval buildings that have been turned into tourist accommodation, signals struggle to get through the thick walls and/or down into the buried patios. The country’s Vincci chain of hotels is offering a digital detox package, including massage, candlelit dinner, “thermal circuit” and the increasingly on-trend “voluntary submission of electronic devices”. One of Spain's historic parador hotels In Chile’s posh adventure-oriented Tierra Patagonia, there are no TVs, no phone reception and no Wi-Fi beyond the common areas. Keeping screens outside bedrooms and encouraging people to enjoy the vistas and natural spectacles is an approach increasingly found across South American wildlife lodges, Amazon river retreats and in the more isolated East African safari camps. Britain, so avid for its 5G, also boasts plenty of lodgings that deliver an off-grid break. Skiary Guesthouse, on the road-free shores of Loch Hourn, has no electricity but does have board games, home-cooked meals and whisky. Lit by paraffin-fuelled lamps, warmed by a driftwood-burning stove, it’s ideal for switching off. There are also no TVs, phones or Wi-Fi in any of the 200-odd UK properties owned by the Landmark Trust. What’s more, many of them are truly eccentric, you could stay in a ruined castle in Warwickshire, a water tower in Norfolk, or a Pineapple in Dunmore, Scotland. See more UK ideas at visitbritain.com/gb/en/places-stay-uk-grid-romance 16 incredible Landmark Trust properties Stop surfing and feel the waves Sadly, or wonderfully – depending on your point of view – Wi-Fi is now widely available on cruise ships, ferries, long distance buses and even in taxis. This revolution has taken place in the last decade, with the larger cruise lines competing over who has the fastest connections. Some Antarctic cruises, using former expedition vessels, only offer internet on one or two computers and the connection tends to be slow, expensive and hit and miss. Weather and satellites can affect the service, and you might be restricted to using a specific URL and sending only emails – which could be charged per size/byte. Thus, a large hi-res photo of a lovely berg could cost £500 to send! Don't expect easy access on an Antarctic cruise Credit: GETTY Greek inter-island ferries, Amazon riverboats, UK canal barges and traditional tall ships and Indonesian pinisis have resisted the pressure to provide their passengers with net services.  Those opting to cross the oceans aboard cargo ships have also enjoyed a digital detox, with the connections available at best patchy. As one passenger reported, “My screensaver was now the restless Pacific”, as he happily swapped virtual entertainment for a pod of orcas. Enjoy the clouds – instead of the Cloud Only a handful of airlines offer free inflight Wi-Fi, including Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air. Most airlines charge well above terrestrial rates for making calls and for connection to the net, even while offering heaps of films, music and games free of charge. As Alain de Botton has noted, air travellers are missing out on the wonders of the sky: “There is not much talk about the clouds that are visible up here. No one seems to think it remarkable that somewhere above an ocean we are flying past a vast white candy-floss island that would have made a perfect seat for an angel or even God himself in a painting by Piero della Francesca. In the cabin, no one stands up to announce with requisite emphasis that if we look out the window, we will see that we are flying over a cloud, a matter that would have detained Leonardo and Poussin, Claude and Constable.” Flying is surely the ideal opportunity to look out of the window and enjoy one of the everyday miracles of modern travel. Perhaps one day selected seats will come with a digital detox as part of the experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ryanair try to charge for the right to go offline. The sky is still (largely) Wi-Fi free Credit: GETTY The unconnected town: Green Bank, Virginia In this US township (pop. 143), internet and bluetooth are outlawed, and you can’t make a call on your mobile, or send texts. It is part of a federally mandated zone where the needs of a government high-tech facility come first – in this case the huge Robert C. Byrd telescope, which looms over tiny Green Bank.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

I just came back from a week offline. I was in Indonesia, on a two-masted pinisi, sailing east. The ship had no Wi-Fi at all. None of the places we docked – to meet friendly locals, to snorkel, to see Komodo dragons – were connected. When we were close to the coastline, I spotted the occasional mobile mast, and a couple of guilty looking fellow passengers checked texts – but, generally, the mood was analogue, the atmosphere news-free and the only chatter human to human. It was only the third time in perhaps five years that I’ve been in a place or situation for any length of time without the opportunity to connect to (or trap myself in) the net. Old habits returned, like curiosity, patience and thoughtfulness. After all, we text and even email one another without saying as much as “hello”. We stop WhatsApp exchanges without “goodbyes”. We share our fake news on Facebook and saturate our pics on Instagram. Going back to real-time, real-life conversation was like being reborn ca. 1985. Being off grid frees up so much time – according to Ofcom, the typical UK adult spends 23.5 hours online per week. I wonder how much this actually increases when we find ourselves on a beach, on a city break, far from loved ones. Our will tends to be week when Wi-Fi is made available. But it’s getting harder and harder to escape online temptations. Almost all buses and trains are internet-friendly, and aeroplanes are getting there, for a price. Mobile masts on mountain tops spread their communications over remote valleys. Powerful relayers bounce satellite services across deserts. Apparently, 93 per cent of Greenland’s population have access to Wi-Fi (though that might be largely because they can’t go very far for most of the year). Being unconnected is a human rights problem in some countries, for some people. For most Western travellers, however, an offline escape might be the one chance to delink from bills and other burdens, the woes of Brexit, the pesterings and pettinesses of family and work, the arguments and self-promotions of friends and acquaintances, routine, ruts and rivalries. Here are some suggestions for those looking for the luxury of a low-tech holiday. Greenland: big on beauty, short on Wi-Fi Credit: GETTY Countries where you might struggle to connect Greenland Notwithstanding the fact that Greenland’s householders are connected, this huge icy country is, according to its own tourist board, a “chance to unplug from the world wide web and get in touch with marvellous natural surroundings, yourself and your travel companions – and it’s probably better to come to Greenland with this mindset.” Visitgreenland.com notes that it’s possible to purchase Wi-Fi in most places “albeit at a higher price than you’re likely used to”. Nuuk library offers limited free internet access for all, and accommodations like the fine Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat, Hotel Qaqortoq, Vandrehuset and Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk offer their guests free Wi-Fi in their rooms. Greenland: rugged, untamed and not a tourist in sight China Despite having the largest number of internet users in the world, China’s internet censorship is pretty extreme. The so-called “Great Firewall of China” involves authorities monitoring internet access and blocking website content. Facebook (banned since the 2009 Ürümqi riots), Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, and Reddit are all on the blacklist, while Google’s China subsidiary is severely limited. You can't access most foreign websites in China Credit: getty Cuba Internet was introduced to Cuba back in the late 90s but its development has been piecemeal. Most public access, and tourist access at hotels, is through scratchcards that seem designed to malfunction – long passwords are easily rubbed off if you scratch a little too hard, and the minutes purchased never seem to be quite as many as promised. Mobile phones work but it’s expensive to call home. Web censorship has eased off, but in July the government moved to shut down gamers’ private network SNet. In Cuba, a special permit is required to go online Credit: marcin jucha - Fotolia Iran The Iranian government uses speed throttling – reducing bandwidth to slow down downloads – to frustrate users and limit communications. This happens in the lead-up to elections and whenever there is political upheaval as during the Arab spring. About half of the Iranian population has some kind of internet connection, mainly in the cities. Wealthy Iranians use VPNs to get round censorship of popular social media and news sites. Iranian hard-liners have called for tighter Internet censorship, including the blocking of Instagram, even while members of the political class are keen users. Iran: the world's friendliest nation, according to you North Korea Internet is strictly controlled in North Korea. Permission is only with special authorisation, mainly for government reasons, and access to the global internet is limited to a small group of elites. Nonetheless, the smart phone market is growing fast, and local clones of successful Western phones are improving. Foreign visitors can make international phone calls and go online by purchasing an international USIM card, available at the airport and a few other locations for a very un-Communist €200–250 euros. Note that the Foreign Office currently advises against travel to North Korea.  things facts you didn't know about north korea Turkmenistan “The number of places where you can’t access the internet continue to diminish and, aside from pockets where physical geography, such as rock formations, blocks a mobile data signal, it’s increasingly political actions and economic challenges, rather than technology, that keeps a place offline,” said Mark Weeks, MD EMEA, Akamai. “As smartphone penetration creeps up, even in developing nations, the idea of large-scale internet black spots becomes less likely as providers combine wireless, fixed and mobile technologies to bring the internet wherever there’s demand.  Just as it’s no longer possible to blame being on a transatlantic flight or being on the tube for being offline, claiming that you’re beyond the reach of the internet on a beach or in the countryside is fading into the past.  People who want a true digital detox holiday, will increasingly have to learn the self-restraint to turn off their own phones.”  The press and communication system of Turkmenistan is state-controlled, which means most social media apps are blocked, what you are seeing is heavily filtered and also that you are being watched while you’re trying to access your emails. Roaming charges for foreign phone users are sky-high. Some five-star hotels have fast Wi-Fi. Vietnam According to a survey by Cable, a UK broadband and mobile provider, Vietnam’s average broadband speed was “10 times slower than Singapore”. Vietnamese internet accessibility is blocked by the government, especially to sites that are critical of the government. Information about overseas political opposition, religious topics or human rights is also sometimes blocked. Others Bhutan, Central African Republic, Chad, Lesotho, Malawi, Solomon Islands, Somalia and South Sudan have limited, slow, dysfunctional wifi networks and, in rural areas, very limited mobile phone coverage. So, digital nomads: stay away! Accommodation offering a digital detox Hoteliers are now waking up to the fact that some of their high-paying guests need a break from the phone and the net (of course, dingy hostels and old-school seaside B&Bs; were always ahead of this curve). Business people who spend too much of their life in Hyatts and Hiltons and wired-up conference spaces understand “luxury” to mean less rather than more. Sometimes the service is optional. For instance, a silver switch next to the beds in the Villa Stéphanie spa resort in Baden-Baden activates a copper grid in the walls that blocks all wireless internet signals. At the starkly beautiful Fabriken Furillen hotel, located on a remote peninsula in Gotland, Sweden, guests can book into the Wi-Fi-free and off-grid Hermit’s Cabin; the nightly rate decreases every day as you prove yourself up to the challenge.  In Spain’s paradores, and in similar colonial-era and medieval buildings that have been turned into tourist accommodation, signals struggle to get through the thick walls and/or down into the buried patios. The country’s Vincci chain of hotels is offering a digital detox package, including massage, candlelit dinner, “thermal circuit” and the increasingly on-trend “voluntary submission of electronic devices”. One of Spain's historic parador hotels In Chile’s posh adventure-oriented Tierra Patagonia, there are no TVs, no phone reception and no Wi-Fi beyond the common areas. Keeping screens outside bedrooms and encouraging people to enjoy the vistas and natural spectacles is an approach increasingly found across South American wildlife lodges, Amazon river retreats and in the more isolated East African safari camps. Britain, so avid for its 5G, also boasts plenty of lodgings that deliver an off-grid break. Skiary Guesthouse, on the road-free shores of Loch Hourn, has no electricity but does have board games, home-cooked meals and whisky. Lit by paraffin-fuelled lamps, warmed by a driftwood-burning stove, it’s ideal for switching off. There are also no TVs, phones or Wi-Fi in any of the 200-odd UK properties owned by the Landmark Trust. What’s more, many of them are truly eccentric, you could stay in a ruined castle in Warwickshire, a water tower in Norfolk, or a Pineapple in Dunmore, Scotland. See more UK ideas at visitbritain.com/gb/en/places-stay-uk-grid-romance 16 incredible Landmark Trust properties Stop surfing and feel the waves Sadly, or wonderfully – depending on your point of view – Wi-Fi is now widely available on cruise ships, ferries, long distance buses and even in taxis. This revolution has taken place in the last decade, with the larger cruise lines competing over who has the fastest connections. Some Antarctic cruises, using former expedition vessels, only offer internet on one or two computers and the connection tends to be slow, expensive and hit and miss. Weather and satellites can affect the service, and you might be restricted to using a specific URL and sending only emails – which could be charged per size/byte. Thus, a large hi-res photo of a lovely berg could cost £500 to send! Don't expect easy access on an Antarctic cruise Credit: GETTY Greek inter-island ferries, Amazon riverboats, UK canal barges and traditional tall ships and Indonesian pinisis have resisted the pressure to provide their passengers with net services.  Those opting to cross the oceans aboard cargo ships have also enjoyed a digital detox, with the connections available at best patchy. As one passenger reported, “My screensaver was now the restless Pacific”, as he happily swapped virtual entertainment for a pod of orcas. Enjoy the clouds – instead of the Cloud Only a handful of airlines offer free inflight Wi-Fi, including Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air. Most airlines charge well above terrestrial rates for making calls and for connection to the net, even while offering heaps of films, music and games free of charge. As Alain de Botton has noted, air travellers are missing out on the wonders of the sky: “There is not much talk about the clouds that are visible up here. No one seems to think it remarkable that somewhere above an ocean we are flying past a vast white candy-floss island that would have made a perfect seat for an angel or even God himself in a painting by Piero della Francesca. In the cabin, no one stands up to announce with requisite emphasis that if we look out the window, we will see that we are flying over a cloud, a matter that would have detained Leonardo and Poussin, Claude and Constable.” Flying is surely the ideal opportunity to look out of the window and enjoy one of the everyday miracles of modern travel. Perhaps one day selected seats will come with a digital detox as part of the experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ryanair try to charge for the right to go offline. The sky is still (largely) Wi-Fi free Credit: GETTY The unconnected town: Green Bank, Virginia In this US township (pop. 143), internet and bluetooth are outlawed, and you can’t make a call on your mobile, or send texts. It is part of a federally mandated zone where the needs of a government high-tech facility come first – in this case the huge Robert C. Byrd telescope, which looms over tiny Green Bank.

September 09, 2019 at 02:45PM via IFTTT

[charlesaungerhealth]

Google is bringing free digital training to local libraries

http://dlvr.it/Qyx2g0

[dwscmt]

January Meeting Recap

Hi Downtown and Wooster Square Community,

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our January DWSCMT meeting! Below are the minutes from the meeting.

We hope to see you at our next meeting on February 19th at 6pm in City Hall, Meeting Room #2.

---

A few additional notes to the minutes:

Economic Development Survey: As a part of their presentation, Economic Development and City Plan created a survey about the Development Process. Fill out survey and send back to Economic Development or bring to next meeting to discuss.See survey here.

Point in Time Count: The CT The Point in Time Count (PIT) 2019 is next week - this is the one day of the year that we have an unduplicated count of sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families. This one day count informs how we utilize services and it influences how we request and gain access to much needed resources on the state and federal level. The Greater New Haven area will be completing the PIT Count this year on January 23, 2019 from 4:00am-7:00am. If you are interested in joining us this year please visit the CCEH website and sign up! Thank you Jim Pettinelli of Liberty Community Services, Inc. for providing this helpful information!

Speed Sign on Olive Street News: Two “Your Speed Is…” street signs have been approved for intersections at Olive and Green Street, and Chapel and DePalma Court. They will be installed soon. Learn more here.

The Storehouse Project: The Storehouse Project has applied for CBDG funding for their Mobile Food Pantry. The Mobile Food Pantry has a site at Gateway. They are looking for letters of support from individuals. Learn more about the project and how to provide letters of support here.

DWSCMT Summer Movie: It's time for City of New Haven Parks & Recreation to start planning their annual summer movie series! Each of the 12 Management Team areas will have a Friday night showing of a popular movie which will be selected by popular vote in March. The DWSCMT Executive Board would love your input on when and where the Downtown-Wooster Square movie should happen! Fill out the survey here.

General Updates

DWSCMT Meeting Time: The DWSCMT monthly meeting has official been extended from 6 pm to 7:30, with the last half hour for Economic Development updates, and at times, presentations from developers.

Civilian Review Board: The Board of Alders passed a Civilian Review Board ordinance last week. The Management Teams play a role in recommending representatives from the district to serve on the Civilian Review Board — to then be nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by majority vote by the Alders. It’s important to the DWSCMT Executive Board that the process of recommending CRB members is transparent, fair, and representative of the diversity of Downtown and Wooster Square. We are going to be exploring best practices around what this process could look like and would love input from multiple perspectives. More updates to come.

New Haven Police Department

Crime reduction down by double digits in 2018, specifically violent crime

Recent increase in commercial burglaries, Sgt. Maher has been working to investigate but they have since been reduced to zero this week

Green initiative is still ongoing to address quality of life issues – officers on beat 7 days a week

Full time radio car is coming to Wooster Square to address recent property crime issues

Town Green

Night Market in December was a success, looking to do another event in Spring/Summer so it will be held twice a year in the future.

2020 budget planning is currently happening for next year’s events

Flights of Fancy taking place on January 24 – shop, sip, and taste at over two dozen local shops and restaurants

Beginning a window display program for empty storefronts – looking for artists, partners on supplies, property owner sponsors. Contact elizabeth@downtownnewhaven.com

New Haven Free Public Library

Free Tax Prep being offered Jan. 29

Grow with Google program Feb. 13,  9 – 4:30: representatives from Google will be holding workshops at the library

Women in Stem programming, youth events, Democracy in Crisis conversation with New Haven Scholars

Yale

Yale is planning a number of events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, please check their website for more info.

One event includes: Yale University’s 2019 MLK Commemoration on Wednesday, January 23. With a theme of “Think Globally, Act Locally,” this event will feature community organizers who honor King’s life and legacy through their daily work towards social justice from the intersection of activism, art, faith, and healing. Moderated by Hanifa Nayo Washington (Communications & Participant Engagement Coordinator for Co-Creating Effective & Inclusive Organizations), this dynamic panel discussion will feature: (1) Barbara Fair, social worker and social justice activist; (2) Kerry Ellington, Community & Economic Development Organizer, New Haven Legal Assistance Association; (3) Aaron Jafferis, Founding Artistic Director, The Word New Haven; and (4) Mikveh Warshaw YSN ’17, psychiatric nurse practitioner and founding member of Mending Minyan. The event will be held at Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Auditorium (SSS 114), which is located at 1 Prospect Street at the corner of Grove Street. Doors will open at 5:30p.

Alder Catalbasoglu

Yale students have returned to campus

On Wednesday, January 16 the Education Committee will hold a workshop on the school to prison pipeline. We'll hear from experts, NHPS administrators, and stakeholders. 6pm, Alder Chambers of City Hall

Alder Roth

Budget season is coming March 1, there will be a calendar of public hearings and workshops

The state is getting grant money for renovating the Crown and Temple street garages, could affect parking during construction time

Feb 7, 6 pm – there will be a public hearing on Bikeshare before City Services, new bikes are coming that you will not need to use a credit card for

Traffic Safety – there will be a banner placed across the medical center bridge to alert people to stop at red lights to address recent incidents where people are frequently running red lights. Also proposing red light cameras be installed.

Point in Time Count taking place on January 23 from 3-6 am. This program will count the number of people experiencing homelessness, both on the streets and in temporary housing. It will also audit the programs offering shelter. This is a very important event that affects HUD funding. There will be a Youth Point in Time event as well, led by Youth Continuum on January 23 for a week. Register to volunteer here.

Alder Greenberg

On Thursday, January 24 the Affordable Housing Task Force will vote to finalize its report and recommendations. The report and recommendations will be made available to the public in advance of the vote. 6pm, Alder Chambers of City Hall.

Sickle Cell Disease Association of CT

The first community center in the Northeast to open in a month on the corner of Orchard and Chapel

They are currently looking for letters of support in order to obtain grant money for programming at the facility.

Interested individuals can write their own letters of support. Contact James Rawlings atscdaaofsouthernct.org or here.

Emergency Management — Rick Fontana

New Snow Emergency plan

New communications will be sent during parking bans and snow emergencies, with shorter SMS messages and more concise info

They have new equipment to pre-treat road surfaces (ice-eater instead of brine, more effective and safe for trees/cars).

New focus on treating/shoveling sidewalks, quality assurance

New zone structure for parking bans: Zone A (Downtown), Zone B (Snow Routes), and Zone C (Residential)

For $3 a day, affected residents may park in Temple and Crown street garages, and there will also be designated school parking lots

No odd side parking during parking bans (if even is regularly banned, residents must find another place to park. Example: Lyon Street)

City homepage has FAQs and the number of the Emergency Operation center for any reported issues. Contact Rick Fontana – rfontana@newhavenct.gov

See full presentation and materials here.

Other Reports

Update from Doug Hausladen: Two “Your Speed Is…” street signs have been approved for intersections at Olive and Green Street, and Chapel and DePalma Court. They will be installed soon. Learn more here.

Update from Anstress Farwell: The New Haven Urban Design League held a meeting to discuss a new parking garage design for Union Train Station. An abbreviated report will be coming out soon about what Union Avenue could look like.

Economic Development Presentation – Mike Piscitelli and Aicha Woods

The Economic Development Division has 6 departments

Their goal is to look for a more comprehensive place strategy for Downtown, which acts as both a regional center and neighborhood.

Focused on defining development values and looking for successful development project criteria; the projects relationship with Development has changed in recent years, more private investors are involved now, and the rulebook needs to be re-written and have more clarity over development values

Upcoming Plans:

Path of a Development project

How to Stay Informed

Getting rid of the Route 34 connector in order to better connect the Hill area/train station to Downtown

Long Wharf Plan is going before the Board of Alders and City Plan Commission

Olive, Elm, and State Street Corridors- focusing on commercial corridors and zoning regulations that may be out of date (newhavencorridors.com)

Examples: 80 Elm Street Hotel in former Webster Bank building.

Buildings on east side of State Street

170 Olive Street, more mixed-use buildings for this area

Ninth Square Residences will have new owners, with first floor retail and market rate apartments

RFP for community event use at State and Wall parking lot in evenings/on weekends areas

Development deals with both building codes and zoning codes

If it’s a deviation from the standard, project goes to the BZA (Board of Zoning Appeals)

If it’s checking a technical detail, it goes to a Site Plan Review with the City Plan Commission

If the project requires a zoning change, it can go to the Board of Alders

Deviations with special exceptions go to BZA, special permits go to CPC. Exceptions have one set of criteria, where permits are more elevated and often involve design criteria

Public Hearings – some are required and some are requested by Alders. Public Comment by letter is also allowed

The Historic District Commission deals with changes to property in a historic district.

Projects with the city’s direct interest (where city land is involved) go straight to the Board of Alders.  

Items on public agenda are listen on websites

Fill out survey and send back to Economic Development or bring to next meeting to discuss

Sign up for development e-blast

Additional info: Wooster Square TOD Plan and Commercial Corridors

See article in the New Haven Independent about Economic Development's presentation here.

See you next month!

DWSCMT

[aois21]

November 17, 2018

Here is the top literary news of the week:

Bram Stoker's reference materials for Dracula discovered at the London Library

Libraries combine on first ever 'Great North West Read'

The New York Times Digitizes Millions of Historical Photos Using Google Cloud Technology

iSchool Launches New Hub For Public Libraries Research

MTA VERSUS MFA: ON TRAINS AS WRITING SPACES

J. K. Rowling’s Assistant Reportedly Scammed the Hell Out of Her

Letterpress Publisher Arion Press for Sale

Jerome Corsi, formerly of InfoWars, expects to be indicted by Mueller investigation

Tayari Jones talks about the novel that changed her life

Stan Lee Is Dead at 95; Superhero of Marvel Comics

Amazon goes bicoastal, will open HQs in New York, DC suburb

Anna Foley Simmons scoops the inaugural Thinking Woman's Writing Award

USDA Partners with Communities to Bring High-Speed Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure to Rural Areas

Why political books for kids are more popular than ever – and six you should definitely read

LGBTQ People Erased From Books In Russia Under ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine named public's favourite at BAMB Awards

‘It’s a relationship’: Why Quartz is leaning on community for its first membership product

De Gruyter and University of California Press enter partnership

POETRY IS INFINITE: A CONVERSATION WITH JEFFREY SCHULTZ

* National Book Awards: Sigrid Nunez wins fiction prize as Isabel Allende is honoured

Jones, Nichol and Baddiel pen WHSmith books of the year

Robin Robertson wins Goldsmiths prize for innovative fiction with The Long Take

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Librarians to the rescue! A brief history of heroic bibliophiles

How a new wave of graphic novels is revitalizing classics — and pushing diversity

The History of First Ladies’ Memoirs

'Toxic' beats 'gammon' and 'cakeism' to win Oxford Dictionaries' word of 2018

Liu Cixin wins 2018 Arthur C Clarke lifetime award

Bozeman's only used bookstore looking for new owner

Dostoevsky book among hundreds banned in Kuwait

The Alaïa Museum Takes Shape—One Year After the Couturier’s Death, a Bookstore Opens at His Marais Flagship

Anythink to become early adopter of community engagement system for public libraries

WHEN A STORY IS BEST TOLD BACKWARDS

Netizen Report: Tanzania’s crackdown on free speech targets media advocates from CPJ

Stan Lee and Marvel saved the comic-book industry after the US Congress tried to kill it

Introducing the new breed of indie booksellers

William Goldman, Oscar-winning screenwriter of ‘Butch Cassidy’ and ‘All the President's Men,’ dies at 87

The NDL announces the launch of an English-language user interface to the WARP.

Can a man write a feminist novel?

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Phishing Scam Seeking Manuscripts Spreads Worldwide

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[premierdetroit]

Like anyone who has searched for a job at some point in their lives, I know from experience how hard it can be to find the right role. You can spend days scouring job postings that are scattered across the web, flicking through newspapers or dropping into local employers, yet still struggle to find a job that suits you. Employers may be feeling the impact of this too: three quarters of U.K. employers face talent shortages and have issues filling open positions with the right candidate.Today, more people are turning to Google to find information about their next role. We have a long history of using our technology to connect people with information, so we’re excited to bring a new job search experience to Google to connect people in the U.K. to job opportunities. This new feature in Search lets you more easily explore jobs from across the web and find job postings that suit your needs and skills. Starting today, when you search for “jobs near me,” “teaching jobs,” or similar queries in English in the U.K., you’ll have the option to click through to a feature that lets you explore jobs from across the web that meet your unique needs. You can access salary information, reviews and ratings of the employer and different options to apply for a job, or use a location filter to see jobs in the areas that are convenient for you. Thanks to Google Maps, if you’re signed in, you’ll even be able to see how long it would take to commute to a job from your home. Searching for a job can take time, and keeping up with new jobs that are posted throughout the day can be impossible. Now in Google Search you can save individual jobs with a single tap so that they are accessible across any of your devices. And if you step away from your job search, you can stay in the loop on opportunities that interest you by turning on alerts to receive an email notification whenever new jobs arrive.The new jobs experience in Search is the result of deep collaboration with the job-matching industry, and benefits both employers and job seekers. We first introduced this experience in the U.S. last year, and it’s now live in several countries. Since launching it, we’ve seen 130 percent more companies showing jobs in Search and connected tens of millions of people around the world to new job opportunities.In the U.K., we’re working with organizations from across the job-matching industry to bring you the most comprehensive listing of jobs, like The Guardian Jobs, Reed.co.uk, Haymarket, Gumtree, The Telegraph, Reach plc's totallylegal, CV-Library and totaljobs.com. This means anyone searching for jobs on Google will see postings from these sites and many others from across the web as soon as they’re posted. To ensure even more jobs are listed over time, we’re publishing open documentation for all jobs providers detailing how to make their job openings discoverable in this new feature.This launch also builds on the commitment we made last year to help 100,000 people in the U.K.find a job or grow in their career by 2020. We’re doing that through our Google Digital Garage program, which gives anyone free training in digital skills and products to help grow their career, business or confidence. So far we’ve helped tens of thousands of people find their next job through free training at four city-center hubs and with partners across the U.K.Whether you’re a recent graduate looking for your first job, a parent supporting a growing family, or simply hunting for your dream role, we hope this new experience on Google will help make the job search simpler and connect you with your next job.

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