Many of them are computer professionals who want to use their skills for more meaningful work than their day jobs allow. One user even found a new, safe place to live, through the Network's housing forum, when her living situation became dangerous. Another Seattle Community Network user found out about the network at a free workshop on the Internet at the Henry Library on Capitol Hill. Another Seattle Community Networker credits the network with helping him land his current job as a technical support person for a software company. The network has literally made the museum, entirely run by volunteers, visible to the community and the world.
Visitors frequently say they found the museum through the web.
Equipment has been donated from aficionados in four states, and funds were raised as a result of the museum's virtual presence. Because of this, I have become a great supporter of free nets and community-based telecommunication projects. Successful on-line citizen democracy is most likely to be based on neighborhoods and existing communities of interest, says Schuler. For example, he suggests getting a group of neighbors, kids, and graduate students to interview and photograph business owners. Map the community's assets.