America's Technology Future at Risk
The United States is no longer the unchallenged technology leader. America's Technology Future at Risk, published by the Economic Strategy Institute, reports that the US is falling behind in technology use (based on broadband and cell phone penetration rates); we produce less information per user; we receive fewer patents; we award fewer Bachelor of Science degrees; and we invest less money than international counterparts. The report looks at the impact that American and foreign policies have had on US current and future standing with technology and makes recommendations for improvement. Download the report or listen to a panel discussion about the report from the Economic Strategy Institute web site. (For more info on broadband penetration in the US, check out the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report.)

Legislative Bid for Net Neutrality Fails
On April 26, 2006, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee rejected a Democratic-backed Net neutrality amendment that also enjoyed support from Internet and software companies including Microsoft, Amazon.com and Google. The Net neutrality legislation would have ensured that Internet service providers could not grant access to information based on fees paid by content providers. Learn more on News.com or visit the Save the Internet coalition that has developed around the Net Neutrality issue.

73% of US Adults Are Online
According to a recent Pew Internet & American Life survey, 73 percent of respondents (about 147 million adults) are internet users, up from 66 percent (about 133 million adults) in January 2005 survey. Americans who have broadband connections at home has now reached 42 percent (about 84 million), up from 29 percent (about 59 million) in January 2005.

The Internet in 10 Years
The Red Herring interviews Internet futurists and innovators for a glimpse at what the future of the Internet might be. Will the Internet become "like plumbing, which you won't notice unless it backs up"? Can the current Internet sustain its current rate of growth? Do we need to develop a new Internet from scratch? Who will control the Internet? What is the role of US and other national governments? What is the responsibility of the inventors, the entrepreneurs, and the users? These questions and more are asked (if not answered) in this thought-provoking article.

Strategy to Reality '06: Securing the Converged Enterprise
On June 5-6, the University of Minnesota and IP3 are sponsoring “Strategy to Reality”, a forum for IT security professionals. Topics range from understanding legal issues, managing risk, authentication, securing the dynamic network in an age of converged data and more. Get Broadband community members are invited to attend this 2-day seminar for the reduced price of $100 (a $895 value that includes a 300-page workbook and security tools CD). To receive the discount, register online using the following special registration code ASIS&T80. (Feel free to share this code locally; in fact this may be a good opportunity for program coordinators to reach out to your most tech savvy community members.)

The Blandin Foundation has offered to match the discount for the first 5 Get Broadband program coordinators who choose to attend by offering full scholarships of $100. If you are interested in more information on the Blandin scholarship, please contact Mary Magnuson memagnuson@blandinfoundation.org or 218-327-8738.

Hot Web Sites
Each month Get Broadband shares an original article (Hot Web Sites on a specific topic) with Get Broadband community coordinators. Coordinators are encouraged to customize the article with their contact information and send it on to local media outlets to help promote broadband use and the Get Broadband project. This month’s Hot Web Sites focus on How to Sell Online.

Benton County - Benton County is preparing for an exciting year with an official coordinator, Jessica Sundeen, an official name, “Get Connected in Benton County” and a plan for their survey and a visit from Bill Coleman. (Learn more)

Cohasset - Cohasset's second survey will be taking place in the next few weeks.  They plan use the results for Year Two planning. (Learn more)

Cambridge - Cambridge-Isanti has developed a logo and brochure, sponsored a variety of training opportunities, and has been coordinating an e-business demonstration project. (Learn more)

Edge of Wilderness - Edge of Wilderness is working on a marketing campaign, including local classes, improving public access to technology and working with area businesses. (Learn more)

Grand Rapids - Thanks to support and in-kind services from Paul Bunyan Telephone, Grand Rapids is hoping to have WI-FI available at the Central Square Mall before fishing opener! (Learn more)

Hibbing - Hibbing has recently launched a blog to keep the community and committee members up to date on Get Broadband events. (Learn more)

International Falls - The International Falls Chamber of Commerce Building now has wireless internet service so that people waiting in their cars in the line to Canada can work on their laptops.(Learn more)

Red Wing - Red Wing has partnered with Integrate to produce a communication plan for Get Broadband. They are also working on a timeline to illustrate key points in time where Red Wing made visionary community decisions. (Learn more)

May 10 (Roseville, MN) Blogs & Wikis Part 2: Metronet Wind Down - Shane Nackerud, librarian for the University of Minnesota, will talk about how to create blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, and podcasts.

May 10 (virtual) TXT for Change: Mobile Messaging for Advocacy - What's poised to have the biggest impact in advocacy and politics today? It's not blogs. It's not MySpace. It's text messaging on cell phones.

May 16 (various locations) Regional Get Broadband Videoconference “Technology Policies-What are those lobbyists talking about?” Learn about the top technology policy issues being debated in Washington D.C. and St. Paul. Hear spin-free pros and cons of each issue as presented by knowledgeable and unbiased experts. Available at campuses in Thief River Falls, Marshall, Hibbing, Wadena and St. Paul.

May 18 (St Paul, MN) Nobody Asked Me: Who IS Crafting Our Information Future?  Donald A.  Gemberling, guru of Minnesota's Data Practices Act will talk about who is making policy decisions what is the impact.  Meeting held at the College of St. Catherine. Contact Ann Treacy atreacy@treacyinfo.com for more information.

May 21-23 (San Jose, CA) International Economic Development Council’s Technology-Led Economic Development Conference - Showcases strategies that help communities to attract and retain technology firms and to build a thriving tech-led component into their economic base.

June 6-7 (Morris) Minnesota Symposium on Small Towns & Rural Summit - The theme "Working Better Together for the Common Good" starts with the organizers (Minnesota Rural Partners and Center for Small Towns) who are collaborating to combine their individual annual conferences.

June 20 (virtual) Get Broadband Communities of Interest teleconference/videoconference – Join us for virtual conversations on healthcare, economic development, education or e-commerce.

June 29 (Brooklyn Park, MN) Minnesota e-Health Summit - learn firsthand from national and state leaders about current progress and future directions for e-Health in Minnesota.

October 18-19 - Save the date for the Get Broadband State-wide Broadband Conference.

The welcome rains of the past weekend have greened up my neighborhood so it finally looks like spring.  It has helped my prairie garden, now in its third year, come alive with plants. They are finally emerging, all at their own pace, after our long winter. There are more plants this spring as last year's seed pods sprout into new plants.  It is so rewarding after two years' hard work of soil preparation, planting and weeding and mulching.

In economic development circles, "economic gardening" is an increasingly successful strategy. Instead of hunting for industries and chasing them to bring them home, communities are growing their own crop of small businesses. Littleton, Colorado is the home of economic gardening.

The Blandin Foundation and the communities participating in the Get Broadband program are similarly engaged in technology gardening. From the foundation perspective, the program started with seven communities; we now have twenty-two entities, including clusters of communities and counties. We are starting to see the natural seeding of new participants spreading out from our original gardens. The expansion of the Bird Island program going countywide in Renville County is one example.

Each community's technology garden is a work in progress.  We all know that creating a thriving garden is a difficult and ongoing task. Some soil is more fertile; some plants are more hardy and adaptable to changes in the weather. Water and fertilizer are required to keep our plants growing, especially in the early stages.  Some plants wither and need replacement, while others need special treatment.

The Chinese have a saying about gardens: "Admire a large garden, but plant a small one." For our purposes, this should remind us to maintain our focus on reaching the goals established at your project's outset. It is easy to get distracted from the main mission. Of course, few gardeners can avoid the temptation of adding a few plants midway through the summer as nurseries close out their inventory. So it will be with opportunities for technology promotion in your community.

Remember, if you are working hard in your community technology efforts and are frustrated by seemingly slow progress, remind yourself and your team that you are doing the hard work of preparing the soil, planting and weeding. Be assured that the fruits of your efforts will be rewarded with a more tech-savvy and economically vital community in the near future.

By the way, one of my favorite gardens is Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island near Victoria, British Columbia. Mrs. Butchart started her garden in 1904. My garden will fall well short of the one million plants now beginning to bloom in Victoria.

"Hot Websites” is a monthly article provided to you to submit to your local newspaper for publication by as part of your committee’s effort to raise public awareness of the benefits broadband-based technologies have to offer to families, business and communities.

E-Democracy – E-Democracy provides a series of web sites and discussion tools to help inform and engage local citizens. Currently there are discussions in communities based in the Twin Cities, Winona and various locations in England. E-Democracy can help you start citizen dialogues in your community too.