RTPnet, operated by a volunteer staff, serves Durham, Orange, and Wake counties and surrounding towns in North Carolina.

E-mail Lists: RTPnet hosts 167 Mailman lists. The last few Majordomo lists were converted to Mailman this year.

phpBB Forums: RTPnet hosts 49 phpBB forums (12 hidden) in 20 categories (3 hidden).

Membership: RTPnet Membership decreased by two during 2004 — lost 19 and gained 17 (15 organizations for hosting services and two at basic membership with no hosting services). Membership entering 2005 was 153. See Appendix: 2004 Membership Changes for lists of new and lost members.

• Five members are individual donors.
• Five organizations do not use any hosting services.
• At least four organizations have their Web sites somewhere else, and at least two more have e-mail lists, but no Web site.
• RTPnet hosts 79 domain names for 75 members.
• Four members have MySQL databases.
• Number of member organizations with the year they joined:
  • 28 - 1997 or earlier
  • 19 - 1998
  • 10 - 1999
  • 16 - 2000
  • 12 - 2001
  • 24 - 2002
  • 17 - 2003
  • 17 - 2004

Several attendees contributed one-page handouts for programs that have been successful in using technology to overcome the digital divide. These one-pagers were also made available for display at the University Continuing Education Association Conference in San Antonio in April, pertaining to work being done in North Carolina.

Community Technology Awards: Outstanding contributions by individuals, organizations, institutions, and businesses to North Carolina communities in the area of information and computer technology were recognized at the 5th Annual RTPnet Conference. Eight winners were selected from the 25 nominees — three organizations: The DuBois Center, GCF Global Learning, and TelAbility, two businesses: Topsail Technologies, Inc. and 802Link, Inc., and three individuals: Mary Mehrer, Martha Ann Moore, and Thomas Savage.

Initiation of Community Technology Awards was RTPnet's primary goal for 2004.

Americorps*VISTA Program: RTPnet has full-time Americorps*VISTA workers through the CTC VISTA Project. These positions are funded primarily by RTPnet membership fees.

• Vahid Nourani (VISTA #8) and Damita Chambers (VISTA #9) started September 2, 2004, sponsored by RTPnet and Triangle United Way. The goal of Vahid and Damita's project is to monitor, coordinate, and promote the Tech LinkUp project (www.techlinkup.org) and provide support for TechCoop projects (www.rtpnet.org/techcoop).

• Chad Custer (VISTA #7), sponsored by ISIS: Information Science + Information Studies, Duke University, started August 2003 and completed his year of service in August 2004. The goal of Chad's project was to work with Duke University, Rogers Herr Middle School, and RTPnet to continue and expand CLICK, an after-school computer training program for 6th graders. The John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary & International Studies at Duke University now has responsibility for CLICK.

• Ella Holden (VISTA #5), jointly sponsored by the Riley Hill Community Technology Center and RTPnet, started April 2002 and completed her second year of service in April 2004. The goal of Ella's project was to develop a computer repair course for the Riley Hill Community Technology Center and teach the course.

• Martha Ann Moore (VISTA #1), sponsored by RTPnet, started February 2001 and completed three years of service in February 2004. The goal of Martha's project was to promote community participation in the Birchwood Learning Center (BLC) in Durham, by developing, implementing, and publicizing computer education programs for the community that bring members of the community into the Center to learn and to help each other learn.

Tech LinkUp: Tech LinkUp links together technology needs and resources to support nonprofit organizations. This service provides a way for nonprofits to describe their immediate needs for assistance and it allows volunteers, sponsors, and businesses to find opportunities to help others.

One of RTPnet's major goals for 2004 was to ... expand and refine Tech LinkUp functions, develop partnerships and support, recruit an Americorps*VISTA as coordinator, and promote the service nationally.

We were fortunate to find two Americorps*VISTAs to work on this project, starting September 2, 2004.

Accomplishments include:

• In January, created the email list linkup-team@rtpnet.org.
• January 29, held an informal demonstration and discussion of Tech Linkup at Triangle United Way to get comments and suggestions for improvements.
• Dan Brussee, Jackie Helvey, and Judy Hallman presented Tech LinkUp at the RTPnet conference, March 19.
• RTPnet had a table for Tech LinkUp at IBM "Spring into Community" fair on March 30.
• Replaced the RTPnet volunteer form with a link to Tech LinkUp registration.
• In September, created a Web-based discussion forum for Tech LinkUp at http://www.rtpnet.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=49
• Considerable effort has gone into system redesign — reorganized the Help, changed the Web pages for joining Tech LinkUp, defined changes needed in the registration process, and started work on more clearly specifying a nonprofit need.
• Registered Tech LinkUp and RTPnet with TechFinder (a searchable, online directory of individuals and organizations that provide technology products and services to the nonprofit sector) and VolunteerMatch (VolunteerMatch is dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer).

Collaboration with other Nonprofit Technology Assistance Providers: In 2003, RTPnet worked with Triangle United Way to form TechCoop, a collaboration with other nonprofit technology assistance providers. TechCoop members share the common vision of eradicating the digital divide by sharing existing resources and partnerships to better serve Triangle citizens and agencies, particularly those with limited information technology education and/or limited access to technology infrastructure.

RTPnet has benefited tremendously from TechCoop.

• TechCoop participants contributed to the planning of the 2004 conference and especially to the community technology awards.
• Through TechCoop, RTPnet obtained an IBM computer grant of an Intel Pentium 4 for development work.
• TechAction and Triangle United Way conducted a survey to help us better understand the technical needs of the local nonprofit community.
• TechCoop participants helped Michael Rulison plan and survey needs for courses for nonprofit organizations.
• The Triangle 501 Tech Club was started by TechCoop. The first meeting, hosted by RTPnet and Triangle United Way, was September 9 in the Clubhouse of the Colonial Grand at Arringdon. The October 14th meeting was at the Bluz Eatery & Spirits in Durham. The December 9th meeting, at George's Garage in Durham, was hosted by NetCorps and featured a discussion on thin client computing lead by Mr. Bill Griep, founder and CEO of Cohesive Teamware (www.ctvo.net), and his associate Mr. Stuart Powell.
• With assistance from TechCoop, especially TechAction, Teaming for Technology distributes refurbished computer equipment local nonprofits and families.
• Damita Chambers developed a chart comparing NetCorps, TechAction, and Tech LinkUp.
• Triangle United Way hosted TechCoop hardware parties.
• Triangle United Way held a Tech Yard Sale February 7.
• NetCorps co-hosted a NTEN regional conference February 12, 2004, Greensboro Library.
• Several members of TechCoop attended the 2004 Nonprofit Technology Conference in Philadelphia March 25-27.
• TechCoop participants were offered an opportunity to attend Microsoft’s SharePoint Services training session April 12.
• NetCorps and GroundSpring hosted a one-day workshop "Building the eNonprofit," October 15.

Computer Classes: Since 1996, RTPnet has taught two-hour classes to teach adults basic computer skills, how to use Help, and how to continue learning on their own. The most popular classes have been Getting Around on a Computer, Exploring the Internet, and Electronic Mail.

The current focus is to help nonprofit organizations use Tech LinkUp to find volunteers to teach classes, with RTPnet staff serving as backups and assistants.

Courses for Nonprofit Organizations: One of RTPnet's goals for 2004 was to ... offer classes to help participants [nonproft organization] make their use of computers and the Internet easier and more effective and help them promote their organizations and achieve their goals. Michael Rulison, who initiated the project, conducted surveys. There were very few responses. This project was dropped due to this lack of interest.

Template for Nonprofit Web Sites: Another of RTPnet's goals for 2004 was to ... complete development of a template and a hands-on workshop for nonprofit organizations to create Web sites. Judy Hallman and one volunteer worked with one nonprofit organization to develop a template. The project was too time-consuming and was dropped. TechSoup provides good materials to help an organization build a Web site.

• Association For Community Networking (AFCN)
• Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet)
• N.C. Center for Nonprofits
• Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN)
• TechCoop

• Judy Hallman attended the Nonprofit Technology Conference, March 25-27, Philadelphia, PA.
• Bob Sams attended the 13th Annual Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) Conference, June 11-13, Seattle, WA.
• Damita Chamber, Vahid Nourani, and Judy Hallman attended Building the eNonprofit, October 15, Triangle United Way, presented by John Kenyon, GroundSpring.org.
• Damita Chamber, Vahid Nourani, and Judy Hallman attended N.C. Center for Nonprofits Conference, October 28-29, Research Triangle Park, NC.

RTPnet received an IBM computer grant for development work with cPanel — Intel Pentium 4/2.8 GHZ Processor; 256MB memory; 40GB hard disk; 17" E74 Color Monitor; CD-RW; and Windows XP Professional. Value of each desktop: $843.00.

Firewalls and ftp: More members are behind firewalls that give them difficulties ftping to rtpnet.org.

php and phpBB forums: We upgraded php to 4.3.10 and upgraded phpBB to version 2.0.11. We were unable to preserve our local customizations for phpBB, so the following two mods we applied last year were lost:

• Mod Post Notification: allows a forum moderator to request e-mail notification whenever a post is made to their forum.
• Cat Index Alternative: allows display of the forums for a single category.

Use of private, hidden forums increased slightly, but forums still aren't used much. Some people seem to have problems with the confirmation process — they don't confirm their username and then can't participate.

E-mail services: We learned more about Mailman and expanded instructions for RTPnet users, including how to get a list of subscribers and how to automatically delete posts from nonmembers.

The last Majordomo lists were converted to Mailman, and Majordomo was retired.

Logs and Web statistics: Considerable effort was expended on log processing.

• We moved the log analysis runs from Sunday morning to Monday morning.
• We focused the Analog analysis on the previous week instead of processing the previous week along with the three weeks before it (four weeks worth of logs). It was taking much too long to process the logs.
• Log files for accesses to Web site domains hosted on RTPnet were moved out of users' public_html directories to the system directory /var/log/httpd/virtual .
• Ftp was upgraded to allow users to access their log files.
• "Referrer" information was added to the logs.

MySQL: Four members have MySQL databases. phpMyAdmin was installed to help users manage their databases.

Calendars: Some members started using, Flat Calendar for calendars, for example, the Anthroposophical Society in North Carolina. Calendars Net is also now recommended on the RTPnet site.

Current software includes:

• Apache 1.3.29
• Mailman 2.1.1
• MySQL 3.23.55
• Perl DBI
• Phorum, for old forums
• PHP 4.3.10
• phpBB version 2.0.11
• Pine 4.21
• Red Hat Linux 6.1

Summary
--------
Total Income:                 14,829.71 
Total Expenses:               19,200.51
                            -  4,370.80

Asset Balance on 12/31/03     15,806.50
                            -  4,370.80            
Asset Balance on 12/31/04     11,435.70

Income:
------
 1,850     Donations
 4,049.71  RTPnet Conference
 8,875     Hosting
    55     Sale of Inventory (CafePress)
---------  
14,829.71

Expenses:
--------
 7,027.30  VISTAs 
 4,400     Internet access
   315.50  Tech LinkUp
    85.46  Communications
   400     Service contracts/awards
   391.71  Printing/postage
 2,559.60  Conferences/travel
   135     Professional organizations/dues
    32.25  Misc.
 3,853.69  RTPnet Conference
--------- 
19,200.51 

• Judy Hallman <hallman at rtpnet.org> or <hallman at email.unc.edu>
  Executive Director
  
• Charles Hall <Charles.Hall at sas.com> or <chall at rtpnet.org>
  Lead System Administrator
  
• Amnon Nissan <amnon at deltaforce.net> and Deltaforce Technologies
  Provides Internet access and on-site services
  
• Roger Austin <rda at rti.org>
  Provided maintenance for Majordomo e-mail lists through its entire use on RTPnet (1998 through 2004). Roger continues his service to RTPnet maintaining Mailman lists.
• Nancy Shoemaker <shoemaker at acm.org>
  Maintains e-mail aliases associated with domain names
• Errol Casey <errol at nouce.net>
  Served as System Administrator from 1998 through 2001 and continues to provide support as a consultant.
• Dan Brussee <dbrussee at betterwaycomputing.com>
  Tech LinkUp Software Engineer
• Jackie Helvey <jackie at carrboro.com>
  Tech LinkUp Artist/Website Designer
• Others
  Directors, Advisors, Members, and other Volunteers provide suggestions and improvements

Accomplishments:

• Bylaws were revised and approved at the May 4 meeting.
  • Added specifications that officers have a term of one year and that they are to be members of the board of directors.
  • Allow action of Board by e-mail.

• The Board Approved RTPnet participation in the research study Archival Appraisal of Records of Electronic Community Networks in Local History Repositories being conducted by Susan K. Soy at the University of Texas at Austin. community network archiving project.
• The Board approved a RTPnet photo/video release form, prepared by Damita Chambers.
• Michael Rulison prepared Records Retention Guidelines for RTPnet.
• Michael Rulison scanned numerous RTPnet newspaper clippings and documents and created a .pdf file of them.
• Judy Hallman served on a CTCNet advisory committee to help plan and develop a searchable online CTCNet Resource Center.

Members: Ken Dietel declined nomination for another term, and Lester Thomas was not renewed as a Board member. Both continue to service on the Advisors Council. Going into 2005 there are four vacant seats.

Judith H. Hallman <hallman at rtpnet.org>, President and Executive Director
Term: March 2003 - February 2005
Retired from Information Technology Services, UNC-Chapel Hill

Amnon Nissan <amnon at deltaforce.net>
Term: March 2003 - February 2006
President, Deltaforce Technologies

Michael v.E. Rulison <re78vm at mindspring.com>, Chief Financial Officer
Term: March 2004 - February 2007
Principal, DataNomics, Economic analysis and microcomputer applications development (Access), Web page design, construction and maintenance. President, Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Triangle

Robert Sams <triaes at bellsouth.net>, Secretary
Term: March 2003 - February 2005
President, RileyHill Community Technology Center

Jerry Winegarden <jbw at duke.edu>>, Vice President
Term: March 2004 - February 2007
Senior Analyst, Duke University OIT/Technical Support

Four vacancies

Lucy Haagen <durhamlit at aol.com>
Executive Director, Durham Literacy Center, and Director, CTCNet

Charles Hall <Charles.Hall at sas.com>
Web Applications Developer, SAS Institute Inc.

William R. Hutchins <hutch at rtpnet.org>
Founder and President Emeritus of RTPnet

Nancy Shoemaker <nancy at shoemakergroup.com>
Principal, Shoemaker Group (www.shoemakergroup.com)
Web consultant to small nonprofits including RTPnet members
AAUW NC, AAUW Raleigh/Wake County, NC Women United,
NC Center for Women in Public Service, Women's Forum of NC, EV Challenge

Mark R. Smith <w4chl at rtpnet.org>
Parent, Citizen, Engineer, Educator, and Radio Amateur
Affiliation: Amateur Radio liaison to Phillips MS ARC and National Engineers Week

Lester Thomas <leslthm at aol.com>
The Ujima Group, Inc.

James F. Verdonik <jverdonik at d2vlaw.com>
Daniels Daniels & Verdonik, P.A.

• airmen, The Aeronautical Academy of North Carolina
• asbhs, Apex Street Bridge Historical Society
• ashleyfo, Ashley Forest Association of Durham
• bullcity, Concerned Citizens For Accountable Government
• dixpark, Friends of Dorothea Dix Park
• Friends of the Orange County Library
• GGF Global Learning
• hfdc, Holy Family Day Care Center, Chapel Hill
• jltca, Jordan Lake Trails Conservation Association
• kidz04, KidzConnect Computer Club
• nccwps, NC Center for Women in Public Service
• nc99, Kitty Hawk Chapter of the 99's
• pack200, Cub Scout Pack 200
• piedmont, Piedmont Unit 161 of WBCCI
• uupf, Unitarian Universalist Peace Fellowship, Raleigh
• vthomas, Van Thomas Neighborhood, Raleigh
• wfnc, Women's Forum of North Carolina, Inc.

19 Organizations Canceled Membership:

• aaw, American Association of Woodturners
• bdpa-rdu, Black Data Processing Associates, Triangle Chapter
• cafa, Capital Area Families for Adoption
• dengrc, Durham Engineers Club
• dmc, Durham Mennonite Church
• humor, The Humor Collection
• jocarris, Children's Books with Humor
• messiah, Messiah Lutheran Church, Mebane
• mtvernon, Mount Vernon Baptist Church
• ncnow, North Carolina NOW
• parc, Phillips (Middle School) Amateur Radio Club
• rsoc, Raleigh Ski and Outing Club
• sca, Southeastern Center for Anthroposophy
• shsjrotc, Sanderson High School Air Force Junior ROTC
• tiffany, Tiffany Woods Homeowners Association, Garner
• t4t, Teaming for Technology
• udi, UDI Community Development Corporation
• uufrya, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh Twenties and Thirties
• wcgs, Wake County Genealogical Society