Someone is Astroturfing the FCC, ERATE ESL 2011

Update: I have received information that the originator of the astro-content is a well-known ERATE web hosting company in Chicago. If confirmed, I will post their name.

(this post contains information about the FCC ERATE program, and assumes that readers know some details about the program. I’m too lazy to provide a comprehensive background now).

Astroturfing: 1. The use of shills to create the impression of a popular movement, through means like letters to newspapers from ‘concerned citizens’, paid opinion pieces, and the formation of grass-roots lobbying groups that are actually funded by a PR group (AstroTurf is fake grass; hence the term). See also sock puppet, tentacle. (courtesy CATB.ORG)

The FCC has recently proposed a change to the eligible services list (ESL), items that are fundable under the ERATE program, that removes web hosting for 2011 forward, stating that it is NOT a basic Internet service (ie; basic conduit access). As soon as this was proposed, out popped the astroturfers.

If anyone knows who is really doing this ‘turfing (i.e. writing the comment template), please drop me an email message to ’slackmaster@gmail.com.’ Btw, I will be cross-referencing names, cities, schools, and service providers to see if there are any matches… and will publish what I find. I wonder if these school districts know that there staff are astroturfing the FCC and may be promoting a commercial entity.

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Representative Astroturfing, all filed on 7/7/2010.
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Twanda Banks, 173 Kaigler Road, Georgetown, GA 39854
UPDATE: Technology Director, Quitman County Elementary
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Ronny Murray 1001 N Jackson St, Tullahoma, TN 37388
UPDATE: Technology Director (murrayj@k12tn.net), Tulahoma City School District
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004

Kay Highbarger 13939 Diagonal Road Clearwater, KS 67026
UPDATE: Executive Director, South Central Kansas Education Service Center #628
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004

Tammy Merritt, 3451 GA Highway 266 Cuthbert, GA 39840
UPDATE: Administrative Assistant, Georgia Head Start Association
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Tammy McLane, 406 W. Plains Oreana, IL 62554
UPDATE: Technology Coordinator, Argenta-Oreana Junior High School
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Steven Howe, 301 W 4th Udall, KS 67146
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Stacy Fees, Vista Del Mar USD, 9467 San Julian Road Gaviota, CA 93117
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Rosemary Karcher, Ridgewood Village School District 49 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Ron Swanberg GFW Schools 323 E. 11th Street Gibbon, MN 55335
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Michele White 1 Magnum Pass P O BOX 180069, Mobile, AL 36618
I question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

And….

ECFS Filing: Lisa Amerson (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503174.html

ECFS Filing: Sandra Guinn (02-6) - 12/22/2009
Dec 22, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/22/6015503429.html

ECFS Filing: Jamie R. Burkett (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015503001.html

ECFS Filing: Tim Southerland (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015503017.html

ECFS Filing: Sue Tucker (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502983.html

ECFS Filing: Matthew Shell (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502951.html

ECFS Filing: Corey Cochran (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502950.html

ECFS Filing: Golda Donaldson (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502966.html

ECFS Filing: Andrew Cohn (02-6) - 12/22/2009
Dec 22, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/22/6015503334.html

ECFS Filing: Robert Hagler (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502879.html

ECFS Filing: Lauderdale County Schools (02-60) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502873.html

ECFS Filing: Mark Miller (02-6) - 12/16/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/16/6015502806.html

ECFS Filing: Rachel Arriaga (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503185.html

ECFS Filing: Karen Braxton (02-6) - 01/04/2010
Jan 5, 2010… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2010/01/04/6015504413.html

ECFS Filing: Judy Fletcher (02-6) - 12/28/2009
Dec 28, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/28/6015504197.html

ECFS Filing: Mary Jo Peters (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503205.html

ECFS Filing: Mr. Brian Craig (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503096.html

ECFS Filing: Dianne Anderson (02-6) - 12/18/2009
… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503219.html

ECFS Filing: Melissa Shields (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503070.html

ECFS Filing: Suzanne Stockton (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503043.html

ECFS Filing: James H. Armand (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503136.html

ECFS Filing: Devlynne Barnes (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503117.html

ECFS Filing: Steven Howe (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503142.html

ECFS Filing: Jim Davis (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503050.html

ECFS Filing: Jessica Donato (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503103.html

ECFS Filing: Peggy Collum (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503177.html

ECFS Filing: Sheila Brawner (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503084.html

ECFS Filing: Sarah L Fletcher (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503105.html

ECFS Filing: Ronnie Wicks (02-6) - 12/18/2009
… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503095.html

ECFS Filing: Michael Estrada (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503088.html

ECFS Filing: Glenn Stott (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503101.html

ECFS Filing: Stephanie Snyder (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502845.html

How to reply to a Craigslist job posting.

With most job-seekers using at least some sort of online resource these days, one would expect that many of the simple ’sins of omission’ from the good ‘ole typewriter days would be gone.

Nope.

I am in the process of hiring some additional IT staff and have posted a very simple job requirement to Craigslist. Why? A) The company I work at is cheap, and 2) Craigslist is FAST when it comes to applicants.

I want to hire people that can read, write, and comprehend written instructions, so I always include a couple of reply requirements in my online job postings that can tell me a great deal about the applicant.

Simple things, such as ‘don’t include web/tracking bugs in attachments.‘ A tracking bug (a logo, invisible pixel, or other artwork) creates a log, somewhere, that can show when I read a resume, opened an email message, or passed the document along to a colleague. I don’t play that, and I let people know, in simple english, in my job postings.

“Include salary history and/or requirements” isn’t too difficult to do, is it? I’m not going to pay person $80k/year if their last job was $40k/year (unless they are REALLY good, in which case I would). The salary requirement shows me an applicant’s skill progression.

Since I am writing this, you can imagine what did not happen. The job posting was put online yesterday, and today I checked all of the applications:

30 Applicants (typical after one day)
25 applicants did not include their salary history/requirements
3 applicants simply wrote “See Attached” in their email response to the job posting
1 applicant did not include his name in his resume. Anywhere in it.

I’d pull my hair out, but I don’t want to go bald.

PEOPLE! READ THE DAMN JOB POSTING! If you do not feel comfortable including your salary history, previous employers, blood type, tell me why, don’t just leave it off.

Did someone tell you to just ‘robo-reply’ to jobs? If they did, don’t take their advice anymore. Make a great first impression: understand what you are applying for, and at least LOOK LIKE YOU CARE.

Want some more common sense resume tips? Sure ya do! Click HERE

The KGB Wheel (KGB San Diego, 101.5FM)

From: KGB Program Director
To: All Jocks
Subj: Music Rotation

You are to play songs by the following groups, with the quantities listed each hour. I don’t care when, I don’t care how, I don’t care if the songs clash.

Rolling Stones (ONLY from their top-10 hit list, Sympathy for the Devil MUST be played once per shift) (2)
Aerosmith (’dream on’ MUST be played once per shift) (2)
Supertramp (ONLY from ‘Breakfast in America’, ‘long way home’ MUST BE PLAYED on each shift) (1)
Beatles (1 or 2)
Anything from the 1969 ‘metal library’ (2)
Anything from the ‘pop-rock’ library (KISS, BOC (top 5 ONLY), Ozzy (top 5 only), etc..) (2)
Anything from the ‘hair pop band’ library (Scorpions, Def Leppard, etc..) (2)
Any ONE throwback song that is not on the top 150 rotation (1)

Promos:
Dave, Shelley, Chainsaw:
2 Minute Clip: 1
1 minute Clip: 2
Coe’s cafe: 1

Don’t forget to ‘cackle’ as much as possible during the morning show, we need some annoying filler for the post-drive time block.

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And this, folks, is why KGB sucks.

Troubles? Let me tell you about troubles….

This is a reply to Brian Stephen’s blog entry “What is an E-Rate Approved Vendor’ at Funds for Learning

Troubled? Let me tell you about troubled….

While you may be troubled by the ‘E-Rate Approved’ vendors posting their laundry lists of so-called eligible services/devices, it is even more troubling when these items actually get funded. I have lost track of how many times bandwidth shaping devices from Packeteer get listed on 470s as ’switches’ (funded), and CA schools that issue laundry lists (everything on the left side of the ESL for ‘all sites’) and get funded.

Each year we see about 40% of our requests for biddable information (quantity, type, sizing, hardware/service details) ignored by applicants after three contact attempts (voice and email). We just chalk it up to applicants having pre-selected a vendor before bidding ends. Of course, some of the vendors don’t make it hard to ’select’ them during the bidding process, just look at their websites (if you want our services, just put ’service x’ on your 470, wait 28 days, and then write our name on your 471).

The SLD has a ‘waste, fraud, and abuse hotline,’ also known as the ‘code 9′ line. You can ‘code 9′ an applicant or vendor you suspect of waste, fraud, or abuse of the E-rate program, anonymously. Of course, during the investigation of your call, you name will probably get out. This CAN be used to stop some abusive practices, but in reality, any SMB would be insane to use it. Since I started working with the E-Rate program in 1998 (year 0), my companies have seen many, MANY abuses of the rules. Sometimes the abuses cost us big ($millions) contracts. Did we ever ‘code 9′ an applicant? Nope. Never; and none of the vendors I have spoken to will admit using it; the potential backlash is too great. Everyone talks to everyone else in the K12 market, and all it takes is a SUGGESTION that a company did a ‘code 9′ on an applicant or another vendor.

So we just sit back; we complain, we bitch, and we moan, hoping that someday, someone (but not us) will do something to fix these problems.

I suppose that this is the most troubling of all.

An Open Letter to the Striking Students at LA Unified

Shut the fuck up and get back to class

So, you want to strike to prevent Los Angeles Unified School District from laying off teachers. Really? Which one of you mensas decided this? Are you sure it wasn’t just an excuse to get a four day weekend?

Lets work through some numbers (I doubt you did this) and see if your ’strike’ makes any sense…
But before we do that, how about we start with a basic understanding of how our economy works.

The people establish a government, so keep things running smoothly and to provide services to the masses that an individual, on his/her own, could not do for themselves. These services are funded by those being supported paying for the services rendered. These payments are called ‘taxes.’ In some cases, some people benefit from these services without paying their complete share. In the context of this ’strike’ those people are YOU.

Of course you can’t pay your complete share, you don’t have a full-time jobs, you are students, and we (the rest of the country) understand this; we don’t expect you to pay the same amount in taxes as your parents. If you were not students, many people would call you ‘scammers,’ and ‘cheaters‘ for not paying your own way.

Well, it turns out that some (many) of your parents are greedy people and are not paying their own way either. If you had taken time to read the newspaper instead of sitting behind your (insert game console or crack pipe reference here), you might have heard about something called ‘The Economy.’ The Economy is in the shitter now because many of your parents decided to buy homes that they could not afford, buy cars, boats, Travertine countertops, and toys for you. They did this by inflating being irresponsible with their finances (take a look at http://housingpanic.blogspot.com for more info). During the ride UP in so-called value, government entities were able to spend more money and provide more services to those whom it served. Since the gains in value were really an illusion, the government now no longer has the funds to provide these ramped up services.

The result of this: LA Unified cannot afford to pay the teachers it needs to have on board to teach YOU, the non-paying freeloader, because of your parents (the greedy bastards).

Are you striking against the right people? Hell no! You should be on strike against your parents. Of course, that would not get you a day off so you can pretend that you are doing something for the greater good.

Oh, did you know that the school district receives money for every day a student in IN CLASS? This is called Average Daily Attendance (ADA), and is the primary way that schools get funded by the state. Each day that each one of you is not in class, the school district looses money.

Other things that cost money:

• Police Protection (City, County, and LA Unified)
• Street Maintenance
• Public Transportation
• Private transportation

Back to the topic at hand….

No Taxes = no funds for services (for everyone, including freeloading students)
Strikes do not magically create funds
Strikes by students reduce the funds available by the school district to PAY FOR TEACHERS by reducing ADA and increasing costs for security and student protection.

A working strike needs to have sacrifice, size, and publicity to work. You have none of these on your side. Why?

You are ’striking’ on a Friday before a three-day weekend. What great sacrifice; you get a four day weekend for not showing up to class. Why not do this during a teacher in-session day WHEN CLASS IS NOT IN SESSION and you use your already free time (sacrifice), could get more students (size) and better publicity? Who is paying attention to the news on the start of a three-day weekend? Nobody.

Kids, seriously, if you want to play in the big league, you need to think big league.

In the meantime, shut the fuck up you free-loading kids and get back to class.