Virtual renewal: Can a network build community?

Reach for the Clouds is a project aimed at addressing the so-called 'digital divide' between Australia's information 'haves' and 'have nots' by providing second hand computers along with software, computer training, wiring and network access1 free of charge to residents of Atherton Gardens, a highrise public housing estate in inner city Melbourne. Each household of the estate will receive a free personal computer, on completion of a ten hour training module. The machines are refurbished models, mainly end of lease machines donated by government departments when those organisations upgraded their own hardware. Computers, monitors and printers are refurbished through a program called 'Green PC', funded through the State Government Community Jobs Program and employing long-term unemployed people to carry out the work. A large pool of volunteer trainers drawn from the estate and the wider Melbourne community carries out computer training. [Introduction]