Introductions

[Stan]

Hi, all.

I'm Stan Pokras. I am the Executive Director of Nonprofit Technology
Resources. I grew up in the Olney section of the city, went to Olney
Elementary, and Olney High School. I attended Drexel when it was still
called an "institute" and the Vietnam war was still raging. After
Drexel, I started a little shop on South Street (at 5th & South)
called Everything for Everybody (EfE) affiliated with a shop of the
same name in New York City. Everything for Everybody was an
expression of my wish to have the Internet. Everything for Everybody
was similar to Craig's List but it had a human at the desk and the
information was collected on 3 x 5 cards. I met over a thousand people
that year (1970) and helped them find housing, work, and friends. It
was an unusually good way to meet people and I learned so much.

Everything for Everybody morphed into the "Information Store
Collective" in 1971. We rented a much larger space which hosted an
artist cooperative gallery and a food co-op. In addition to being the
Information Store, we had art shows and a series of wonderful parties
and events to help pay the rent.

After South Street I became an electrician for 10 years and bought a
home in Northern Liberties. I married Sally McCabe and raised two fine
children in our house on Poplar Street. It was there that I started
consulting and training work for nonprofit groups around the use of
computers. That process over the course of 25 years led to NTR as it
is now with the Computer Thrift Store and a small factory in which we
refurbish computers.

The idea for Wilidelphia follows from the same thinking that prompted
me to choose to run Everything for Everybody. People still need better
ways to connect with each other. Hopefully Wikidelphia will move that
process along in a good way.

Stan