text:
In nearly 40 years of legislative advocacy, the American Legislative Exchange Council—a free-market, limited-government group now drawing intense scrutiny for its support of a controversial self-defense law—has had a significant influence in K-12 education through its model legislation and work with state lawmakers to promote such policies as private school vouchers and "parent trigger" laws.
"Education is one of the most important issues that we deal with in ALEC. ... We've been very busy in that field," said Indiana state Rep. David Frizzell, a Republican and the national chairman of the Washington-based group, which boasts some 2,000 state legislator members and nearly 300 corporate and nonprofit financial supporters.
Now, liberal-leaning groups and other opponents see a chance to trim its influence. Their opening: ALEC's role in promoting "Stand Your Ground" laws on self-defense, the center of debate after a Florida teenager's shooting death.
ALEC opponents argue that in education and other areas, the group undermines states' democratic process by letting corporate lobbyists vote on model legislation through vacation-type conferences attended by lawmakers who then use that legislation to shape their own bills.
"The ALEC method, or the ALEC game plan, literally turns these legislators into super-lobbyists," said Doug Clopp, the deputy director of programs for Common Cause, a Washington-based advocacy group for open government.
The reality is far different, according to Adam Peshek, the director of ALEC's education task force. He said a large part of ALEC's role is to be a policy clearinghouse, channeling ideas from a particular state or individual to other states, in legislative form. The group says close to 1,000 bills each year based at least in part on its model legislation are introduced in statehouses, and that an average of about 20 percent become law.
"We're pretty good at getting stuff on the cusp of when they're new and innovative ideas," said Mr. Peshek.
At the same time, ALEC officials argue it is just one policy group attempting to promote education policies that are especially popular in conservative and free-market circles.
Decades of Work
ALEC, which began in 1973, says it works to advance free-market policies that limit the role of government.
The group, which according to recent tax filings had about $7.2 million in revenues in 2011 and 35 employees, includes state legislators and representatives from various corporations that provide ALEC with funding, such as Johnson & Johnson, Wal-Mart, AT&T, and Koch Cos. Public Sector.
The group is split into task forces co-chaired by public- and private-sector representatives that develop model legislation.
The education task force, for example, has as its public-sector chairman Georgia state Rep. David Casas, and as its private-sector chairwoman Mickey Revenaugh, a co-founder and executive vice president of Baltimore-based Connections Academy, which operates online classes in numerous states. Neither had responded to a request for comment as of press time.
Those task forces approve model legislation for lawmakers to use as they see fit in their states. The task forces meet as one, but the public-sector and private-sector members each have separate vote tallies for resolutions and model legislation.
Over the years, ALEC has crafted legislation on such policies as charter schools, alternative certification for teachers, parent-trigger laws, and vouchers for special-needs children. Those who have worked with ALEC highlight its role in prominent legislation, such as parent-trigger bills, but also say it is often difficult to ascribe a powerful policy idea or all of its progress in a particular state to just one group.
The group also publishes a "Report Card on American Education" that grades state education policies based on the strength of their charter school and home-schooling laws, as well as their policies about identifying and retaining effective teachers and whether they provide students with strong private-school-choice options.
The group's opponents take sharp aim at what they see as the outsize influence of its model legislation.
"From my perspective, the increased attention on ALEC is making it easier to share that story about ALEC's broader agenda, including its efforts to ... take money out of public schools and put it into private education corporations," said Lisa Graves, the executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, based in Madison, Wis.
Her group's ALEC Exposed website lists 69 model education bills and resolutions dealing with issues including private tax-credit scholarships and virtual education.
Mr. Frizzell, ALEC's national chairman, rejects the idea that state lawmakers would be pressured to adopt the model legislation. "We never have a follow-up and say, 'Well, you've got to pass that' or anything like that," he said.
Parent-Trigger Example
On a variety of education issues, ALEC has been either a prime policy influence or part of a constellation of groups pushing a particular policy agenda.
One idea that gained vital strength in part through ALEC's involvement, but which did not originate with the group, is parent-trigger legislation. Such laws typically allow a school to be restructured or turned into a charter facility if a certain percentage of student parents vote to do so.
The history of such laws also illustrates how an idea was cross-pollinated—from a veteran player in Democratic politics to conservative policy analysts, to ALEC, to state lawmakers, and finally to laws put on the books.
Bruno Behrend, the director of the Center for Transforming Education at the Heartland Institute, a conservative Chicago think tank, said Heartland first picked up the idea when Heartland's president and chief executive officer, Joseph Bast, met liberal activist Ben Austin in California in early 2010 and was captivated by Mr. Austin's description of the parent-trigger concept. (The law passed in California that year.)
Mr. Austin is the executive director of Parent Revolution, which pushes parent-trigger laws. (The group receives funding from the Walton Family Foundation, which also helps support Education Week's coverage of parent-empowerment issues.)
"We loved the idea, that it was coming from someone on the progressive side of the aisle," said Mr. Behrend.
Mr. Bast brought the idea back to Heartland, which put together a policy proposal centered on a parent trigger. Heartland then presented the proposal to ALEC, which in turn created model legislation for a parent-trigger law, Mr. Behrend recalled. He said that model bill, sometimes with variations, ended up appearing in about 10 to 15 states.
Besides California, where the parent trigger originated, and Connecticut, which passed a law in early 2010, five states had passed parent-trigger laws in various forms between January 2011, when ALEC approved model parent-trigger legislation, and February of this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. More than 20 have considered such laws. (Louisiana subsequently adopted a parent-trigger in this month.)
"We hope that we were instrumental in getting legislation passed," Mr. Peshek said.
But the states that have passed such laws haven't necessarily used ALEC's language, or all of its proposals.
For example, the ALEC bill lists the options as converting the school into a charter or putting it under an education management organization, closing the school, or supplying students at a school with a tuition voucher. Some states where parent-trigger laws have passed, such as Indiana and Mississippi, only allow a conversion to a charter school, while others turn the school over to the state. Ohio's bill, which applies only to its Columbus schools, allows for "any other major restructuring."
Like the ALEC model bill, the parent-trigger laws on the books in Indiana and Texas don't require public hearings, while Mississippi follows the ALEC model in not specifically allowing a local school board any authority over how a school is changed.
On the other hand, The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., reported this month that a New Jersey parent-trigger bill from an ALEC member contained a provision that almost exactly mirrored ALEC's funding levels for vouchers, as well as the same timeline for the parents' requested conversion to be implemented.
Legislation on Choice
In Indiana, meanwhile, the latest charter school law, passed in 2011, shares some language with the "Next Generation Charter Schools Act," which is ALEC model legislation posted by the Washington-based Center for Education Reform on its website.
For example, the model bill outlines the creation of charter school authorizers such as the board of trustees of a two- or four-year institution of higher education, or a public charter school state board with members selected by the governor.
Both proposals are included in Indiana's 2011 charter law, which was co-sponsored by the chairman of the education committee of the state House, Rep. Robert Behning, a Republican.
"I am certain that some of that information from ALEC filtered into Indiana as well," Mr. Frizzell said, referring to its charter school and school choice polices.
But he denied that Behning simply introduced ALEC model bills as proposed legislation.
In terms of legislative genealogy, Florida can ultimately claim credit for about six or seven model ALEC bills on issues such as 3rd grade retention, alternative teaching certification, and virtual education, Mr. Peshek said. They followed in the footsteps of various K-12 measures under former Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican, who pushes the same proposals through his own nonprofit, the Foundation for Excellence in Education.
ALEC's "report card" on education this year was written by staff members of Mr. Bush's foundation and the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based think tank, while its foreword is by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana.
Mr. Frizzell argued it would be "silly" for pro-business lawmakers to introduce pro-business legislation without consulting businesses. But he also said that ALEC members representing education companies, such as Ms. Revenaugh's, did not have carte blanche concerning ALEC's education agenda, since ALEC's board of directors, consisting only of state legislators, has final say on model bills approved by task forces.
'Stand Your Ground'
ALEC has received a new level of exposure in recent weeks for its model "Stand Your Ground" legislation, which permits people to use force in self-defense if they have reason to believe they are being threatened, without a duty to retreat first. Such laws have become a central point of contention in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., in February.
Efforts by liberal groups such as Color of Change to force corporate backers of ALEC to withdraw support with threats of boycotts have been followed by decisions by numerous companies, such as Coca-Cola, Intuit, and McDonald's, to sever their ALEC ties.
Meanwhile, the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which currently provides grant money to ALEC, said it will not make future grants to the group, although it will not stop payment of its current $376,000 grant to help educate legislators on more "efficient" budget approaches and on evaluating teachers based on student achievement. The grant was given in November and runs for a year and 10 months.
Chris Williams, a Gates Foundation spokesman, did not say that ALEC's association with "Stand Your Ground" laws led directly to Gates' decision not to make future grants. "The environment ... is no longer conducive to working together," Mr. Williams said.
The Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, which focuses on higher education achievement, has not decided if it will award future grants to ALEC, after awarding two grants totaling $595,000, including one that expires May 31, a spokeswoman said.
(The Gates and Lumina foundations also provide grant support for Education Week.)
Philosophical Partners
Regardless of its influence, ALEC is far from the only way to spread ideas from and between conservative policy shops.
Jonathan Butcher, the education director at the Goldwater Institute, noted that New Hampshire officials talked with the institute several times about implementing tax-credit scholarships.
In terms of other groups that influence policy, he cited the State Policy Network, an association of about 60 policy-research institutes and centers that push for "market-friendly public policy at the state and local levels." ALEC is also listed as one of dozens of separate "associate members" in the network.
But Ed Muir, a deputy director of research at the American Federation of Teachers, called ALEC the "spearpoint" of a larger conservative policy network. Combined with ALEC's position on immigration and taxes, Mr. Muir argued, "the macro effect is anti-child."
Paul Peterson, the director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University, who is also editor-in-chief of Education Next, a journal that publishes research and opinion on education issues, said ALEC is ultimately just part of the "pluralist heaven" of the American political process.
Mr. Peterson, whose journal has published articles supporting school vouchers and charters, sees ALEC as part of a wide spectrum that includes teachers serving in state legislatures and the deep influence unions exert on some lawmakers.
"I don't see anything here that is not totally pervasive in American politics," Mr. Peterson said.
Denise Roth Barber, the managing director of the Helena, Mont.-based National Institute on Money in State Politics, said that "in a way, ALEC exists because of the vacuum of citizen involvement." The group also has some ideological counterweights, she said, among them the Progressive States Network, based in New York City.
But the deep pockets of ALEC's member corporations instill more fear among liberals, she said.
Controversy over the group continues—with some impact. On April 17, ALEC announced it would shutter its task force on public safety and elections, which had produced model "Stand Your Ground" legislation.
But speaking of a possible broader outcry against ALEC education priorities, Mr. Peshek, the group's education task force director, said: "The only thing we can do is keep going out there and keep doing what we're doing. I think it will go away."
A version of this article appeared in the April 25, 2012 edition of Education Week


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At home:
Keep handy a battery-powered flashlight, portable radio, extra food (canned or dried food is best), can opener, and bottled water (at least 3 gallons per person).
Make sure each member of the household has a warm coat, gloves, hat and water-resistant boots. Ensure extra blankets and heavy clothes are available.
Keep on hand items for infant, elderly or disabled family members.
Keep on hand items for your pets. Animals feel the effects of wind chill. Be sure to have suitable shelter with food and water.
Be aware of potential fire and carbon monoxide hazards if you plan to use an emergency heating source such as a fireplace, wood stove or space heater.
Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a car, or walking in deep snow. Sweating could lead to chill and hypothermia, an abnormally low body temperature. Cold weather also puts extra strain on the heart, so the elderly and those with heart conditions should be especially cautious when out in the cold.
Walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks.
Wear loose-fitting, lightweight warm clothing in layers, with a waterproof outer layer. Wear a wool hat and mittens.
Keep your clothes dry. Change wet socks and clothing quickly to prevent loss of body heat.
Understand the hazards of wind chill. As wind speed increases, heat is carried away from a person's body more rapidly which could lead to severe hypothermia.
Automotive preparedness:
Be sure the vehicle is winterized by late fall. This includes having the proper mix of antifreeze and water in the cooling system, topping off the windshield washing solution, and checking the tire treads. Have a mechanic check the belts, hoses, tires, battery, and coolant.
Keep the fuel tank near full, as low fuel levels can cause condensation to form, degrading fuel quality and possibly causing the fuel line to freeze. Additionally, gas stations may be closed during a severe winter storm, so it is wise to fill up if storm warnings are being broadcasted.
Your car should always be equipped with emergency supplies. Keep the following items stored in a portable container:
• A small battery powered radio (AM is sufficient) and extra batteries
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Cellular phone
• Windshield scraper
• Jumper cables
• Fire extinguisher
• Maps
• Shovel
• Blanket and extra clothes
• Flares
• Bottled water and nonperishable, high energy foods (granola bars, canned nuts, raisins, hard candy, trail mix, peanut butter and crackers)
• First aid kit
• Tire repair kit and pump
• Tow chain or rope
• Phone book and phone list
• De-icer and extra antifreeze
• "Call Police" or other "Help" sign

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Agar Agar is a Malay word for red algae, apparently it has been accepted as an English word. It is hard for a lay man like me to explain agar agar, so as usual, I will quote Wikipedia's explanation of agar agar for reader's understanding.
Per Wikipedia:
"The word "agar" comes from agar-agar, the Malay name for red algae (Gigartina, Gracilaria) from which the jelly is produced. It is also known as kanten, China grass, Japanese isinglass, Ceylon moss or Jaffna moss.
Agar-agar is a natural vegetable gelatin counterpart. White and semi-translucent, it is sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form. It can be used to make jellies, puddings, and custards. For making jelly, it is boiled in water until the solids dissolve. Sweetener, flavouring, colouring, fruit or vegetables are then added and the liquid is poured into moulds to be served as desserts and vegetable aspics, or incorporated with other desserts, such as a jelly layer in a cake. " (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agar)
Agar agar is one type of traditional dessert commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia. It is easy to prepare and is a common item being served during Chinese New Year and other festivals. To make it requires no complicated kitchen utensils, just need to boil and mould. Traditionally, households used dried agar agar as shown in this illustration as the raw ingredient. However, in recent years, most households have started to use agar agar powder instead of dried agar agar.
Traditionally, due to the lack of weighing scales, sophisticated kitchen utensils and written recipes, housewives usually prepare agar agar based on words of mouth using common kitchen items such as cups as the unit of measurement.
I was told that previously, the recipe is 1 cup of soaked agar agar will requires 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. I liked this type of simple ratio recipe, however, when I tried out, it just turned out to be extremely sweet and tough.
Well, that type of recipe may not be acceptable nowadays since we have so many resources available. In olden days, the challenge to make a good agar agar is to get hold of the correct ratio of water to agar agar. The end product shall be slightly chewy and not to soft like the current jelly. In order to achieve such texture, housewives some times dried their agar agar under the sun. They believed that the less water content in the agar agar, the better it is. In fact, some house hold cut it into one bite size, dried it under the sun until it is very chewy, store in a container and eat it as a snacks or sweets!
In recent years. preparation of agar agar is not entirely based on texture since all ingredients can be measure rather accurately. It is rather easy but the challenge had shifted to the colour combination and moulding. If you have the relevant mould, you can create your own design based on your creativities. One of the most trendy agar agar moulding will be agar agar moon cake where the agar agar were mould into a moon cake shape. Inside the agar agar moon cake, there is a yellow colour balls resembling the egg yolk.
Again that is deal with planning, making and moulding. It can be rather stressful if there are no prior planning on the colour selection and mould selection. Of course, it can be as simple as just a single colour one flat piece of agar agar. The taste will definitely be the same but of course it is less impressive to your guest.
This illustration will only provide you with the simplest layered agar agar procedures. You can chose your own colour and shape of your mould. I have use some heart shape mould and the colour is purely selected for this illustration only. At home, we will not go until this extent and usually have one to two colours plus 2-3 layers of agar agars.
There are a lot of natural colour available and you can totally throw away the artificial colouring, if you wish. Suggested colours are:
White and milky – condense milk, coconut milk, fresh milk
Chocolate – instant coffee paste, chocolate paste or powder
Red colour – red colour dragon fruits paste
Yellow – mango paste
Green – pandanus paste
Violet or blue – pea flowers
Purple –black currant drink
Red – strawberry paste
Dots in the agar agar – dragon fruits
Besides the above colours, many varieties of cut fruits can also be included. For example, yam cubes with coconut milk is a good combination. Coffee with milk is another welcoming combination to make into agar agar. Canned Longan or lychee with black currant flavoured agar agar is also a presentable dessert. All this is very much depend on reader's creativities to prepare one that is acceptable to the guest or family members.
I have intentionally left out the quantities as it is best that you follow the instruction on the the package of agar agar that you bought. Be it dried agar agar strips as shown above or agar agar powders, they will have detail instructions on the quantity of water required. It is best that you follow these instruction as every brands of agar agar will requires different liquid to reach the desired textures.
1 package of agar agar strip (about 38g)
Some water (refer package)
Some sugar (refer package)
Some permitted food colouring of your choice or the type of natural colouring ingredients as mentioned above.
Some moulds of your preference
Few leaves of Pandanus leaves – bundled (optional)
Wash the dried agar agar by soaking in clean water for 1-2 minutes.
In a pot, put in the water as stated in the package and add dried agar agar. Use medium heat to bring the water to boil. Continue stirring until all the agar agar are dissolved.
Add in the required sugar into the agar agar solution and stirred until dissolve. Turn the heat to the minimal. You just need the heat to prevent the agar agar from solidifying while you do the layering. Alternatively, you can put your agar agar in a big basin of hot water.
Take out some container of your choice, add in your preferred colouring and pour into the mould.
Once done, put it in the freezer or chiller or under the fan and once it is set on the top, you can pour the second layer. How long will it take will depends on your room temperature, the concentration of your agar agar and the types of you container. For my today's illustration, it is rather fast because the container is very small and my agar agar is quite concentrated.
Repeat the same for different layers until all the agar agar were used up.
Put in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the mould, cut into your desired size and shape and put in your preferred serving plate.
Best served cold as a dessert.
This is extremely simple. It is best that you based on what is stated in the package label to prepare the agar agar. Different brands will have different instructions.
Though this illustration is using traditional dried agar agar, you can use agar agar powder instead. The price for both dried agar agar and agar agar powder is rather economical and in my humble opinion, it is still a good choice of snacks or desserts. Variations are many and you have full flexibility to choose your desired flavour, colour and moulding. You guest will surely be impressed by your creativities.
Try this traditional Asian dessert and I am sure you wouldn't regret preparing it. Hope you like the post today. Have a nice day and cheers.
Pinned! Thanks for joining in #recipeoftheweek
Comments are closed


text:
Three Hung Guys Breeding A Slutty Jock Hole
The latest Sketchy Sex video was just released this weekend and you pigs are going to love the breeding in this one. One of the regular bottoms at the Sketchy Sex condo was all horned up last weekend and after a night of drinking and smoking weed the only thing he could think about was cock. This fucker is always hungry for cock and can never get enough of it. He gets on Grindr and starts inviting random guys to come over to breed his hole. By the time the third guy got there he is already taking two dicks at the same time. There is a raw cock up his ass breeding his hole and another one in his mouth. He's getting fucked raw on the steps and finally the first dude cums in his ass and then the second guy starts fucking his slutty hole. The third guy pulls his dick out and shoves it down his throat while the second guy continues to breed his ass until he nuts inside of him. The third guy finally gets his chance and with two loads already up the boy's ass, his hole is sloppy wet with cum dripping out of it. The third guy starts fucking his dirty ass and when he cums, he shoots all over the boy's raw hole and then shoves it back in when he is done. What a slut


text:
Redis::Client::Set - Work with Redis sets
version 0.015
use Redis::Client;
my $client = Redis::Client->new;
tie my %set, 'Redis::Client::Set', key => 'my_set', client => $client;
my @members = keys %set;
$set{foo} = undef;
print 1 if exists $set{bar};
This class provides a tied interface for Redis sets. Redis sets are mapped to Perl hashes. Like Perl hashes, Redis sets contain an unordered group of "members" which are mapped to keys in the hash. The values in a hash tied to a Redis set are ALWAYS undef. Adding a value to a Redis set will cause the member to be created if it does not already exist, but the value will be discarded.
Any time the hash is evaluated or the existence of a key is tested, the corresponding value will be fetched from the Redis store. Any time a key is added or deleted, the change will be written to the Redis store.
The following Perl builtins will work the way you expect on Redis sets.
Removes a member from the set. (Note that this is not the same as setting the value to undef, in which case the member still exists.)
delete $set{foo};
Check if a member exists in the set.
print 1 if exists $set{blargh};
Retrieves a list of all members in the set, in no particular order.
my @members = keys %set;
Retrieves a list of all "values" in the set. This will always be a list of undefs. Not very useful.
my @vals = values %set;
Iterate over key/value pairs from the hash. The values will always be undef.
while( my ( $key, $val ) = each %set ) { ... }
Mike Friedman <email@example.com>
This software is copyright (c) 2011 by Mike Friedman.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
To install Redis::Client, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm Redis::Client
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Redis::Client
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.


text:
1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/02/2004
|Page tools: Print Page
Business use of information technology (IT)
Adoption of IT by businesses
A strong relationship exists between the employment size of a business and the likelihood that the business is using IT (table 23.13). As employment size increases, so does the proportion of businesses making use of IT. For example, at 30 June 2002 all large businesses (100 or more persons employed) used computers, 99% had access to the Internet and 81% had a web presence. Micro businesses (0-4 persons employed) had a lower level of IT adoption: 79% used computers, 65% had access to the Internet and only 15% had a web presence.
At the end of June 2002, the proportion of businesses using information technologies varied considerably across industries. The proportion of businesses using computers or with access to the Internet was lowest in the Personal and other services industry (70% and 53% respectively) and in the Accommodation, cafes and restaurants industry (72% and 57% respectively). Computer and Internet access was highest in the Property and business services industry (94% and 87% respectively). The highest proportion of businesses with a web presence was in the Cultural and recreation services and the Wholesale trade industries (both 36%), while the lowest proportion was in the Construction industry (9%). It should be noted, however, that at the end of June 2001, the Electricity, gas and water supply industry had the highest computer (95%), Internet access (89%) and web presence (44%), but data for this industry at the end of June 2002 is not available.
Business use of the Internet
The most common method of Internet access by Australian businesses was dial-up via modem with 86% of businesses utilising this method. Less common was the use of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) (7%), cable modem (7%) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) (4%). Only a very small percentage of businesses had access to the Internet via a wireless connection (1%).
Despite only a small increase in the proportion of businesses using the Internet, the nature of the activity has changed. For example, while use of the Internet for email remained the most common activity for businesses with Internet access (94%), the proportion accessing banking and financial services increased from 59% during 2000-01 to 69% during 2001-02. There was also an increase in the use of the Internet for information searches, with the proportion of businesses undertaking this activity increasing from 80% to 88% over the period.
Business use of web sites
While the number of businesses selling via the Internet has decreased, those businesses undertaking selling via the web are becoming more sophisticated. Over the period, more businesses with a web presence offered on-line ordering (14% to 16%), shopping cart facilities (4% to 5%), on-line payment capabilities (5% to 9%) and the capability for secure access or transactions (5% to 7%). The integration of web technology with back-end systems continued to be rare among businesses with a web presence (6%), but has increased from 3% since June 2001. Similar increases occurred over the same period for the proportion of businesses with a personalised page for repeat customers (2% to 5%), account information (4% to 6%), and the facility to track orders (2% to 4%).
The significance of Internet commerce in Australia
The ABS defines Internet commerce as placing or receiving orders for goods and services via the Internet or web, with or without associated on-line payments.
The proportion of businesses placing orders via the Internet or web, with or without on-line payment, continues to increase, while the proportion receiving orders has declined. During 2001-02, 25% of businesses placed orders via the Internet or web, compared to 20% during 2000-01. The proportion of businesses receiving orders for goods and services via the Internet or web was 6% during 2001-02, declining from 9% in 2000-01.
While the number of businesses receiving orders via the Internet decreased, the estimated value of income earned from these orders continued to grow. However, there are both conceptual and measurement issues which mean that the estimate of income for orders placed over the Internet or web should be treated with caution. Internet income earned by Australian businesses increased by $1.9b from $9.4b in 2000-01 to $11.3b in 2001-02. The value of this Internet income represented 0.8% of total business income during 2001-02. This increase compares to an increase of $4.3b between 1999-2000 and 2000-01, when Internet income increased from $5.1b to $9.4b. Income from orders received via the Internet or web was more concentrated in larger businesses in 2001-02 than during 2000-01, with those businesses employing 100 or more persons earning 81% of the total Internet income in 2001-02, compared with 58% in 2000-01.
Business IT security
Only 14% of businesses with a computer reported having no IT security measures in place at June 2002, with 86% reporting some form of IT security. The most common form of IT security reported was anti-virus software or a virus scanner (80%). The next most common form of IT security was physical security (34%), followed by authentication software or hardware (22%) and the use of a firewall (19%).
Of those businesses using a computer, 59% reported that they did not experience a security incident or breach during 2001-02, while 41% reported experiencing some form of breach or incident. A virus was the most common IT security incident or breach reported by businesses using a computer (38%), followed by a trojan or worm (15%). The level of unauthorised network access was small, with only 2% of businesses reporting this form of IT security breach. Caution should be exercised in interpreting these percentages, as businesses may have been reluctant to report security breaches.
Farm use of IT
There has been steady growth in the use of IT by farms in Australia (table 23.14). At June 2000, 58% of Australian farms with an estimated value of agricultural operations (EVAO) of $5,000 or more used a computer, compared with 49% at March 1999 and 40% at March 1998.
An estimated 34% of farms in Australia used the Internet at June 2000, compared with 18% at March 1999 and 11% at March 1998. Although fewer farms used the Internet than used a computer at June 2000, the 91% increase in the number of farms using the Internet over the 15 months to June 2000 far exceeded the percentage growth in the use of computers for the same period.
At June 2000:
Household use of IT
The percentage of Australian households with access to a computer at home has increased steadily from 44% in 1998 to 61% in 2002 (graph 23.15). The percentage of Australian households with access to the Internet at home has increased strongly, rising from 16% in 1998 to 46% in 2002.
Characteristics of households with home Internet access
Households in metropolitan areas, with children under 15 years of age and in the Australian Capital Territory were more likely to have access to computers and the Internet at home (table 23.16).
Characteristics of adult Internet users
The number of adults using the Internet continues to grow rapidly; rising from 31% of all persons 18 years and over in 1998 to 58% in 2002. Strong growth has occurred in all age groups across the years. The likelihood that a person uses the Internet decreases with age.
During 2002, home was the site where adults were most likely to use the Internet (table 23.17). This was particularly the case for those adults with incomes below $40,000. Those adults with incomes above $40,000 were considerably more likely to use the Internet at work than those with lower incomes. Adults aged 18-24 years were most likely to use the Internet at sites other than home or work.
Over the period 1998 to 2002, home Internet use by adults has increased as a percentage of total use (graph 23.18). In 1998, 59% of those who used the Internet did not use the Internet at home, whereas in 2002 only 26% of those who used the Internet did not use the Internet at home.
Internet purchasing
During 2002, 2.2 million or 15% of Australian adults purchased or ordered goods or services via the Internet for private use (graph 23.19). This represents an increase of 34% in the number of Internet shoppers from 2001. Of Internet users, just over one in four (26%) were also Internet shoppers. The largest increase in the percentage of Internet shoppers between 2000 and 2002 occurred in the age group 25-34 years.
Accessing government services via the Internet
More than one in five (21%) adult Australians accessed government services via the Internet for private purposes in 2002, compared with one in six (or 16%) in 2001 (graph 23.20). For those adults who accessed government services in 2002 for private purposes, 49% did so to pay bills (compared to 38% in 2001). The next three most popular services accessed were taxation information, employment/unemployment information and submitting tax returns, each being accessed by 20% of adults who accessed government services in 2002.
Government use of IT
During 1999-2000, government organisations of all levels spent an estimated $4.3b, or 5% of total government operating expenditure, on ICT. By level of government, Australlian Government expenditure on ICT was 7% of total Australian Government operating expenditure, state/territory expenditure on ICT was 4% of total state and territory operating expenditure, and local government expenditure on ICT was 2% of total local government operating expenditure.
Australian Government departments and agencies accounted for just under half (47%) of the total government expenditure on ICT. State and territory departments and agencies accounted for slightly less (45%) and local government accounted for the balance (8%).
ICT outsourcing expenses in 1999-2000 were $1,168m, or 27% of the total ICT expenditure by government organisations. While the ratio of ICT outsourcing expenses to total ICT operating expenses showed little variation between the Australian Government, and state and territory governments, (29% and 27% respectively), a ratio of only 15% was reported by local government.
During 1999-2000, total ICT operating expenses per employee were $4,800. However, there was considerable variation across the three levels of government, with total ICT operating expenses estimated at $9,500 per Australian Government employee, $3,600 per state/territory government employee and $2,300 per local government employee.
ICT employees accounted for only 2% of total employment of government organisations at the end of June 2000. Australian Government departments and agencies had the highest proportion of ICT employees to total employment (4%), compared to 1% for both state and territory, and local government departments and agencies.


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