Recently, a subscriber to our PhotoSourceFolio (www.photosourcefolio.com) sent in images to be displayed. Accompanying the images was a note, "Gee, it was hard not sending my beautiful gardening and wildlife photos!" Why WOULDN'T you send in your best work? The FOLIO is a place to showcase your images to potential photobuyers and photo editors. OK, so maybe you don't want to upload your top sellers, and that's OK, but don't send us seconds, either, and expect photobuyers to treat you as a valuable resource. If you don't respect them (by using your rejects to represent your stock inventory), why expect them to respect you by licensing your images? Stock photography has long ago passed the point where photographers tossed aside their rejects from assignment shoots (the "seconds") to try to sell them in the stock (photography) market. Stock is its own full-fledged business. Treat it as such.

The city of Houston has launched a program to offer free e-mail and use of personal computer software (including word processing) to its residents. Using the Internet, you'll sign onto special servers running the software, much as the "dumb" old terminals from yesteryear worked. Starting in three low-income areas and spreading throughout the city, it’s a deal the city fathers hope will shrink the "digital divide." One problem: no computer or Internet appliance is included. You’re supposed to already have access to a computer and the Internet, either your own, or at a library, fire, or police station.

According to last year's figures from the Commerce Department, over 50% of whites go online, 49% Asian-Americans, 29% African-Americans, and 24% Hispanics.

In a continuing trend of huge corporate mergers, Hewlett-Packard has agreed to purchase Compaq Computer Corp. Both companies were feeling the computer slowdown, and by merging, the new combined company may be better able to regain market share. Of course, there are many hurdles, including anti-trust concerns, and the merger may ultimately be disallowed. Should the merger be approved, however, the buying public (as in you and me) will have fewer choices in computers. Between them, they account for about 2/3 of the computer sales in U.S. retail stores (Mercury News).