Take another one, called Modest Needs. This Web site, www.modestneeds.org, matches compassionate persons with people with short-term emergency needs. These things are the things you can imagine coming up in your life, the sick child, the bad water heater, the car transmission.

You explain your need and hope for the best. It's not a handout, it's a hand up.

Again, without the Internet, where would we be?

All three are great examples of how the Web is moving the dial of our society and removing the middlemen in out culture. No need for the banker, no need for anyone between you and the soldier. You mail him or her a toy and he or she puts it in a backpack and hands it out on the next patrol.

That's amazing stuff.

WEEKLY WEB WONDER: Help a soldier at Thanksgiving. See how at America Supports You, www.americasupportsyou.mil.

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James Derk is co-owner of CyberDads, a computer repair company, and a computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim@cyberdads.com.