Denese Prevatte, Cooperative Extension Secretary and Extension Webmaster, and Everett Davis, County Extension Director, update Robeson County's new Extension web site with announcements of upcoming Extension educational events. Extension recently improved its web site with a new look and many new features.

More and more people are using E-mail for quick and easy communications and are relying on the Internet to search for the information they need. Computers and computer technology have become a routine part of daily life for many of us.

As recently as five years ago, I asked groups of farmers how many of them had access to E-mail, whether they used it themselves or had family members in the household who used it. I asked the same question about the use of Internet to search for information. At that time, fewer than 10 percent of the farmers raised their hands.

My staff and I polled other groups as well. Even though many of the youth involved in our 4-H programs had computers at that time, few of them had Internet access. Responses from other groups we work with, such as homeowners, homemakers, and agribusinessmen, indicated somewhat greater use than did the farmers, but access to and use of this technology was still very low.

Today, things are much different. Computers are now being used for a variety of tasks by people who never thought they would ever have a need for them. Many have come to realize that computers offer the quickest, most efficient, and most effective way to communicate with others and to search for needed information.

Several months ago, I asked a group of farmers who were participating in a meeting at our office how many of them had computers at home and how many of them used their computers regularly for E-mail and Internet. Much to my surprise, almost 2/3s of them raised their hands. I would assume that if we asked the same questions of the other groups I mentioned, the response would be even greater. I am aware that the trends are the same throughout virtually all of the state.

I know for a fact that our current web pages are being used frequently, During the past 12 months, more than 491,000 people have visited our site. In addition, I receive E-mails quite frequently from readers who have seen information about a specific topic on our web pages and are requesting additional information. I have no idea where most of the messages come from, but often the sender will indicate in the message that they live in Colorado, Arizona, or even Australia.

Because of this increase in the use of computer technology by citizens in the counties, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service has recently updated web pages for all Extension Centers. The Robeson County Center now has a new, updated web site with a new look and many new features. Now, county residents can get Extension information more easily and more quickly thanks to a host of new web site resources.

In addition to its modern look, the updated Robeson site features news stories, announcements of Extension events, and numerous content pages about topics related specifically for this county. In addition, the content pages offer quick access to research-based information about a multitude of topics, including agribusiness, lawn care, gardening, livestock, crops, foods, health, nutrition, forestry, the environment, home and family life, 4-H and youth development, and others.

Pages on the Extension site also include links to many other sources of information and to resources at both North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State Universities. The site also includes E-mail links to all county Extension employees, maps, directions, phone numbers, and other contact information.

A neat feature of this new system is the news-feed option. With the news-feed feature, county residents can subscribe to get Extension information delivered directly to their own computers. The news-feed option is available via the RSS button at the bottom of each page of the county web site. RSS is short for "really simple syndication."

The new features of this web site make it very easy to provide Robeson County residents with timely information. The new web site will be updated at least once a week. I encourage you to take a look at it, bookmark it, and use it often.

If you have suggestions about additional information you would like to see added to these pages or how these pages can be modified to be more useful, please give me a call and let me know. Better still, go to the staff page, click on my E-mail address, and send me a quick E-mail message.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/20/06