The Public Information Exchange^TM is a non-profit -- 501(c)(3) -- organization dedicated to promoting the educational, economic and social environment of our area through the operation of a community network that is the Public Internet.

The future of Plano will depend heavily on its ability to capitalize on the Internet and the World Wide Web. The Internet is the transportation infrastructure of this century. It will be as vital as highways, airports, and waterways have been in the past. We all recognize the need for local retailers to compete in the new electronic marketplace, and we all recognize that education at every level must increasingly use technology. For local government to serve the public better with faster, more efficient methods, it must also use the Internet. In addition, just as public television and public radio exist, we need public internet.

Many people are not aware of the importance of providing improved Internet access for social service groups and for other non-profit service organizations. These organizations need Internet access so that they too can better serve the public. Many people in our community also need educational assistance to develop their language skills and to gain computer literacy.

In addition, because of its explosive growth, Plano needs to build a greater sense of community by encouraging citizen involvement and increasing citizen participation throughout the community. To accomplish all of this, plus much more, will require a common platform, an electronic crossroads for our city, or as it is more commonly known: an Internet community network that is the public internet.

As communities develop a rich variety of Internet resources, an Internet community directory becomes necessary to fill the public need for ease of use and simplicity. Either this will be a web design company or a media conglomerate strictly interested in profits (a dot com), or it will be a community service group (a dot org) dedicated to serving its area. The Plano Information Exchange, The Public Internet Exchange^TM, or The PIE.org^TM, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving our community. Five local businessmen who have served together as volunteers on telecommunications issues in Plano since 1995 founded ThePIE.org, Inc. in 1999.

The PIE recognizes that the explosive growth and popularity of the Internet also presents its greatest challenge, which is to simply find what you want to find among the 1 billion pages on the Web. The third most popular reason that people go to the Net is to find local information. Filling this tremendous need in the marketplace with a single directory source will make The PIE the Plano portal. This means that there will finally be a convenient way to locate local web sites in the Plano area. The PIE's success with this collection and organization concept will produce a powerful communications medium, which we will use, in turn, to support the community network.

The PIE, will reflect our community standards in Plano by maintaining a family friendly environment. Although our goal is to organize and coordinate all Internet sites related to our area, we will strive hard to make sure that no content will be included which will be offensive or objectionable to our citizens. Our policy on privacy is that we will maintain the strictest confidence of all information. We will never sell any visitor logs or membership lists to marketers nor will we use any information in any way without the full permission and support of each person.

A comprehensive Internet guide to Plano will be useful for everyone. The PIE will "localize" the Internet for our users and will improve access to resources throughout the city. By combining the best elements of community service with the spirit of free enterprise, we will provide a new electronic foundation for the Community of Plano.