Gary Chapman, 47
Director, the 21st Century Project The University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs, Austin
At a time when technology is viewed as either savior or villain—rarely in between—Chapman is the state's leading voice of reason. As the head of the non-profit 21st Century Project, researching the social implications of new technologies and telecommunications, he finds himself in the midst of such issues as Internet free speech, privacy and ethics, and technology gaps between rich and poor. In a field that's rife with spin, he's a self-described "hypersensitive bullshit detector" who's pro-technology but thinks it can be "used badly, particularly in ways that line someone's pockets but don't serve the public's interest." For example, he was the only critic to testify at a state Senate hearing against a proposal to replace public school textbooks with a laptop computer and CD-ROMs; the idea died for a variety of reasons, but Chapman made an impression. Currently he's developing a Web site for teaching young people, parents, and teachers about responsible use of the Internet. He's also writes Digital Nation, a syndicated, biweekly column for the Los Angeles Times, and the occasional essay for magazines like Texas Monthly Biz.

Gene Crick, 54
Executive Director, TeleCommunity Resource Center Project; President, Electronic Frontiers-Texas, Bastrop
If it has anything at all to do with the Internet, Crick is in the thick of it. His hat rack is full: He heads up the largest state association of Internet service providers; is the executive director of the TeleCommunity Resource Center Project, a nonprofit that has brought free public Internet access to underserved Texas cities; directs the Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network, a volunteer project that creates, hosts, or links sites for more than four hundred nonprofits; is president of Electronic Frontiers-Texas, an influential cyberspace civil liberties group; and is president of the Austin Area Multimedia Alliance, a telecommunity group that promotes Central Texas as the growing center of multimedia and telecom art, science, and industry. And that's just a few of his jobs. Somehow Crick manages to keep his sense of humor—he's an ace wisecracker. But he's as serious as can be when it comes to the Internet and free speech, public access, and the rights of Texas' cybercitizens.

Ana Sisnett, 47
Executive Director
Austin Free-Net, Austin
In the most wired city in Texas, almost a third of the residents have Internet access; Sisnett is extending a hand to the two thirds who don't. With funding from the U.S. Commerce Department and the state and through a partnership with the City of Austin, the nonprofit Austin Free-Net sets up free Internet access to computers in such public places as libraries and community centers. More important, it provides education and training about the Internet to those who don't have computers of their own. Sisnett, who hails from Panama and has traveled the world teaching people about all things digital, says that giving everyone a computer isn't going to bridge the gap; what makes a difference is getting out into the community and showing people the benefits and limitations of new technology. "Just because a person is low income," she says, "doesn't mean they're a have-not."