Homeless seeking out tech tools in the Tenderloin

Wally Jankowski teaches a computer skills class at the Tenderloin Technology Lab in San Francisco. Some students have had no experience with the Internet. Wally Jankowski teaches a computer skills class at the Tenderloin Technology Lab in San Francisco. Some students have had no experience with the Internet. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Homeless seeking out tech tools in the Tenderloin 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Two plastic bags sit behind his chair, one filled with a worn-out sleeping bag, as he checks his e-mail. A 30-year-old Vietnamese immigrant who goes by Wyn Wyn, he smiles easily when asked about the resources available at the Tenderloin Technology Lab.

He recently learned how to use TaskRabbit at the center, and now the odd jobs he finds through the website are putting money in his pocket. "The teacher aided me through the whole process and in less than two weeks, hundreds upon thousands of work opportunities flowed into my e-mail," he said.

He may be exaggerating the number of e-mails, but it'd be hard to do the same for his appreciation of the center. "There are people who come in here and have only heard rumors of the Internet," said Megan Trotter, the lab's manager. "People are dealing with a lot of different things outside of here."

Quiet determination

One of the great promises of digital connectivity is that the free flow of information will eventually be the tide that raises all boats. But that change can be hard to sense when walking the Tenderloin. Stories like Wyn Wyn's are hard to find. No doubt the neighborhood is improving, but drug dealers can still be found just yards from the lab's front door as police cruisers barrel along Golden Gate Avenue.

Trotter notes she's only had to call the police for an altercation in the center once in her three years there. Inside, a quiet determination permeates the room. About 100 people come through the lab each day, which is run by the St. Anthony Foundation. The nonprofit, which wants to "create a society in which all people flourish," offers other services such as a clinic and a dining hall to the needy.

More than 65 percent of the people who use the lab live - or sleep - in SoMa or the Tenderloin. Forty-five percent of the lab's users are homeless. Only 4 percent have full-time employment.

Of all the folks coming to the lab for the first time, about 20 percent have no idea how to use a computer and another third say they "need practice." The technology lab offers courses on everything from the very basics - "This is a mouse" - to intermediate classes on file management and job hunting online.

On a recent afternoon, Wally Jankowski taught an introduction to the Internet to a class of 10 people. He explained that this great network of computers is a result of the technological races between nations - encrypting messages during World War II, getting to the moon first and the Cold War.

"Competition is an important part of human nature," he tells the class before delving into the alphabet soup of the Web, like ARPANET, HTTPs and URLs. He takes special care to stress the importance of HTTPs - a secure way to navigate the Internet - and the need to be cautious when giving personal details to websites with unknown owners.

Access to e-mail, news

Back in the main computer room, some users surf silly websites and videos, but most carefully check e-mail and get their news. Not all users of the lab need technical help or lessons. About 18 percent say they're "very comfortable" with a computer.

Jerry McElrath is between jobs as a software salesman and has been using the lab to manage his own computer reselling business while his machine is in the shop. So far, McElrath has found most of his sales by buying advertisements on LinkedIn and Google. But he is now considering branching out to Facebook and Twitter as well.

TaskRabbit occupies a high perch in what's commonly called "the sharing economy," the rise of peer-to-peer transactions brought on by apps, e-mail and websites. People post odd jobs, but unlike sites like Craigslist, TaskRabbit also lets each party rate one another in terms of competence, professionalism and how well they are paid. Wyn Wyn is aware of the ratings of prospective employers, but he doesn't put much stock in them when choosing the next job. "You don't want to judge a book by its cover."

He recently made $30 for a 15-minute delivery from Office Depot to a nearby office building. He waited to accept a delivery for someone for an hour and made $45. He won't go into budget specifics, but the work adds up to "a very good portion" of his income.

Connection for work

Wyn Wyn had to overcome the fact that he didn't have a phone - a requirement to use TaskRabbit. Via Project Homeless Connect, the center tries to give out free voice-mail numbers (there aren't always enough each month). So Wyn Wyn and others use the center to check their messages.

Surrounding tech giants have lent a hand to the center as well. Enterprise social network Yammer donated about 60 computer monitors. The software on the computers is from TechSoup, a nonprofit that distributes digital tools. Trotter says customer service software company ZenDesk and Twitter send a few volunteers each week to help tutor or assist with classes. ZenDesk is also helping rebuild the center's mobile website.

Trotter says they've had to recalibrate how they teach some Internet classes since some people get used to browsing via smartphones before they've ever used a computer. Occasionally, she'll explain to someone that the Facebook on their phone is the same as on the desktop machine. A few senior members have been floored when Google Maps' Street View whisked them - digitally - right to the front of their childhood home.