Good advice.
I'd add Scratch to this list (http://scratch.mit.edu/).
I'm not sure if they can all get a working laptop? maybe team up with a local linux group to provide old low cost or refurbished laptops running linux? install scratch (free) challenge them to build something that interests them
The key is capitalizing/capturing their interest. good luck.

Well, it really depends what they need but most folks want a website they can 'control' to some ability and with lot's of built in features. As you said there are many CMS' out there. I'd say pick one which appeals to you, maybe one which has a separate template system, since you're a designer, you can make a nice front end, that is all they will care about anyway. (with template scaffolding this should speed up development time).

I know all the php/wordpress snobs on /. will dismiss this and laugh but personally if i'm building a site for someone (usually for no money and limited time) I just install wordpress, 'secure it', then use or modify a theme. Just basic stuff, you can remove the meta links from the front page and other tweaks and now they have fully functioning site that you don't have to do much to. If you are hosting it, be prepared to apply security patches the instant they come out and backup the db.

I bet someone is going through the blame diff's hoping they don't see their name... (2:03 https://www.youtube.com/watch?...)

Must be nice to be you. 49ers tickets =~ 2K http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_...

How do you watch live anything? Sports, News, current show episodes, anything new on first airing?

Performing artists don't get paid for radio play. - http://www.americansongwriter....
Radio is a form of promotion and does not pay performers royalties. http://abcnews.go.com/Business...
https://www.futureofmusic.org/...

The better question is how long will it take for streaming to be viable source of income for artists? The only people who make money via streaming are the aggregators.

Exactely. My favorite quote from the article,

I'd love to comment but I have to finish up my hadoop task on AWS before the end of this sprint.

and I thought net neutrality was about throttling.... I didn't realize how much money was opposing net neutrality and the actual reasons.
Comcast (Universal) doesn't need SOPA if the can win the net neutrality battle.

As much as old people want the country controlled by republicans they also want to be as high as a kite during the erosion of their rights....

So, for you proponents of the privatization or everything, what do we do in this (hypothetical) scenario?

Deadly virus starts very slowly over years in third world country where there is no money to be made by creating a vaccine. Years later, virus starts spreading through the entire world at an alarming rate, killing all infected within 5 hours of contracting the disease, which spreads as easy as measles, at which point it's too late to develop a vaccine.

(My point being, a government funded research lab would have potentially stopped this virus in the early stages)

This^

List all the reasons you think it's a bad idea, present it to them, let your opinion and advice be heard. Then tell them you will go with whatever decision they go with, it sounds like they have already made up their mind, if you are getting paid, just do it. (If you're not getting paid or just want to help then mock up an currently existing solution and show it to them as proof of concept.

Hey, people/companies/government's make bad decisions everyday and there is usually someone in the corner (waving their arms or not) who actually has a much better solution, who was unheeded.

Let me Google that
Hand me some Kleenex
Clorox will take that out
I need to make a Xerox copy
My show's are TiVoed
FedEx it
Velcro will hold that together
Stuck at my desk on my PC
Walking around with my iPad

And where is such a craft? Our current fastest space shuttles go ~ 17,500 mph, at that pace, it would take over half a million years... (ref: How fast does a Shuttle travel