"Knife-Packing Teens Attack an Elderly Man on the Subway in New York." Kids sell drugs to other kids, and the crime rate among teenagers escalates every year. Are there any good kids left in this country, or have they been obliterated by the bad?

And what about the Internet? We constantly hear of crimes--moral and otherwise--being conducted over the Net. Porn sites continue to make the headlines, as do stories of adults who prey on the innocent. Surely, in an entity as enormous and powerful as the Internet, we can find something positive, something good. Can't we?

Several months ago, I answered an advertisement to write for an Internet publication called The Sunshine Post, a newsletter for helping subscribers with computers and on-line services. I was quite impressed with the efficiency and intelligence of the editor, Joshua Holt. Imagine my surprise when I learned that he was fifteen years old--one year older than my son!

When Joshua was 14, his family moved to Arkansas from Texas, leaving behind his friends and social activities but taking his America Online subscription with him.

In those first months after the move, Joshua spent more and more time on the computer since he knew no one in town. He spent hours talking to technical people in chat rooms and gaining valuable experience and knowledge about the Internet and computers. When an on-line club in which he was a member folded, he decided to pick up the reins and publish a weekly newsletter.

The first issue was published on September 15, 1995, under the name of "Writing Email and Giving Tips (WEGT)." Joshua was 14 at the time. It began as a newsletter for America Online subscribers who needed help with computers or online services. Thirty-three subscribers received that first issue.

When asked about his beginning issue, Joshua is quick to criticize. "As you can tell, it was not checked for spelling errors, and it was certainly not proofread."

But he soon learned that if he was going to have a quality newsletter, he had to run it like a business.

By the third issue, subscriber numbers had risen to 125. By the sixth issue, he'd changed the name to The Sunshine Post and had set up a Web page. Then school started, and this 14-year old boy began the 9th grade.

"I remember that The Sunshine Post would help me find things to do after school and during the weekends," Joshua recalls.

By the tenth issue, he had found an editor to assist him and a teenager his own age to serve as webmaster of the TSP Website. Mark Kuba maintains the Web page and continually updates and improves it.

Joshua said, "He (Mark) has brought in many subscribers for TSP, and around 4300 hits to our Web page (as of 1/31/97)." In fact, 15-year old Mark now has his own company, New World Web Design, and designs Web pages for others.

What can you find in a typical issue of The Sunshine Post? You'll find reviews of the latest and greatest computer programs, listings of Web sites, and articles on the newest innovations on the Internet or in computers. You'll find news and information, and even humor.

In September 1996, when Joshua was 15 and school started again, he changed The Sunshine Post to a biweekly publication, and it's remained that way ever since. Reporters have come and gone, but Joshua continues to write the majority of the articles. He conducts all of his newsletter business over the Internet--he's never met any of his staff face to face.

When asked where he gets ideas for articles, he responded with, "Mostly off the top of my head."

By August of 1997, subscribers had jumped from 33 to 2020. Each week, Joshua receives around ten requests for new subscriptions. He has written 50 issues now and is just beginning the 11th grade.

Do his grades suffer because of the time he spends on the newsletter? Not unless you consider a 4.0 "suffering."

He's also involved in numerous school activities, such as the French Club, the Research Club, and is an active member of the newspaper staff. He even finds time to play soccer on the school's team.

He's only received $20 in donations to help with newsletter expenses, so all of his time and effort, as well as the efforts of his staff, are gratis. Needless to say, he has very supportive parents. When asked about raising funds to offset expenses, Joshua said, "I never will charge for TSP. It will always be free, or it won't exist."

Has his age hindered him? "Sometimes I feel like people take me less seriously because of my age, but it only gives me a goal of proving them wrong."

What has Joshua learned since becoming the editor of his own newsletter? Besides learning the importance of meeting deadlines and proofreading, he's learned that it takes a team to put something like this together.

"Every time one team member stops working, someone has to pick up the slack."

Joshua's learned that "you can't make everyone happy." He's also learned the KISS rule: Keep it Simple Stupid. Too often, he's tried to make things more complex than they were, and he's learned the importance of simplicity.

Joshua's goals and plans for the future include attending college, and he's hoping for some scholarship assistance. He's not sure about a major, but he has time left before he has to make that decision.

Joshua turned 16 on March 19 of this year. Few adults 30 years his senior have accomplished what he has: being the editor of his own newsletter with more than 2000 subscribers. He's learned a lot about life, that experience is the most important factor in just about any job.

"You can only learn so much from a book or from standing back and watching." How true.

And we can learn a lot from Joshua and The Sunshine Post. After all, success doesn't magically come at a certain age. Success comes from hard work, dedication, and a willingness to sacrifice to achieve one's goals. Success comes from never giving up. And Joshua is certainly a success.

Stop by his website and see what a remarkable 16-year old has accomplished on the Internet.