Among the vast diversity of applications written in Rails, you’ll find many that meet personal or business needs. A few go for higher goals, addressing the needs of less fortunate people worldwide.

Here’s a couple examples that I encourage you to explore, and donate or loan some money:

• BringLight, founded by ex-Adobe execs Melissa Dyrdahl and Drew McManus, allows you to donate to a specific project, so you know exactly where your money is going. You can search by the type of project or by location.

• MicroPlace is a micro-lending site, operated by eBay (its first Rails application). Make a small loan to an entrepreneur on the other side of the world.

These are striking examples of how we can use the power of web applications to connect people that otherwise would be isolated and spread some of our high-tech affluence to other communities.