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World Cup online: Howard’s saves, streaming frenzy

By WTOP Staff

BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Move over Chuck Norris, the Internet crowned a new hero this week — that’s U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard. The 35-year-old player became a Twitter sensation after an astounding 16 saves in the U.S. team’s match against Belgium, as the knockout stage of the World Cup continued to play out online this week.

Some ESPN users complained on Twitter of streaming issues, including a reported lag that had them screaming at the action during the U.S. vs. Belgium match minutes after their coworkers who were watching Univision or following the game on Twitter.

Here’s a look at how the World Cup fared online this week:

— HOWARD’S HEROICS

Not long after Howard’s fortress-like defense on Tuesday, someone changed the Wikipedia entry for “United States Secretary of Defense” to feature the goalkeeper instead of Chuck Hagel, the actual defense secretary. The page was quickly updated, but not before the change made the rounds online.

As of Thursday afternoon, a White House petition to change the name of Ronald Regan Washington National Airport to “Tim Howard National Airport” had nearly 17,000 signatures, short of a 100,000 goal set for July 31.

Online jokesters also plastered Howard’s image on famous photos to create a bevy of Internet memes. These included his face on a brick wall with the words “The Great Wall of America” and replacing the wizard Gandalf shouting “You shall not pass” in the “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”

The hashtag #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave became a trending topic on Twitter. Answers included the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, dinosaurs and the Titanic. Sadly for the U.S. team, it wasn’t enough. Players Mix Diskerud and Brad Guzan posted photos of their packed luggage on Instagram, ready to head home.

— TWITTER TIDBITS

Tuesday’s U.S. vs. Belgium game turned out to be quite the nail-biter, but it only came in fourth place when it comes to the World Cup’s most tweeted-about matches so far. People sent 9.1 million tweets about the match and mentioned Howard 1.8 million times. Brazil’s victory over Chile that was decided by penalty kicks on Saturday holds the top spot with 16.4 million tweets.

— A GOAL IS A GOOOOAALLL?

Facebook analyzed World Cup-related language in users’ posts and found that “gol,” the word for goal in Spanish and Portuguese, was the most commonly used term for goal, followed by the English word, then Thai and German (“tor”).

“Only in Spanish, Portuguese, English, and German do we find significant use of redundant characters in exuberant posts (such as ‘Goooool!,’ ‘GOOOAAALLLL!,’ or ‘Tooooooor!’) People tended to post these exuberant mentions right after key moments in matches. In particular, goals scored by Neymar Jr. from Brazil consistently garner a high number of exuberant mentions,” Facebook data analyst Dustin Cable wrote in a blog post this week.

— STREAMING SOARS

The U.S. vs. Belgium match set a record as the most-streamed match so far during the World Cup according to Akamai Technologies Inc., which helps companies distribute online video and works with more than 50 World Cup online streaming rights holders worldwide. The game hit a peak of 5.7 terabits per second in online streaming traffic. In comparison, last week’s concurrent U.S. vs. Germany and Ghana vs. Portugal matches peaked at 6.8 terabits per second combined, according to Akamai.

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Reach Barbara Ortutay on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BarbaraOrtutay

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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