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NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY : January 10, 1994
Networks and Community is devoted to encouraging
LOCAL resource creation & GLOBAL resource sharing.
compiler : Sam Sternberg samsam@vm1.yorku.ca
This is the 7th weekly survey. Coverage includes:
FUNDING LEGISLATION DISCUSSIONS NEW SERVICES
& TRENDS
=============================================================
FUNDING:
*Annenberg/CPB. Guidelines for 1994 funding from the
Annenberg/CPB Math and Science Project are available from the
Project, Attn: Guidelines,
901 E. St. NW, Wash. DC 20004-2006, or call 202-879-9711.
[ it is disappointing not to find an internet address here ]
--------------------------------------------
Information on funding cable based projects is included in the
Legislation section's lead article.
--------------------------------------------
In British Columbia Canada on the video front. A public/private
sector consortium partnership to coordinate province-wide video
network services roll-out is being developed. The primary focus
is on distance education applications. They are pulling
together the business case in January and plan to present to
Cabinet in early February. Similar to Ontario's Network
Infrastructure Program, there's $100 million in "BC 21" funding
up for grabs. Monitor the gopher -> freenet.victoria.bc.ca for
futher news.
----------------------------------------------
Nebraska's primary and secondary schools will soon be using the
Internet to enhance learning. A consortium of 19 Educational
Service Units (ESUs), each serving various Nebraska school
districts, recently installed 15 DEC OSF/1-based DEC 3000 Model
400 Alpha AXP systems as a first step in building a statewide
education network that links teachers and students to the
Internet. The ESUs were funded through legislation requiring
Nebraska's school districts to gain Internet access.
Contact: Don Ferneding, Data Systems Manager for Nebraska's ESU
#3, donf@esu3.esu3.k12.ne.us
-----------------------------------------------
The state of Ohio is actively working to provide Internet
access to K12 schools, through the Ohio Department of
Administrative Services. Many schools now have a
T1 link. At 4 pm, these buildings are locked up, and not used.
The T1 link is not used at night. The Ohio Educational
computing Network (and several other states as well) has begun
issuing accounts to teachers. Where do they point their gophers
and menus? Most show links to Free-Nets.
-------------------------------------------
LEGISLATION
Over the last few weeks a number of items about communets and
cable systems have been posted. This a background report by the
compiler of the list, on the U.S. situation.
The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of
1992 has been passed and the details of its implementation are
now being worked out. After a disasterous deregulation effort
under Reagan in 1984 led to cable rates increasing at 3 times the
inflation rate and numerous other problems; congress has seen fit
to offer communities a limited return to their original power to
impact local providers of cable service.
Limited is the key word. The new law requires the establishment
of FEDERAL standards for customer service and technical operation
quality. Joint local/federal regulation is mandated; but for
local authorities to act they must appply to the FCC for
certification.
They are then able to impact the basic service rate standards.
This service tier is not taken by many subscribers because
servces are too limited. None the less, this power could be very
meaningful to communets wanting local access to the Internet and
other future services on the NII.
Certified authorities will have the power to regulate charges for
both the equipment and installation neccessary for receiving
basic cable services.
Congress hoped this law would help encourage effective
competition for the entire cable industry. The Clinton
Administration is of course now interested in competition across
all delivery systems.
Our opportunity lies in lobbying for voice and data network
access to be part of the FEDERALLY MANDATED basic service
package. This is really the only way for the administration's
vision to be realized.If such access is not "basic" then it can
not possible meet either the goals of universal access or
effective competition.
Such regulation does not have to impose any additional cost on
cable operators. It could merely require that they be open to
allowing any and all organizations wanting to offer voice/and
or/data services access to their system. It should not permit
them to be exclusive offerers of such services.
Cable operators would actually benefit from such government
imposed access requirements. It would help guarantee the
alliances of cable systems which remain independant [ of telcos
and other media suitors ] could offer a great deal of phone and
other services to consumers without ever having to pay fees to
phone companies.
Communets would benefit by having competitive providers available
locally for internet access.
Phone system subscribers would also benefit from such mandated
local competitive opportunity. Because it is impossible to
determine if future technical achievements will make phone or
cable systems the low cost provider of data and voice services,
real competition will help everyone achieve the lowest possible
rates.
The major players in Cable re-regulation have been the Consumer
Federation of America, the National League of Cities, the
National Association of Telecommunications officers and Advisors
and, of course, the state and federal associations of cable
system operators. If you have contacts with any of these groups,
start lobbying. The FCC needs to hear from them and from you on
this matter.
If your local community cable regulator is interested in
experimenting with cable based community computing services and
Internet access; they should be encouraged to seek a grant from
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
---------------------------------------------
( see the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance on the Internet
for more details ). Public Telecommunications
Facilities_Construction and Planning (PTFP)
FEDERAL AGENCY: NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
OBJECTIVES: To assist in the planning, acquisition, installation
and modernization of public telecommunications facilities,
through planning grants and matching construction grants, in
order to: a) Extend delivery of public telecommunications
services to as many citizens of the U.S. and territories as
possible by the most efficient and economical means, including
the use of broadcast and nonbroadcast technologies; b) increase
public telecommunications services and facilities available to,
operated by and owned by minorities and women;
and c) strengthen the capability of existing public television
and radio stations to provide public telecommunications service
to the public.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Project Grants.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: a) A public or noncommercial educational
broadcast station; b) A noncommercial telecommunications entity;
"Special consideration" is given to applications which would
increase minority and women's ownership of, operation of , and
participation in, public telecommunications entities.
Beneficiary Eligibility: General public and students.
-------------------------------------------
In Canada the cable systems and the phone companies are regulated
by one agency, the CRTC. It has paid little attention to the
details of how it might encourage real competition. Canadian
phone rates and data rates show the sorry result.
---------------------------------------------------
The latest edition of the Federal Communications Law
Journal, published jointly by the Indiana University
chool of Law - Bloomington and the Federal Communications
Bar Association, is now available through the WorldWideWeb at:
http://www.law.indiana.edu:80/fclj/fclj.html
This issue is devoted to the Cable Television
Industry. Contributors include Representative Edward J. Markey,
Commissioner Andrew C. Barrett, Nicholas W. Allard, David Alan
Nall, and Carl R. Ramey.
-------------------------------------------------
The private sector advisory council, appointed this past week,
by Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, was created to facilitate public
and private sector input to the Administration on how best to put
the new infrastructure in place. Together, the public-private
partnership will serve as a forum to articulate, coordinate and
implement the NII by developing comprehensive telecommunications
and information policies to best meet the needs of both
government and the private sector. These recommendations will
ultimately lead to the removal of most judicial and legislative
restrictions on all types of telecommunications companies.
The 27 members represent an excellent cross section of public
interest groups, multiple levels of government, and business
interests. There is very strong representation by informed public
advocates. It is clear that the administration is serious about
public involvement in the process. Exactly the opposite has
occured in Canada to date. The Canadian Prime Minister or a
representative is expected to articulate the new administrations
policy at the upcomming ITAC conference, but little is know about
the substantive content of the expected announcement.
-------------------------------------------------
DISCUSSIONS
The NPTN list revealed a possible partnership with
PBS. " We have been discussing a partnership whereby we will
be providing Academy One and other cybercasting services
to their PBS Online/Learning Link network; and they will
be providing some of their PBS features for our general
cybercasting/Academy One network. Some other developmental
activities are being discussed along with some joint grants-
manship possibilities. "
There was more interesting discussion on graphical interfaces.
There was also some discussion of the problems related to using
gopher systems as freenet or as freenet extensions. See the
TRENDS section for more information.
A fairly heated discussion evolved over the question of offering
live CHAT services on Free-nets. The final position was that the
service is both valuable under several circumstances and a major
resource hog. Techniques for controlling access to chat at
freenets offering it are a must
The NPTN video conference to public TV stations was declared a
success by both the national group and several local
organizations which participated. This will further cement
relations between NPTN and PBS.
-------------------------------------------
The COMMUNET listserve was relatively quiet. Some discussion of
the role of Community Economic Development Centers and the idea
of such development took place.
---------------------------------------------
A founder of the CYPHERWONKS listserv wrote to tell me that my
statement about its death was mistaken. He vowed to work on its
revival but by the following monday morning he posted an
announcement suggesting the remaing subscribers abandon the list.
A small number of interesting posts were made during the revival
effort including a good one on the state of work on Digital Cash
systems. If your interested in Digital cash you might contact the
poster, Bill Stewart -> bill.stewart@pleasantonca.ncr.com or
billstewart@attmail.com
The "death" of this list is a direct result of a conflict between
the style and the substance of many of the less useful postings.
A beligerent attitude on the part of a number of participants
drove the more intelligent CONTRIBUTORS away. In the end a lack
of simple civility killed this effort.
ON THE INTERNET EVERYONE KNOWS IF YOUR A DOG.
-----------------------------------------------
EVENTS
Adapting Information Technology & Computing. A two-week online
workshop sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology and
EDUCOM's Project EASI (Equal Access to Software & Information)
will be held January 31 - February 12, 1994 to provide answers to
questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act and to other
questions adapting information technology and computing.
Register by subscribing yourself to listserv@nysernet.org and
leave the subject line of the e-mail blank.
Put one line of text into the body of the message: sub adapt-it
"Firstname Lastname". If you need info send e-mail to
smwodl@ritvax.isc.rit.edu.
------------------------------------------------
The Internet Navigation Course. An online distance-learning pilot
course designed to teach basic telecommunications procedures (for
all computers) to inexperienced computer users and to familiarize
them with Internet services. For more information and to register
contact dirk@oldcolo.com or dave@oldcolo.com.
------------------------------------------------
A fee based gophering course was announced this week but anyone
wanting to learn for free can gopher to CWIS.USC.EDU where to
"lets go gopherin" course is accessible of the top menu.
------------------------------------------------
NEW RESOURCES
The most interesting new effort to improve information access on
the internet is the NETLINK SERVICE OF WASHINGTON AND LEE
UNIVERSITY.
As evidenced by almost every book on the Internet to hit the
stands. The big problem once you learn to navigate is learning
were to find anything. Veronica searches often produce fewer than
5% useful hits for people who do not begin the search with very
good terminology information.
At WLU a new search system is being developed which allows the
user to focus on topics relating to specific subjects; and to
narrow their searches to material available from sources within
specific geographic areas.
gopher ---> liberty.uc.wlu.edu
------------------------------------------------------
The Jan 94 issue of "Communications of the ACM" is devoted to
"Social Computing" and includes the following articles:
The National Forum on Science and Technology Goals
Community Networks: Building a New Participatory Medium
Computing at Work: Empowering Action by 'Low-Level' Users
Educating Computer Scientists: Linking the Social and the
Technical
Computing and Accountability
How Good is Good Enough? An Ethical Analysis of Software
Construction and Use
Groupware and Social Dynamics: Eight Challenges for Developers
Renewing the Commitment to a Public Interest Telecommunications
Policy
Canadian FreeNets and culist.can-freenet are mentioned in the
'Community Networks' article.
The publication can be found at universities libraries (and maybe
online -- try asking at acmhelp@acm.org).
-------------------------------------------
The ACE Progress Report for 1993 is available from :
ttate@esusda.gov
The report provides a good summary of the politics of the NII and
has much of interest to communet advocates.
WHAT IS ACE?
Americans Communicating Electronically, known as ACE, is a
voluntary self-help group of agency staff at federal, state and
local governments, non-profit organizations and coalitions,
public libraries, public and private universities, communities
and individual citizens. ACE believes in the vision of the
National Information Infrastructure (NII) and promotes the NII
Agenda for Action.
The goal is to create and foster information access and to
facilitate interactive communications between citizens and their
government, broaden public participation in the development of
government communications policy and provide citizens with access
to a wide range of public information stored electronically.
Special emphasis is focused on serving individuals without
computer access through a network of Citizen Participation
Centers in local communities. These centers will build on
ongoing local efforts such as community free-nets, extension
offices, SBA offices, Social Security offices, post
offices, etc. Projects include working with the 3,100 Cooperative
Extension Service offices and the 1,500 satellite offices of the
Small Business Administration, community libraries and others to
provide single points of contact or one-stop shops for obtaining
government formation by citizens. These centers will also foster
training, learning and community development.
WHO IS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN ACE?
WASHINGTON, DC BASED
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES:
Agriculture, Agency for International Development, Archives,
Census, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Environmental
Protection Agency, Government Printing Office, General Services
Administration, Health and Human Services, Interior, Justice,
Labor, National Science Foundation, Small Business
Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission, State,
Transportation, Treasury.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Congressional Staff, House Information Systems
U.S. SENATE:
Senate Staff, Senate Computer Center
WHITE HOUSE STAFF:
Office of the Chief of Staff, Office of Administration, Office of
Correspondence, Office of Media Affairs, Office of Science and
Technology Policy, National Performance Review
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS:
American Society for Association Executives, Association of
Government Accountants, Cities in Schools, Coalition for
Networked Information, Capital Access, Center for Civic
Networking, Institute.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER JOINING?
--------------------------------------------------
TRENDS
The role of gopher services in Communets is growing. A wonderful
free-net gopher is being offered by the TRIANGLE FREE-NET. This
system is entirely gopher based and it shows a great deal of
thought in its design. particularly impressive is the way it
integrates local, national and Internation resources for each
subject area. Those of you looking for ideas to help you build
local support will find one item of particular interest. An
excellent group of suggestions for using communets to improve
local communities is on the system.
gopher to -> tfnet.ils.unc.edu
--> government
---> national/international gov information
----> US and World Politics
-----> COMMUNITY-IDEA-NET
Another freenet gopher with a very different design philosophy
but lots of useful information is the Victoria British Columbia
free-net system gopher -> freenet.victoria.bc.ca
-------------------------------------------------------
Publicly supported work that will improve the Internet continues;
even as the Commercial sector proclaims is devotion to the task.
Over the longer term work like this from McGill University in
Montreal will effect us all. " The McGill Photonic Systems group
is a new group in the EE department. The group is headed by
Professor H. S. Hinton, holder of the BNR/NT-NSERC chair, and is
also collaborating very closely with the CITR (Canadian Institute
of Telecommunications Research), whose brand new
headquarters are right here at McGill. The group consists of
three professors, one postdoctoral research specialist, and
six grad students, with more on the way.
The group is presently starting a five year research
project whose goal is the conception, design, fabrication and
testing of a 1 Terabit/second free-space optical backplane.
Such a backplane could be used in telecommunications
switches, massively parallel supercomputers, and,
eventually, high performance SCADA (Supervision, Control
and Data Acquisition) systems."
In the mean time the Internet engineering task force is busy
worrying about tomorrows problems on our behalf. It is developing
standards for ATM [ high speed transmission ] use. And it has
already lowered the failure rate on the backbone considerably.
The 45 megabit backbone is about 65% completed now. This is the
section that will use ATM technology once the standards are
worked out by this marvellous group of volunteers.
I will be focusing most of two upcoming issues on the situation
in Canada. This is in response to my being a Canadian and because
two major conferences will take place in the next 3 weeks. One is
for a new alliance of public information providers [ libraries ]
and the other is for the Information Technology Association of
Canada - ITAC - [ commercial and governmental ]. Reports on both
meetings will also be provided.
-------------------------------------------------
NETWORKS and COMMUNITY is a public service of FUTURE DATA; a
partnership of researchers and research system designers. Our
research resources include all commercial and non commercial
nets, along with over 200 cd-rom databases, 50,000 magazines and
more than 30 million books. For commercial services contact
Gwyneth Store - circa@io.org
This newsletter is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN and may be used as you
see fit. To contribute items or enguire about this newsletter
contact Sam Sternberg samsam@vm1.yorku.ca
.