818 lines
38 KiB
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818 lines
38 KiB
Plaintext
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NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY : March 8, 1994
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Networks and Community is devoted to encouraging
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LOCAL resource creation & GLOBAL resource sharing.
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The 12th report of 1994 is the 18th weekly survey.
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----------------------------------------------
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coverage in this issue includes: QUOTES OF THE WEEK
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CORRECTION ASSISTANCE NEEDED DISCUSSIONS EVENTS
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FUNDRAISING LEGISLATION NEW SERVICES TRENDS
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---------------------------------------------------
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MY FAVOURITE QUOTES FROM THE PAST WEEK OF POSTINGS.
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( both have been edited by me )
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==================================================
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1 - WHAT COMMUNITY COMPUTING SHOULD BE ABOUT
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"I think we should be trying to collect and develop good ideas
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about how to make this all work to make healthier communities and
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more humane and effective governments. ........ What we haven't
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done is to fit that into the on-going routines of government and
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community life in practical and transforming ways.
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..... I've seen too little thought about how it's going to make
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communities different, improve the workings of governments, change
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the character of public life. If you think about the nasty effect
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television has had on presidential campaigning in the years since
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Eisenhower, you will get an idea of the dimensions of the
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sequences that are possible. Can't we please do better than
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that?!" Putnam Barber Seattle
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2 - GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE
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"I've been an activist outside of government--which I am now--and
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both an elected official and an administrator on the inside.
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........ My general reaction to the discussion of whether
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government should or should not "run" telecommuncations systems is
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it depends on the government...A few basic points:
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1. "Governments" are as different as the communities that elect
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them. To generalize about "government" in Canada or in the US is
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silly. There are thousands of local governments in both places,
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with different structures, politics, values, etc..--as varied as
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the communities, again, which they serve.
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The variety is not infinite--there are types of governments; types
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of systems--but it's essential to make this decision on a
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government by government basis.
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2. A more general problem of government involvement right now,
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however, is that almost no public official understands what any of
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this entails. They aren't any further along the learning curve than
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their constituents, and considerably behind anyone who is
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participating in this discussion. Nor do most of them have the time
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to learn. They'd like to be able to communicate with their
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constituents in various ways, but someone has to make it easy for
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them to even understand how to do that.
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3. The fate of public access on cable television should be
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sobering warning those who think that public involvement will be
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a panacea everywhere. I sat on Philadelphia's City Council when we
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awarded cable franchises. I took it all quite seriously --
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interviewing all the companies, etc. Their response to public
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access requirements was a prerequisite for my support. The moment
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we awarded the franchises, the feds relaxed the regulatory
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requirements and the companies reneged on all deals. Those channels
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are blank. The City's own channel took three years to show
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anything, and now it's still basically bulletin board styled
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announcements. It's run out of something called the "public
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property" department whose major responsibilities the maintenance
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of public buildings...As I say, there's not a lot of vision here...
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4. As important in big cities--perhaps more important--as any
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content on these channels--and I'm talking now about both cable
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and telecommunications channels--will be who gets the gravy.
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Affirmative action for hiring...specific contracts to specific
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people and groups...even small buck deals have their price
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....I've played in all these arenas, and don't find them as
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noxious as most people do...It's disturbing, though, when that's
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all that elected officials care about. That's as big a threat as
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censorship--maybe bigger.
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5. Government control won't be a problem..that is, until someone
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uses one of these systems at public expense to mobilize a major
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lobbying campaign against elected officials over some
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issue...that'll get their attention... and the reaction of all but
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the most decent governments will not be pretty.
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I left government in 1992 to return working with citizen
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groups...I accomplished a reasonable amount in both positions that
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I held, but the capacity to "empower" people in ways that
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challenged the system of which I was a part was limited...And if
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this is to be a tool for empowerment, then that would apply in most
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instances to government control of it.. Government should pay for
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the training...give it startup funds...make itself accessible as
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the White House is trying to do...but the rest of us should
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build it...
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Ed Schwartz Institute for the Study of Civic Values 215-238-1434
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---------------------------------
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CORRECTION
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==========
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A NATIONAL GOPHER SITE FOR CANADA
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The National Library of Canada's Gopher server, which was
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previously reported as open, is accessible but under development.
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Comments and suggestions are appreciated, but visitors to the
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Gopher should be forewarned that some menu items are in place for
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developmental purposes and may not yet contain information or
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links. At present, the structure is being developed in only
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one of the official languages - English - for simplicity. Within
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the next few weeks, the same menus will be translated into French.
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The Gopher will be ready for registration then with the University
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of Minnesota. As soon as the NLC Gopher is open, announcements
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will be posted on several discussion lists and newsgroups.
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ASSISTANCE WANTED
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=================
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1 - CREATING A PUBLIC INTEREST GOPHER
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--------------------------------------
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jmorris@resudox.net wrote " We are presently working on the gopher
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the group. I would appreciate any input from you as to what the
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content should be. We will have the Canarie gopher and the Well.
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There will be the minutes from the last meeting and general
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information."
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Any suggestions readers may have to improve the gopher site for
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Canada's Coalition for Public Information will be appreciated.
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2 - DEVELOPING A NATIONAL ADVISORY BODY FOR CANADA
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--------------------------------------------------
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The Advisory Group for the Information Highway is still being set
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up and as yet has no official name. The chairs, which may
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possibly be two co-chairs, should be in place by mid-March.
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Additional members of the group are likely to be selected by the
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chairs on the recommendation of Industry Canada. These members
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may have very little experience with the public information
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access/freenet/telecommunities sector and might need assistance
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with nominees. The following people are those who will probably
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be submitting recommended names to the council:
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Hon. John Manley,Minister of Industry
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235 Queen St, 11th floor, East Tower
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Ottawa, Ont
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K1A OH5
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613-995-9001
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NET:jon@istc.ca
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Dr. Jon Gerrard
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Secretary of State
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Science, Research and Development
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235 Queen Street, 11 Floor, East Tower
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Ottawa, Ontario
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K1A OH5
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613-995-1333
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NET: manley.john@istc.ca
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Michael Binder
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Assistant Deputy Minister
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STITT
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Industry Canada
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0th Floor
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300 Slater Street
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Ottawa, Ontario
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K1A OC8
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613-998-0368
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NET: not yet established
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Susan Baldwin
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DGNM
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Industry Canada
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6th Floor
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300 Slater Street
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Ottawa, Ontario
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K1A OC8
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613-990-4262
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NET: Not established yet
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It has been strongly suggested that community network groups,
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library, public interest and other organizations should be
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contacting all these people over the next two weeks or so in order
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to secure representation on the Council.
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3 - ASSISTING A LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW ZEALAND
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--------------------------------------------------------------
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Here in New Zealand Local Government Reform and changes in
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legislation brought about changes in the way Local Authorities
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relate to their people and communities. This new non-prescriptive
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legislation, and a growing desire for self determination within
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communities, has meant involvement with people (partnership) to
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provide many different services and to help shape a better
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environment people live in. Many small and rural communities
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are wanting control over their own destinies.
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* Many Local Governments are adopting a "facilitation
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role" to encourage "community-based" facilities, services and
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projects.
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Before I leave for the USA (3 April) I have agreed to
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assist a Local Government representative (Karen has no access to
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the Internet) in locating background literature (reading
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lists) publications (newsletters, magazines, electronic
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newsletters and lists etc), case studies, contact particulars of
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key contacts and those she could visit (eg Local Governments,
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community organisations, development groups, research and
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education providers). In September Karen is planning a nine week
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study tour to North America and the United Kingdom.
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT WITH DEVELOPMENT
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The focus is on the involvement of Local Government with
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community based programmes, services and projects for,
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telecommunications, distance education, telecomputing,
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information kiosks, health, education, management of at-risk
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environments, community facilities, employment, new business
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development, economic development (of rural communities, rural
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towns, rural cities and regions), noneconomic outcomes (eg
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recreation and lifestyle) etc.
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YOUR ASSISTANCE IS APPRECIATED
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I look forward to your reply. Thank you for providing any
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information you can on resources that are available (via
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Internet and paper) and possible contacts.
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Roger Mackenzie rogerm@nzonline.ac.nz
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4 - BERKELEY WOULD LIKE THE SAME INFO TOO!
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-------------------------------------------
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If you want to pass on your thoughts about
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the challenges of turning government into a "broker"
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or "facilitator," I'd welcome those, too.
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You can reach me by e-mail at robbg@well.sf.ca.us
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Rob Gurwitt Institute of Governmental Studies, UC Berkeley
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[ as a later post points out - some locations have been very
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successful getting government involved - ed "Have a look at the
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Government Centre on freenet.carleton.ca.
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We have a city government and a regional government participating.
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Half of the elected officials in the city can be reached via email
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and there are newsgroups about their wards." ]
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DISCUSSIONS
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===========
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The principal theme this week has been the formula for developing
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a viable civic net.
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Nancy Willard <willard@edlane.lane.edu> Who is co-authoring an
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upcoming book on creating community systems wrote:
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"It is my hope that the future will bring public-private
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partnerships, where the government folks take the responsibility
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provide access to public records, libraries take the
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responsibility to sift through the incredible information resources
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available and provide pointers/access to their local residents,
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and a non-profit organization handles the other aspects that we
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now consider to be community networking, local information, local
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conferences, Internet access, etc. Of course, each
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community will need to work out what is best for it."
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In a separate communication she wrote that the standard by which
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business activities on the part of Free-nets should be judged is
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their impact on the PUBLIC INTEREST.
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Much of the discussion on both com-priv and communent dealt with
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the potential of commercial activity to impact both the free-net
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movement and Internet in general. SEE TRENDS for additional info.
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Some contended that junk mail would hurt Internet. Others proposed
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a variety of mechanisms to accommodate business on the Internet.
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One freenetter claimed that only by permitting business activities
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on free-nets could they survive in long run.
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An interesting response pointed out that Freenets without Internet
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connections could be created for very little money. Thus avoiding
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the whole issue of constant fundraising.
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EVENTS
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======
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1 - "Computers, Freedom and Privacy 94." Chicago, Il. March 23-26.
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Sponsored by ACM and The John Marshall Law School.
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contact: George Trubow, 312-987-1445 (CFP94@jmls.edu).
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2 - Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing (DIAC)-94
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"Developing an Equitable and Open Information Infrastructure"
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Cambridge, MA. April 23 - 24, 1994. Sponsored by CPSR.
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Contact: cwhitcomb@bentley.edu, or doug.schuler@cpsr.org.
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3 - Computer-Human Interaction 94. Boston, Mass. April 24-28.
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Sponsored by ACM.
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Contact: 214-590-8616 or 410-269-6801, chi94office.chi@xerox.com
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4 - "Navigating the Networks." 1994 Mid-Year Meeting, American
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Society for Information Science. Portland, Oregon. May 22 - 25,
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1994. Contact: rhill@cni.org
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5 - Rural Datafication II: "Meeting the Challenge of Providing
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Ubiquitous Access to the Internet" Minneapolis, Minnesota. May
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23-24, 1994. Sponsored by CICNet & NSF.
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Contact: ruraldata-info-request@cic.net.
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Send name, mailing address and e-mail address.
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6- "Information: Society, Superhighway or Gridlock?" Computing for
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the Social Sciences 1994 Conference (CSS94). University of Maryland
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at College Park. June 1-3, 1994.
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Contact: Dr. Charles Wellford, >301-405-4699, fax 301-405-4733,
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e-mail cwellford@bss2.umd.edu.
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7 - Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computer Science.
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Washington, DC June 9-11.
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Contact: 415 617-3335, hopper-info@pa.dec.com
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8 - Third Biannual Conference on Participatory Design, Chapel Hill,
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North Carolina, October 27-28, 1994. Sponsored by CPSR.
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contact: trigg@parc.xerox.com. Submissions due April 15, 1994.
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FUNDRAISING
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===========
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1 - A DIRECT APPROACH TO GOVERNMENT FUNDING SUCCEEDS
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----------------------------------------------------
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FEBRUARY, 1994--STATE FUNDING BILLS PASS
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All of us at La Plaza wiped our brows and gave sighs of relief upon
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hearing that the two bills introduced into the New Mexico State
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Legislature to help support La Plaza were passed with flying colors
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in both the House (Rep. Frank Peralta) and Senate (Sen. Carlos
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Cisneros). Both bills were pegged at $500,000 each.
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However, after the legislative budget paring knife took over, the
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total funding for the project has been cut, but at press time, we
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do not know the exact amount. Nonetheless, it appears that La Plaza
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will receive some state funding for development. Thanks to everyone
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who called or wrote their legislators.
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Richard W. Bryant Vice President and Director of Projects and
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Development La Plaza Telecommunity rbryant@hydra.unm.edu
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2 - A VERY USEFUL DOCUMENT AVAILABLE AS A MODEL
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FOR GROUPS SEEKING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
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--------------------------------------------------
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>From : Clyde "Bird-Dawg" Forrest
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Forrest Research & Consulting Group
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Internet E-mail: ud793@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
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HIS PREAMBLE BLASTS THE CANADIAN TELCO's VISION
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"I encourage you to consider how we can build on this model to
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contrast Stentor's vision statement. Note that in the BC model,
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65% of the $12.9 million price tag is for people. If we need about
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$13 million for BC, what do we need to Free-Net all of Canada?
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$100 million? Maybe $200 million? That's still less than what BC
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ministries spent on I.T. last fiscal year. Compare a community
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run Free-Net vision which sez "within one year, we can build &
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maintain Canadian public electronic communications utility for a
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couple 100 million" versus Stentor's $30 billion/10 year consumer
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rollout strategy. Too much, too little, too late.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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BRITISH COLUMBIA FREE-NET BUSINESS CASE
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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[ The document includes these and other sections - ed ]
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SECTION PAGE #
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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Summary ...................................................... 2
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Purpose & Goal ............................................... 4
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What is Free-Net? ............................................ 4
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Standard Free-Net Costs ...................................... 5
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Free-Net Benefits ............................................ 6
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[ This section includes a major examination of the economic
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benefits of civic nets -ed ]
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Also covered are :
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Potential Major Funding Sources:
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Potential Partners
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----------------------------------------------
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3 - NEW NTIA FUNDING PROGRAM GUIDELINES ANNOUNCED
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_________________________________________________
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Key elements of the NTIA program :
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Total grant funds available in this round: $26 million
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Size of individual grants: No guidance for this first round.
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Application deadline: May 12, 1994
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Announcement of awards: Late summer or early fall, 1994
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Duration of grants: 6-18 months
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Special consideration: Requires matching support
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Special consideration: Emphasis on partnerships for applications
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Special consideration: Emphasis on computer-based electronic
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networks
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Eligible Entities: State and local governments; nonprofits
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Types of grants: 1) Planning Grants (40% of available funds);
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2) Demonstration Projects (60% of available funds)
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Selection process: Competitive merit review
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Additional note: Guidelines are approx 37K
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Excerpts:
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Summary: "...funds for planning and demonstration projects to
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promote the goals of development and widespread availability of
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advanced telecommunications technologies; to enhance the delivery
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of social services and generally serve the public interest; to
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promote access to government information and increase civic
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participation; and to support the advancement of an advanced
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nationwide telecommunications and information infrastructure."
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"The TIIAP will provide matching grants to state and local
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governments, non-profit health care providers, school districts,
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libraries, universities, public safety services, and other
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non-profit entities.
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Grants will be awarded after a competitive merit review process
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and will be used to fund projects to connect institutions to
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existing networks and systems, enhance communications networks and
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systems that are currently operational, establish new network
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capabilities, permit users to interconnect among different networks
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and systems, and bring more users on-line. Equally important, they
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will help leverage the resources and creativity of the private
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sector to devise new applications and uses of the NII. The success
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of these pilot projects will create an ongoing process that will
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generate more innovative approaches each year."
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NTIA contact:
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Dr. Charles Rush, Acting Director of the Office of
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Telecommunications and Information Applications
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National Telecommunications and Information Administration
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Department of Commerce
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Telephone: (202) 482-2048; fax: (202) 482-2156
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e-mail: tiiap@ntia.doc.gov
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NTIA BBS via Internet: ntiabbs.ntia.doc.gov; or at: iitf.doc.gov
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LEGISLATION
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===========
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1 - INTERNET CONNECTIONS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF DEMOCRATIC
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DISCOURSE [ guaranteeing flat rate access ]
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Proposed amendment to HR 3636.
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.............. much material deleted -ed ................
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On page 25, add a new section
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SEC. 106.INTERNET ACCESS AND FLAT RATE PRICING OF EMAIL SERVICES
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(a) APPLICATION -- All telephone service providers are
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required to offer a reasonably priced tariffed service which
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provides Internet access.
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(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSION -- The Commission
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shall determine a minimum level of service for Internet access.
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The minimum level shall include the ability to send and receive
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electronic mail to and from the Internet.
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.....................
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The rationale for this proposal is to insure that the Internet
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will continue to provide opportunities for citizen to participate
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in democratic discourse on a wide range of topics (since flat rate
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email pricing is considered extremely important for Internet
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discussion groups).
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Please copy (cc:) comments to James Love of the Taxpayer Assets
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Project. v. 202/387-8030; f. 202/234-5176; internet:
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love@essential.org. jamie
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--------------------------------
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2 - PUBLIC INTEREST AMENDMENTS TO H.R.3636
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A. UNIVERSAL SERVICE VISION
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"(2) To make available, so far as possible, to all the people
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of the United States, regardless of location or disability, a
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switched, broadband telecommunications network capable of enabling
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users to originate and receive affordable and accessible high
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quality voice, data, graphics and video telecommunication
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services."
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This is in-lieu of the current provision that reads:
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(2) to encourage the continued development and deployment of
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advanced and reliable capabilities and services in
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telecommunications networks"
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B. PUBLIC INTEREST RATES
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A new provision will be added to the bill that reads as follows:
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"(iii) Such plan [referring to a plan developed by a federal/state
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joint board] shall address the need for public access to
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telecommunication services at incremental cost offered by
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non-profit, public institutions, public education, library, public
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broadcasting and government entities, both as producers and users
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of services."
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The Alliance for Public Technology working with Congressman Al
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Swift (D-WA), have developed the amendments, which HE WILL OFFER
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DURING MARK-UP OF THE BILL IN FULL COMMERCE COMMITTEE. HOWEVER HE
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NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THERE IS BROAD BASED SUPPORT. AT THIS TIME, WE
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HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE NO SERIOUS OBJECTIONS
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FROM INDUSTRY, EITHER TELCO OR CABLE.
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The purpose of the first amendment is to include in the
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preamble of the bill a statement of national purpose, similar to
|
|
the statement in the 1934 Act, except that this makes clear that
|
|
the national policy is for the eventual deployment of a broad band
|
|
network to every home that has the capability to enable "upstream"
|
|
video...that is, the ability of any user on the system to input
|
|
video and, in effect, become a publishers.
|
|
The purpose of the second amendment is to establish the
|
|
principle of non-profit rates. It amends that part of the bill
|
|
that creates a federal/state Joint Board to come up with a
|
|
Universal Service definition. This adds the requirement that they
|
|
develop a plan for non-profit access and use at "incremental cost,"
|
|
which means the cost of one addition service or user. This would
|
|
be substantially reduced from standard rates.
|
|
|
|
LET CONGRESSMAN SWIFT KNOW YOU SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS BY
|
|
E-MAIL LETTER TO THE ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC TECHNOLOGY STATING YOU
|
|
OR YOUR ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS THE AMENDMENTS.
|
|
AND I WILL SEE THAT THEY GET IT.
|
|
(SSIMON@IDI.NET)
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
3 - CLIPPER PETITION PASSES 40,000
|
|
|
|
The CPSR Internet Petition to oppose the Clipper Proposal has now
|
|
passed 40,000 signatures.
|
|
|
|
The petition has been signed by users at over 2,600 sites,
|
|
including ,100 companies and 800 colleges. Messages continue to
|
|
arrive at a rate of over 1,000 per day.
|
|
To sign on to the letter, send a message to:
|
|
Clipper.petition@cpsr.org
|
|
with the text "I oppose Clipper" (no quotes)
|
|
You will receive a return message confirming your vote.
|
|
To obtain a copy of the petition, email a blank message to
|
|
petition-info@cpsr.org
|
|
For more information on Clipper, email clipper-info@cpsr.org. You
|
|
will receive a copy of the Clipper FAQ.
|
|
|
|
4 - CPSR ANALYZES THE CANTWELL LEGISLATION
|
|
This legislation takes some important steps to resolve a
|
|
serious problem facing some of our most dynamic industries. It
|
|
would give the Secretary of Commerce exclusive authority over
|
|
dual use information security programs and products, eliminates
|
|
the requirement for export licenses for generally available
|
|
software with encryption capabilities, and requires the Secretary
|
|
to grant such validated licenses for exports of other software
|
|
with encryption capabilities to any country to which we already
|
|
approve exports for foreign financial institutions.
|
|
Indeed, there is no provision in H.R. 3627 that would in any
|
|
way rescind the Administration's recent decision to adopt
|
|
key-escrow Clipper technology as the government encryption
|
|
standard. The legislation would do precisely what Rep. Cantwell
|
|
said it would do relax restrictions on the export of strong
|
|
encryption products outside of the United States.
|
|
Some have suggested that passage of the Cantwell bill would
|
|
create an environment in which it is less likely that Clipper will
|
|
become the defacto encryption standard within the United States.
|
|
This view was expressed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
|
|
and several large corporations in a letter to the President last
|
|
December which expressed "tentative" support for Clipper on a
|
|
"voluntary" basis. CPSR dissented from this position in a
|
|
subsequent letter to the President and expressed its opposition to
|
|
the Clipper proposal under any circumstances.
|
|
While it is possible that the Cantwell legislation would make
|
|
it less likely that Clipper will become the de facto privacy
|
|
standard, such a result is by no means a certainty. It is, in fact,
|
|
possible that passage of the legislation would provide better U.S.
|
|
encryption products overseas than would be available within the
|
|
United States -- particularly if, as many fear, Clipper eventually
|
|
becomes a mandatory standard in this country.
|
|
|
|
We believe that the Cantwell bill is a step in the right direction,
|
|
as it would remove current disincentives to the development of
|
|
strong encryption products by U.S. companies. But the proposed
|
|
legislation is not a panacea -- it would not address the threat to
|
|
privacy in the United States created by the Clipper initiative.
|
|
Export controls on cryptography are a related issue, but they are
|
|
not central to the Clipper controversy. The Administration's
|
|
adoption of the key-escrow Clipper standard must be opposed and
|
|
reversed.
|
|
------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
[ editors note - the administration has tacitly recognized the
|
|
validity of criticism of the security of the clipper chip proposal.
|
|
It announced this week that government agencies can only use
|
|
clipper for sensitive information - NOT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
|
|
Now you just have to take part in the effort to convince the Gov.
|
|
that no one wants this flawed piece of nonsense for any purpose.]
|
|
|
|
5 - QUASI OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF THE ROLE OF CIVIC NETWORKS
|
|
Americans Communicating Electronically (ACE). is
|
|
recommending the issuance of an Executive Directive assigning
|
|
responsibility to all Federal Departments and Agencies for the
|
|
establishment of information access programs to help create and
|
|
foster an "inter-active citizen-government communications system".
|
|
ACE does not recommend a new layer of bureaucracy. ACE is however,
|
|
urging Federal departments and agencies to fully adhere to the OMB
|
|
A-130 circular utilizing existing funds and resources and, to
|
|
respond to a new culture with new directions and a commitment to
|
|
openness in government.
|
|
|
|
GOALS OF THE INFORMATION ACCESS PROGRAMS
|
|
The goals of the information access programs would be to foster
|
|
and facilitate interactive communications between the public and
|
|
their government, and to broaden public participation in the
|
|
development of government communications policy. Citizens would
|
|
be provided with access to a wide range of public databases
|
|
containing electronically stored information accessible through an
|
|
electronic gateway.
|
|
|
|
................ lots deleted ...........................
|
|
COMMUNITY-BASED CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT/FREE CIVIC COMMUNITY NETWORKS
|
|
With the participation and support of federal departments and
|
|
agency information access programs, the coordinating body could
|
|
support community-based citizen development of free civic/community
|
|
networks with a focus on creating broad-based community
|
|
participation and opportunities. In time, this would lead to the
|
|
innovative development of nation-wide community computer systems
|
|
and use of the national communication technology for economic
|
|
development opportunities.
|
|
Citizens could learn new issues, gain a sense of accomplishment,
|
|
build new relationships and develop evidence that every individual
|
|
matters.
|
|
In addition, the coordinating body would foster and promote
|
|
understanding of the social benefits to be gained from
|
|
community-based inter-active communication applications.
|
|
|
|
COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT COOPERATION
|
|
Community and government cooperation is critical to the success
|
|
and balance of this major undertaking. The participation and
|
|
contribution of federal staff resources would ensure a more useful
|
|
information flow with greater ease to providers of free community
|
|
networks, citizens, information architects, community activists,
|
|
public policy analysts, facilitators, and administrators through
|
|
computer-mediated cation, such as; email, bulletin boards,
|
|
electronic conferencing that forms a direct link between the public
|
|
and government, which is the centerpiece of ACE. Finally, the
|
|
coordinating body would be responsible for conducting periodic
|
|
studies to gauge the information needs of the public and compiling
|
|
an annual report of the findings and goals of the organization.
|
|
|
|
NEW SERVICES
|
|
============
|
|
|
|
1 - STATISTICS CANADA GOPHER
|
|
[ as I predicted this gopher will not offer the public any free
|
|
access to the information they pay to have gathered - ed ]
|
|
It's Internet service -"Talon" is now open. " Our internet service
|
|
includes a Gopher with WAIS, a LISTSERVER and an anonymous FTP
|
|
This node will not replace current data dissemination
|
|
practices. Information about Statistics Canada's products and
|
|
services will be made available on the node but all products and
|
|
services which Statistics Canada currently sells will not be made
|
|
available on this node. "Statistics Canada's Gopher can be accessed
|
|
via a gopher client by specifying the following host name and port
|
|
number: talon.statcan.ca (142.206.64.2) port=70
|
|
For more information, contact thoemic@statcan.ca
|
|
|
|
2 - ENVIROFREENET, A PROJECT OF THE ENVIROLINK NETWORK
|
|
TELNET ENVIROLINK.ORG or 128.2.19.119
|
|
Login Name: Press RETURN
|
|
Password: Press RETURN
|
|
1. About the EnviroLink Network...
|
|
2. The EnviroGopher-- Environmental Information Library...
|
|
3. EnviroFreenet News (please read regularly)
|
|
4. EnviroProducts-- Green Products and Services...
|
|
---- deleted ------
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 - NEW SERVICES FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA
|
|
A SMALL RURAL BRITISH COLUMBIA FREE-NET COMES ON LINE
|
|
& there is now a WWW SERVER ON THE VICTORIA FREE-NET.
|
|
|
|
A - For those of you lucky enough to have IP connections to the
|
|
net, it can be found at the following URL:
|
|
http://freenet.victoria.bc.ca/vifa.html
|
|
For everyone else, we are running the secure "Lynx" vt100 client,
|
|
you can use that by connecting to the Victoria Free-Net and making
|
|
the appropriate choice under "Library and Information Services" on
|
|
our FreePort menus.
|
|
[ Lynx lets you see the information even when you don't have a
|
|
graphic interface available to you. All WWW sites should provide
|
|
this service - ed ]
|
|
|
|
B - TRAIL BC - this tiny community - population 3,000 now has a
|
|
free-net. CIAO! Free-Net
|
|
TELNET CIAO.TRAIL.BC.CA or 142.231.5.1
|
|
login: guest
|
|
For general information contact - info@CIAO.trail.bc.ca
|
|
If you require assistance contact - Help!@CIAO.trail.bc.ca
|
|
To offer assistance (or money) contact - support@CIAO.trail.bc.ca
|
|
Positive Suggestions and Ideas contact - ideas@CIAO.trail.bc.ca
|
|
----------------------------------
|
|
|
|
4 - LISTSERV SEARCH TOOL
|
|
LISTGopher or "I love to get email."
|
|
[ This tool only covers listserv's for Librarians - but its an
|
|
idea that deserves to be spread to all types of listservs - ed ]
|
|
LISTGopher is a gopher+ item whose purpose is to facilitate the
|
|
searching and retrieval of archived LISTSERV messages.
|
|
Despite the large amounts of noise, I have long believed LISTSERV
|
|
archives contain a wealth of useful information. How many times
|
|
have you wished you could retrieve that little bit of information
|
|
you read in that posting a few months ago? Or how often do you
|
|
wish you could glean postings from a LISTSERV list without
|
|
subscribing to the whole thing? LISTGopher can help you with
|
|
these and other problems.
|
|
North Carolina State University Library gopher
|
|
Type=1+
|
|
Name=Search library-related LISTSERVs (LISTGopher)
|
|
Path=1/library/disciplines/library/listgopher
|
|
Host=dewey.lib.ncsu.edu
|
|
Port=70
|
|
URL: gopher://dewey.lib.ncsu.edu:70/11/library/disciplines/library
|
|
/listgopher
|
|
|
|
5 - COMMUNITY NETWORK INFORMATION
|
|
As part of an ongoing project on community networks, a set of
|
|
of surveys from over 30 community networks are now available.
|
|
"http://www.cs.washington.edu/research/community-networks/"
|
|
These surveys are intended to help develop a "community memory"
|
|
for community network developers. Feedback on the survey and new
|
|
surveys are welcome, as part of an effort to keep the information
|
|
current. Send questions and comments to doug.schuler@cpsr.org.
|
|
|
|
6 - COLLECTION OF DOCUMENTS CRITICAL OF NII
|
|
FINS INFORMATION AGE LIBRARY ADDITIONS
|
|
Washington, DC Fins Information Age Lib will release, Mar 8, 1994,
|
|
a new online directory: Periodicals_and_Newspapers. This directory
|
|
will contain thoughtful, thorough, and provocative articles of
|
|
special relevance to the emerging Information Age. In this
|
|
undertaking, Fins intends to track the antidemocratic propaganda
|
|
model of the mass media developed by American business that has
|
|
been discussed by writers during the last half of the
|
|
twentieth century (Arendt, 1950; Lindblom, 1977; Herman & Chomski,
|
|
1988). Special emphasis will be placed on the technological
|
|
imperative of the Information Age now being pursued by the
|
|
"one-eyed prophets" of the Clinton-Gore Administration, which
|
|
threaten totalitarian dangers of the "Technopoly" described by
|
|
communications critic Postman (1992). Finally,
|
|
articles that discuss alternative possibilities that can sustain
|
|
and enhance democracy will also be highlighted.
|
|
|
|
Follow these directions to browse the Fins Information Age Lib:
|
|
If you have a Gopher client : gopher to inform.umd.edu
|
|
and go to the directory
|
|
Educational_Resources/Computers_and_Society/Fins_Information_Age
|
|
If you have ftp : ftp to inform.umd.edu
|
|
cd to inforM /Educational_Resources/Computers_and_Society
|
|
/Fins_Information_Age
|
|
Federal Information News Syndicate, Vigdor Schreibman, Editor &
|
|
Publisher, 18-9th St. NE #206, Washington, DC 20002. Internet:
|
|
fins@access.digex.net.
|
|
|
|
7 - TWO SOURCES FOR ACCEPTABLE USE POLICIES
|
|
A - If anyone wants a really big file of [ free-net ] AUP's and
|
|
you haven't received it, please let me know. Dave Loan
|
|
aa112@freenet.carleton.ca
|
|
|
|
B - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has got a large
|
|
collection of AUPs, primarily from academic institutions, along
|
|
with critiques. It's part of the Computers & Academic Freedom
|
|
archives.
|
|
Via Gopher, it's at:
|
|
Name=Computer policies from many schools (with critiques)
|
|
Type=1
|
|
Port=70
|
|
Path=1/CAF/policies
|
|
Host=ftp.eff.org
|
|
|
|
8 - NPTN - PROPOSES A "LOW COST" APPROACH TO RURAL NETWORKING
|
|
FOR INFORMATION: If you have any questions about NPTN or the Rural
|
|
Information Network, please contact:
|
|
NPTN - Rural Information Network
|
|
Box 1987
|
|
Cleveland, Ohio 44106 e.mail: info@nptn.org
|
|
|
|
9 - A GOPHER SITE TO SERVE URBAN NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATIONS
|
|
an excellent gopher site from British Columbia has opened with the
|
|
specific purpose of serving the needs of urban native american
|
|
groups. The material under "library" provides access to virtually
|
|
all other Internet gophers and sites created to serve native
|
|
americans.
|
|
gopher ------------> gopher.native-ed.bc.ca
|
|
|
|
TRENDS
|
|
======
|
|
The impacts of BUSINESS ON THE INTERNET are increasing rapidly.
|
|
|
|
A company called Electronic Postal Service which purports to pay
|
|
people to receive commercial e-mail. The company sounds too good
|
|
to be true, doesn't it?
|
|
Well research by Brock Meeks show that it is a fraudulent posting.
|
|
|
|
Another item on the same theme - this time about the Internet
|
|
listserv with "the largest membership". HOTT circulated an
|
|
announcement last year that also sounded to good to be true. So
|
|
far nothing has been delivered of the promised cornucopia of
|
|
articles from the commercial press. It made no mention of ads in
|
|
its announcement. Now this from the L.A. Times, 3/2/94
|
|
|
|
"...But Lewis believes users will accept tasteful ads in the form
|
|
of promotional stories known as 'advertorials,' which in HOTT will
|
|
take the form of perspectives from computer company executives,
|
|
helpful hints, or new product announcements."
|
|
"The market will speak," said Dern. "And it's hard to know what
|
|
the reaction will be and it depends on how it's done."
|
|
Lewis says HOTT will have eight times as much news in it as ads.
|
|
Once the circulation hits 50,000, Lewis said he will seek sponsors
|
|
who will be charged somewhere between $2000 and $3500 per screen
|
|
of advertorial. A few sponsors have already approached him."
|
|
|
|
[ Lewis is involved with HOTT, Dern - is unaffiliated with HOTT and
|
|
is an writer and former magazine editor - whose work focuses
|
|
primarily on the Internet -ed ]
|
|
|
|
2 - OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOUNDATIONS TO IMPACT THE CIVIC NETWORKING
|
|
MOVEMENT ARE GROWING.
|
|
There have been numerous calls for the creation of mechanism to
|
|
simplify the development of new civic nets. NPTN has decided to
|
|
partially meet this need by creating an "exclusive" document
|
|
repository. For non members there needs to be a public equivalent.
|
|
Techies have also been calling for a mechanism to share
|
|
improvements to software being used by freenets. Both of these
|
|
needs would benefit from a single site to locate these services
|
|
on.
|
|
These needs represent an excellent opportunity for the Foundations
|
|
with an interest in Urban issues to provide a major public service
|
|
at very low cost. Perhaps the Morino, Benton, Kellog and other
|
|
foundations with an interest in this area could cooperate in
|
|
funding such a site.
|
|
|
|
==============================================
|
|
NETWORKS and COMMUNITY is a result of the work of people located
|
|
throughout the global Internet community.
|
|
Net facilities for the preparation of this newsletter are provided
|
|
by the DISTRIBUTED KNOWLEDGE PROJECT - York University - Canada.
|
|
Editing is done anonymously by a UNB librarian.
|
|
Back issues are archived through the kindness of the staff at
|
|
the WELL : gopher ---->gopher.well.sf.ca.us ->community --> civic
|
|
nets... ---> networks & community; & the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA
|
|
: gopher ----> gopher.nlc-bnc.ca
|
|
"subscriptions" are available through the generosity of the
|
|
listowner for the RRE NEWS SERVICE: subscribe by sending e-mail to
|
|
rre-request@weber.ucsd.edu) with a SUBJECT LINE
|
|
reading "subscribe <firstname> <lastname>".
|
|
Additional distribution is assisted by the managers and owners of
|
|
NET-HAPPENINGS, COMMUNET, & the CANADIAN FREENET listservs
|
|
This newsletter is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN and may be used as you
|
|
see fit. To contribute items or enquire about this newsletter
|
|
contact Sam Sternberg <samsam@vm1.yorku.ca>
|
|
.
|
|
|