COM NET NEWS Vol. 1 No. 5 August Part 1--Original and Other News >From the Editor Starting with this issue of COM NET NEWS, I am requesting donations from readers to help defer the costs of production of this newsletter. I am requesting a donation of $35 per year. Non-U.S. subscribers, please send donation in U.S. currency. But, please note that this is a request--you will not be dropped from the subscription list if you don't contribute. Also, I will continue to post COM NET NEWS on various listservs and the it may be freely distributed among groups for noncommercial purposes. The request for donations is due to the time and other costs incurred in putting together COM NET NEWS. It is hoped that you feel that it is of value to you, and you can be assured that I will continue to better COM NET NEWS. As a reminder, this issue of COM NET NEWS reflects the suggestions of several subscribers. COM NET NEWS now contains a Table of Contents, and, the newsletter is broken down into two parts--Part 1--Original and Other News; and Part 2--News from Other Newsletter Sources, e.g., Edupage. The two parts will be emailed to you as separate messages. Richard W. Bryant, Editor RW Bryant Associates Advanced Technology Market Research & Com Net Consultants P.O. Box 1828 El Prado, NM 87529 Tel/fax: 505-758-1919 rbryant@hydra.unm.edu ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** ORIGINAL AND OTHER NEWS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Advice to Community Network Systems Designers ArtNet Launched in New York City La Plaza Discusses Community Networks with Major Foundations Roadmap for the Information Superhighway Business Sources on the Net Nursing Legal Consultants Online National Archives Gopher Addition Funds for Noncommercial Info Highway Programs in Jeopardy ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADVICE TO COMMUNITY NETWORK SYSTEM DESIGNERS This article was posted by Frank Hecker on Communet on 11 July 1994. It provides some interesting advice for developers of community network systems. *************** The recent discussion and debate about system software for community networks has prompted me to post the following "advice;" it is a revised version of some work I did towards a proposed CapAccess long-term technical strategy. I agree with Miles Fidelman and others arguing for an "Internet-centric" view of community networking, at least as far as technology is concerned. I can in fact see the logic in Jack Rickard's and others' position that BBS technology is more appropriate and ubiquitous and will be the entry point into the internet for most users; however I do not see that as an argument for building community networks on top of BBSs. To the contrary, I think that what will happen is that BBSs will rapidly evolve to incorporate Internet technology and standards; they will then be suitable as access points into an Internet-based community network. Without further ado, some advice for community network system designers: * Make use of current readily-available personal computer technology to maximize interactivity and ease of use for typical end users. In the coming years the majority of potential community network users (whether at home, work, school, or public access sites) will have the use of personal computers typical of those sold in the last couple of years, e.g., either 386 or better IBM-compatible PCs running Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintoshes running System 6 or System 7. Design your system to make use of the power of such personal computers, especially their ability to support a graphical "point and click" interface and to mix text and graphics in "WYSIWYG" documents. This allows you to take advantage of modern personal computer interfaces to support a higher level of "point and click" interactivity, to make operations easier to use, and to enable your community network to offer at least a basic level of multimedia support (formatted text and graphics) for the majority of potential users. It will also make possible additional levels of multimedia support (e.g., sound and video) for public access sites and for individual users who have access to the required personal computer hardware and software. * Use TCP/IP and related Internet protocols everywhere you can, to maximize interoperability among community network components and with external networks both public (e.g., the Internet) and private (e.g., institutional LANs and WANs). Use TCP/IP exclusively for all communications among "back-end" community network components such as central computer systems, routers, and terminal servers. Also use TCP/IP for communications between your community network and institutional networks belonging to your partners, and for communications between your community network and the worldwide Internet. (If your partners don't know what TCP/IP is, educate them.) Finally, wherever possible extend the use of TCP/IP all the way to the end user, whether they are on a personal computer at home, work, or school, or on a community network workstation at a public access site. This maximizes interoperability between all the systems concerned. It also allows the introduction of higher-speed networking technologies (e.g., ISDN, "cable Ethernet") where feasible without affecting existing applications and services. When TCP/IP capability is extended to the user it makes possible a wide range of new services far beyond simple terminal emulation; these services can in turn make use of the full power of present and future personal computer technology. * Avoid closed, proprietary software solutions and wherever possible use freely available software developed and maintained by the Internet community (or commercial versions of such software) in order to maximize the interoperability of community network services with standard services already available on the Internet. Build community network services (e.g, electronic mail, online conferencing, etc.) on top of standard Internet services implemented by software packages already widely in use and available with minimal or no restrictions. Avoid proprietary software if it is not based on or does not interoperate easily with standard Internet services and protocols. Avoid internal software development beyond simple customization and integration of existing components. This will give your community network a base level of product capability that has been "field-proven" in the Internet community and is continually being developed and enhanced. This in turn will save you the time, money, and effort necessary for internal software development, making better use of limited funds and technical expertise and reducing the project risks. (It will also reduce the chance that your chosen software will be "orphaned" by its supplier.) Using freely-available packages for software distributed to end users and user sites will save your community network money and avoid software licensing and distribution problems. It will also help promote equity of access by lowering the cost of the necessary software for end users using home personal computers. Finally, using popular existing software maximizes the range of systems on which the software will run, allowing your community network more choice of hardware platforms for both central systems and end-point systems (i.e., what users see), and promoting interoperability with other groups using the same software. * Use a system architecture which distributes functions to multiple systems and can be scaled in order to meet the needs of growth with minimal impact on users of the system. Wherever possible and appropriate use technical mechanisms such as Gopher and the World Wide Web which are inherently distributed in nature, so that you can start with only a few systems and add additional systems as needed without changing the interface to the users. In cases where you need to maintain centralized services (e.g., a central timesharing host) for some functions or classes of user, endeavor to find ways to "internally" distribute such functions so that they can be hosted on multiple systems in the future. * Leverage existing efforts by commercial companies to bring Internet access to individuals and small businesses, in order to expand the connectivity options for individuals and organizations who wish to use community network services, and to help foster the growth of commercial Internet and NII access for the general public. Work to ensure that community network services are available to users who already have partial or full Internet access, using Internet tools and services with which they are already familiar. Where appropriate, also encourage the use of commercial Internet public access providers to provide connectivity for community network users (individuals or organizations). This will broaden the reach of community network services by making them available to anyone who has partial or full Internet access, without regard to how they acquired such access. (This would extend also to users of commercial services such as America Online which have implemented or are implementing Internet gateways.) Finally, by making available more information and services of interest to the local community and increasing the accessibility of such information and services via commercial Internet public access providers, your community network will encourage the growth of such commercial providers and thereby help hasten the advent of universally-available low- cost Internet and NII access for the general public. * Add value to existing Internet-related services where you bring unique resources to the task, and thus make best use of the knowledge and expertise of your community network and your partners. Use standard Internet services (e.g., the USENET conferencing system and add community network content to them where you can provide unique value not already present (e.g., custom online conferences for specialized local issues, or area- specific contributions to other online conferences). This allows you to avoid duplicating the efforts of others in cases where usable content or services already exist. You can then leverage these existing resources and spend more time on content and service creation specifically directed to local concerns. Finally, you can use these services to disseminate all types of community network-related information, whether general or originated by your partners. * Assist your partners with the technical skills necessary to become not just community network and Internet users, but community network and Internet information providers, thus helping them to develop the full range of skills that will empower them to use the Internet and emerging NII to serve their clients and the general public. Provide a technical environment that supports your efforts to train your partners to be effective community network content and service providers, and a technical training program that will assist your partners in becoming familiar and productive with new community network and Internet technologies. This training should cover both using your community network and the Internet and also providing content and services on your community network and the Internet. This will enable your partners to begin future independent efforts to provide NII-based information and services, and in turn free your community network to work with additional new partners. Source: Frank Hecker (hecker@access.digex.net) ARTNET LAUNCHED IN NEW YORK CITY ArtNet is a new commercial Manhattan-based BBS devoted to viewing, discussing, and promoting art. The system was designed by and is run by New York City artists. The system provides a graphic-user interface, NovaTerm 3.1 by Resnova). ArtNet will provide a number of features including: -message forums including file attachments -file libraries with thumbnail images -chat and multi-node conferencing -Internet email including file attachments -an editor. Currently, ArtNet is developing: -"artists' studios" in which artists may set up their own piece of cyberspace with its own window -"gallery districts" in which each gallery creates a storefront with full BBS functionality -"museums" ArtNet is negotiating with the Guggenheim museum -"international digital art registry" which will be created using a World-Wide Web server -"opportunities listing" service to provide information on grants, competitions, exhibition opportunities, etc. At the first open meeting on 12 July, approximately 25 people were in attendance, including artists, teachers, writers, and publishers. Most seemed to be quite enthusiastic about the project and saw ways that they could utilize the system. A number of individuals suggested that the art discussion forums and ready access to art-related information such as the section on grant information, competitions, exhibition opportunities, and being able to buy art supplies online would be very valuable to them. ArtNet founder, Remo Campopiano, noted that two of the principal missions of ArtNet is to be easy to learn and use, and to present art "in-context." ArtNet plans to have a home page on a Web server sometime during the Fall of this year. The organization also plans on setting up regional ArtNets around the country which will be gatewayed to each other. The first site outside of New York is in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ArtNet concept is particularly interesting because of its attempt to show art in-context. This means that the artist can display his or her art work as it would be displayed in a gallery or studio. The viewer can essentially view the art as if walking through a real gallery. And the artist can create a gallery space to their own specifications. The gallery show can be viewed via "self-running projector" software (Astound multi-media software for show presentations), which runs the show and fades from image to image. The basic membership fee is $10 per month for one hour per day and no storage capacity. A studio costs between $25 and $30 per month with 5 megabytes of storage space. ArtNet and Remo Compopiano can be reached at: 212-321-3928 or email to: remoc@echonyc.com ========================================================= LA PLAZA TELECOMMUNITY DISCUSSES COMMUNITY NETWORKS WITH MAJOR FOUNDATIONS During a recent trip to New York City, La Plaza Vice President, Richard Bryant, contacted several major foundations based in the region. These included: The Carnegie Corporation, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Markle Foundation, and the Annenberg Foundation. Unfortunately, none of these charitable foundations showed any interest in community networks. This was particularly surprising for the Markle Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation. Markle's major enformation superhighway talk in the media. Of course, most of the discussion in the media is related to commercial activities and regulatory matters. When was the last time you read about a community network in the New York Times or any other major newspaper? Although community nets are beginning to provide many services throughout the U.S. and other parts of the world, very little attention has been paid to these organizations. To editorialize a bit, perhaps it is time that anyone with any foundation contacts ring them up and start educating these people about community networks. Once the major foundations realize the potential that community nets can have in education, community advancement, healthcare, and other areas, perhaps they will begin providing some funding to support these worthy endeavors. Source: "La Plaza--News from the Mountain" Vol. 1, No. 5, August, 1994. ========================= ROADMAP FOR THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY ROADMAP on LISTSERV@UA1VM.UA.EDU The Roadmap for the Information Superhighway Interactive Internet Training Workshop will provide free Internet training workshop open to anyone who wishes to subscribe. The entire Roadmap workshop will take place on the ROADMAP list (ROADMAP is a distribution list, not a discussion list). The Roadmap workshop sessions will cover: E-mail; Listservs, Majordomo, Listproc and other distribution systems; Usenet; FTP; Archie; Gopher; Veronica; Address Searches; WAIS; WWW; and many other topics. As a number of ROADMAP subscribers only have e-mail access, the Roadmap workshop will also teach how to access many Internet tools (FTP, Archie, Gopher, etc.) using E-mail. The first Roadmap for the Information Superhighway workshop will begin in *OCTOBER 1994*. To subscribe, please send the following command in the BODY of your e-mail letter to LISTSERV@UA1VM.UA.EDU on the Internet: SUB ROADMAP yourfirstname yourlastname For example: SUB Roadmap Bill Gates Owner: Patrick Crispen =============================================== BUSINESS SOURCES ON THE NET Business Sources on the Net has a nice collection of documents that identify business resources on the Internet. The Introduction (option 1) was not working when I was there. The site is located at Kent State University. --> 1. An Introduction to BSN. 2. BSN.ACCOUNTING. 3. BSN.COMPUTER. 4. BSN.ECONOMICS. 5. BSN.FINANCE. 6. BSN.GENERAL. 7. BSN.INVESTMENTS. 8. BSN.LOCATION. 9. BSN.MANAGEMENT. 10. BSN.OPERATIONS. 11. BSN.PERSONNEL. 12. BSN.STATISTICS. Type=1+ Name=Business Sources on the Net Path=D-1:11404:Business Sources on the Net Host=refmac.kent.edu Port=70 URL: gopher://refmac.kent.edu:70/1D-1:11404:Business Sources on the Net ******************************************************************** I do not represent this site...I just found it and thought it would be of interest. I make every attempt to identify the point of origin on every site I find. If I have made an error, please let me know. Also, I assume everyone reading this post will access the site via gopher. I have no idea (and do not attempt to find out) if the site supports public telnet access. Source: Forwarded from: From: Gleason Sackman From: David Riggins, Gopher Jewels Project david.riggins@tpoint.com ==================================================== NURSING LEGAL CONSULTANTS ONLINE (Washington D.C.)-- Nursing Legal Consultants, a national nursing legal consulting group provides attorneys with the following services: - Reviewing and analyzing medical records - Providing expert testimony - Researching medical and nursing literature - Identifying standards of care - Collaborating in the preparation of pertinent legal pleadings Nurse consultants are experts in their area of practice and have graduate degrees with specialty certification. Contact: Legalnurse@aol.com ================================= BOOK REVIEW--"The Network Nation" Forwarded from: "Arthur R. McGee" The MIT Press 55 Hayward Street Cambridge, MA 02142-1399 Robert V. Prior, Editor - Computer Science prior@mitvma.mit.edu Maureen Curtin, Int'l Promo. - curtin@mit.edu "The Network Nation", Hiltz/Turoff, 1978/1993, 0-262-58120-5, U$24.95 This book was originally published in 1978. It was intended as an interdisciplinary study of this new communications medium known as computer conferencing (CC) or computer mediated communications (CMC). Fifteen years later, the authors decided to reissue the book--with almost no changes! Turns out to have been a sound decision. The authors have made a remarkably timeless work in an area of tremendous technological change. If not for the warnings in the preface to the second edition, it would probably be some time before even the astute reader realized the anachronisms of terminals as opposed to personal computers or workstations, 300 bps modems, and mainframes supporting thousands as opposed to networks supporting millions. Part of the value is the breath of topic. Basic concepts, social processes, cultural impacts, public access, research to be done, human interface studies, economics, politics and the human experience of communications are all brought together here. The scholarship is thorough. The writing is lucid. The analysis is prescient and insightful. (Each chapter starts with an excerpt from the mythical and futuristic "Boswash Times": some of the articles are startling in their accuracy. All are amusing and thought-provoking.) The original book was visionary. I appreciated the irony of the ending of the preface to the first edition. This foresaw that by the mid-1990s the home terminal would be as prevalent, and as commonly used, as the telephone. The original book entreated you to imagine that you were at breakfast with a cup of coffee-substitute (shades of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"!) heated on your solar stove and beginning to read your computer-generated daily news--in 1994! Well, solar stoves are a rarity (especially around Vancouver) and it was afternoon, but I had already read "news" for the day, plus all my email and digests. I am, however, a rarity, myself. Even though Vancouver is a fairly well "connected" community, only two others in my townhouse complex have modems, and neither has access to the Internet. The authors recognize this as their major mistake. If they had to make one, that is undoubtedly the preferred one. As they note in the preface to the new edition, everything they foresaw originally will probably come to pass--it may just take a little longer. They also note, in discussion of the fact that CMC is taking longer than expected, the social inertia which resists changes to power and authority at all levels of society. It is instructive that the illustration they use comes from a corporate boardroom. Corporations have embraced the new data bases, financial modeling and record keeping capabilities of the computer. They have been less pleased with the active, slightly anarchic and socially powerful tools of computer mediated communications. A word of warning to boardrooms-- those who fail to master the new technologies for fear of losing place will likely lose all to those who master the technologies because of having nothing to lose. An excellent book; a classic in the field, yet it points to the future of a society as shaped by computer communications. Copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKNTNATN.RVW 940331 =================================================== NATIONAL ARCHIVES GOPHER ADDITION The Center for Electronic Records is pleased to announce an addition to the National Archives Gopher server (GOPHER.NARA.GOV). Now available are fifteen additional files with a wide range of descriptive information about various electronic records in the custody of the Center. These files supplement descriptive information about the Center and its services that previously have been available. These reports cover topics such as World War II electronic records, 1970 Census summary statistic files, records relating to federal civilian employees, electronic records relevant to research on Latin America and the former Soviet Union, and electronic records from the Internal Revenue Service and records from the President's Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. Finally, we have also posted descriptions of the casualty records in our custody from the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. The additional descriptive information is at the following path: \Information About NARA Holdings \Information About Records Retained by Washington DC Area Repositories \Electronic Records \Reference Reports and Descriptive Handouts (7 files) \Casualty Records (electronic) - (8 files) I hope this information is useful. If you have any questions, contact me at the Center for Electronic Records (NSXA), The National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. The telephone number is (301) 713-6645. I can also be reached via Internet at tif@cu.nih.gov or BITNET at TIF@NIHCU. Source: THEODORE J. HULL, Archives Specialist, Center for Electronic Records (301) 713-6645. =================================================== FUNDS FOR NONCOMMERCIAL INFO HIGHWAY PROGRAMS IN JEOPARDY From: cme@access.digex.net (Center for Media Education) *** ACTION ALERT *** from People for the American Way ****************************************************************** The Issue The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's [NTIA] grants program is designed to encourage a broad range of organizations -- non-profits, schools, hospitals, libraries, state and local governments -- to plan and develop advanced systems that utilize the emerging information superhighway. Congress has an historic opportunity, and a responsibility to guide the development of our National Information Infrastructure. Many of the emerging telecommunications technologies will open the door for all Americans to obtain vast information resources. NTIA grant projects promise to provide increased access to education, health care, cultural, public information, library, economic or other services. The NTIA grants program is a central component to ensuring that the information superhighway will provide more than movies on demand and endless home-shopping channels. Funding for this year's NTIA grants program was $26 million. This was clearly insufficient to satisfy the demands of the 810 requests from a diverse range of organizations for funding totaling $562 million. Recognizing the importance of developing non-commercial applications for the information superhighway, the President asked for $100 million for FY 1995 and the House increased the NTIA grants program funding to $70 million. The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, approved a $18 million reduction of the NTIA grants program from the proposed budget of $70 million. It is critical that resources are spent on developing non-commercial applications for the information superhighway. The potential of the Information Age to improve, inform and educate our citizenry must not be overlooked. Legislative Timing The House recently passed an appropriations bill which increased the funding for the NTIA grants program to $70 million. On the House floor, Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) proposed an amendment to reduce funding of the NTIA grants program by $22 million. Fortunately, this amendment was not adopted by Congress. The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, approved funding for the NTIA grants program at $52 million -- an $18 million reduction. It is imperative that Congress realize the importance of fully funding the NTIA grants program. Action Request * Call your representatives and senators immediately! Urge them to support the full $70 million appropriation to the NTIA grants program that was already passed by the House. * The key Senators on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and State are: Chairman Hollings (D-SC) (202-224-6121) Ranking Minority Member Domenici (R-NM) (202-224-6621) Senator Inouye (D-HI) (202-224-3934) Senator Bumpers (D-AR) (202-224-4843) Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) (202-224-4744) Senator Sasser (D-TN) (202-224-3344) Senator Kerrey (D-MA) (202-224-6551) Senator Stevens (R-AK) (202-224-3004) Senator Hatfield (R-OR) (202-224-3753) Senator Gramm (R-TX) (202-224-2934) Senator McConnell (R-KY) (202-224-2541) * The key Representatives on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and State are: Acting Chairman Mollohan (D-WV) (202-225-4172) Ranking Minority Member Rogers (R-KY) (202-225-4601) Representative Carr (D-MI) (202-225-4872) Representative Moran (D-VA) (202-225-4376) Representative Skaggs (D-CO) (202-225-2161) Representative Price (D-NC) (202-225-1784) Representative Kolbe (R-AZ) (202-225-2542) Representative Taylor (R-NC) (202-225-6401) * Write a letter to your member of congress. Please distribute widely. - - -- Anthony E. Wright cme@access.digex.net Coordinator, Future of Media Project Center for Media Education ===================================================== **************************************************************** COM NET NEWS SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Please send an email message to Richard W. Bryant, Editor & Publisher at: rbryant@hydra.unm.edu indicating that you wish to subscribe. You will be put on the e- mailing list for the following month. COM NET NEWS is published only in electronic format. Subscription donation checks or money orders should be sent to the address below. **************************************************************** COM NET NEWS is solely under my editorship, and is unrelated and independent of the La Plaza Telecommunity, of which I am vice president. The editorial comment is my own and does not reflect in any way on La Plaza. You may reproduce or publish any parts of COM NET NEWS and distribute it electronically or in paper format for noncommercial purposes. However, any reproduction or publishing of COM NET NEWS material must be accompanied by the following reference: >From COM NET NEWS: Richard W. Bryant, Ph.D., Editor & Publisher RW Bryant Associates Advanced Technology Market Research & Com Net Consultants P.O. Box 1828 El Prado, NM 87529 Tel/fax: 505-758-1919 rbryant@hydra.unm.edu ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** .