Date: Mon, 29 Aug 1994 00:10:22 -0700 From: Steve Covington Subject: Networks & Community Newsletter 26-31 ************************************************************************** NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY : August 28, 1994 ************************************************************************** Networks and Community is a biweekly publication devoted to encouraging LOCAL resource creation & GLOBAL resource sharing. ************************************************************************** The 26th Report of 1994 is the 32nd Newsletter. ************************************************************************** ************************************************************************** Coverage in this issue includes: Notes Global Community Tools Classes & Meetings ########################################################################### Notes ########################################################################### Hi all! The tension seems to be showing more and more as the Internet expands to meet the "needs" of multitudes of new users. I use quotes around the word 'needs' because folks confuse "want" with "need". Many new users don't even want to know why or how the 'net works, they just want it to be another consumer appliance, like a shopping channel or cd-rom disc. Yes, there will be room for such as that, but there is so much more to the Internet. THE INTERNET ITSELF I like to use visualization to explain my points. Picture sitting in your family room looking out the window and being able to see the entire world. Now maybe you don't see it all in detail, but it IS there. Focus on a specific point and that small component comes into clearer view. What YOU do with that component is what makes the Internet work. You may find something that is fun, educational, silly, or useful in some way. Or, you may find a bunch of stuff that is of no use to you at all. What YOU need to think about is the old adage of "one person's junk is another's treasure"! You don't have to see it all at once nor will you ever, but as you slowly wander through the halls of this wondrous post office, library, grocery store, pizza parlor, mega-mall of data, you will learn more about the world, its people and tools than you can find in all the world's great schools. If you think about it, the Internet brings the entire world into your personal computer. Just accessing the Internet network of computers makes you part of a global community of great importance. The Internet transcends geographical barriers easily, swiftly, and seamlessly. Travelling via computer is faster than the Concorde jet, and allows a person to share thoughts, ideas, and tools with other folks that share the same interests. TOOLS Rapid response over 2400 kbps modems using some flavor of web browser to access information just doesn't happen! Many new users have not had even the most basic information about their computers explained to them or have not "Read The Fine Manual" as Daniel Dern has stated! Unfortunately, not reading the manual or even help files, can and does cause both software and hardware problems. I have been amazed at the amount of folks that call for tech support after having purchased a dos type computer that have not gotten beyond the C:\ prompt even to use windows(tm). You haven't heard excitement in a voice such as you hear when you give them the "keys" to their computers! These are some of the new users of the Internet. I have heard many of us call them "clueless" or "newbies". What a way to be welcomed to the 'Net! It's sort of like the first day in a new school when we were kids, that warm feeling we got when one of the other kids called us nerds and asked us where our slide rules and pocket protecters were. We have a chance to rise above all of that as the Internet starts toward a new direction. We can attempt to do what governments have not. We can accept and value all contributions, even if they are redundant. Rather than attacking them and losing them forever, we should show a sense of community toward them and bring them up to speed. -steve ########################################################################### Global Community ########################################################################### Written by: Frank Hecker Subject: Draft overview of community network services (part 1) For some time now I have been working off and on on an overview of the various tpes of community network services, with an emphasis on cataloging and classifying various services and where they might fit in the total picture, especially with regard to the technologies employed. To put it more simply, I'm trying to take debates like "to Internet or not to Internet," "Mosaic vs. VT100s,", and so on, and put them in context. As some of you know, my personal bias is towards Internet-based technologies and tools, and my working hypothesis is that ubiquitous low-cost personal Internet access, far from meaning the end of community networking, would in fact leave community networks with plenty to things to do. (And I might add, I think the things left for us to do would be those closest to our core competencies as people and organizations.) One major reason for writing this paper is to supply background to that argument. Anyway, I'm about halfway through at this point and am beginning to show signs of writer's block. Thus I thought it might be appropriate to start posting draft portions of it to this list, in the hopes that you all might have some good comments and suggestions to help improve the paper. (Plus I'll be more highly motivated to finish it knowing others are looking over my shoulder :-) In this message I've included the first three sections, which lay out the organization and themes for the rest of the paper. I'll post further sections one at a time at irregular intervals as I have time and as I complete them. Thanks in advance for any comments, suggestions, etc. Frank Frank Hecker hecker@access.digex.net ------------ 1. INTRODUCTION Over the last year or so I have been thinking about long-term technical strategies for community networks, and in the course of doing so found myself struggling to make connections between our ultimate goals in serving the community on the one hand, and the details of specific technologies on the other. Thus, for example, on the one hand we have a goal of increasing general public access to community information and resources. On the other hand we want to take advantage of new technologies like graphical user interfaces, ISDN and other higher-speed communications technologies, and new multimedia Internet services like the World Wide Web. How we do decide how best to use these technologies in support of our goals? One approach is to establish a conceptual "middle ground" between goals and technologies. In particular, I found it useful to think in terms of the various abstract services that a community network might provide. I use the term "abstract service" (or simply "service") to refer to general capabilities which the system might provide to broad classes of users, and which those users might use to solve problems and meet their needs in a number of specific areas. Thus, for example, the ability to disseminate and distribute digital information is a general capability or service, which in turn might be used in a number of areas, such as local, state, and Federal government, libraries, K-12 education, and social services. Given this scheme, we can then ask the dual questions "Which services will help us achieve each of our specific end goals?" and "What type of technology will best allow us to provide this service?" In this paper I outline one possible classification of community network services, and for each service attempt to give at least an initial answer to a set of key questions by which we can evaluate the service's suitability and feasibility for a community network. I have no illusions that what I say is by any means the final word on the subject (and in fact there are points in the paper where I just don't have a great deal to say); this paper is meant more as a way to spark discussion about the task of designing a community network, and as a guide to highlight various areas worthy of further research. This paper was originally written for the Washington, D.C., area community network CapAccess (the informal name for, and a service mark of, the National Capital Area Public Access Network, Inc.). I'd like to thank the other members of the CapAccess organization for their comments on early versions of it. However the views I express herein are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of CapAccess. 2. SUMMARY OF SERVICES Let's start with a short list of services (online or otherwise) that could potentially provided by a community network. With each service we include the "real life" model whose function it's most reminiscent of. (This list is in no particular order.) * providing a "raw" transmission facility over which people could send or receive any type of information and on top of which they could build higher-level services ("network provider") * collecting, generating, and disseminating information ("publisher" or "broadcaster") * taking information generated by others and redistributing it to others, whether end users or not ("distributor" or "wholesaler") * permanently storing information for later access ("library") * sponsoring discussion forums on topics of both general and specialized interest ("salon") * providing "gateway" access to remote systems and services ("public phone") * enabling people to send and receive personal electronic mail ("post office") * providing people with online work areas and document creation and manipulation tools ("personal office") * providing groups of people with online shared spaces to support collaborative work ("group office") * training people to use online services and resources, including those associated with the Internet ("school") * assisting outside organizations in bringing "in house" the capabilities to provide online services and resources ("consultant") Incidentally, note that when I say "people" I mean both people considered either individually, i.e., as members of the general public, or as part of formal or informal organizations separate from the community network and to which the community network may provide service. 3. KEY QUESTIONS The remainder of this document will discuss the various community network services in more detail, focusing on the following questions: * What characteristics distinguish this service from others? (How does one define it?) * What (overall) goals does the service promote? (What benefits will the service--if implemented--provide to the community?) * What are some actual or potential examples of such a service in the context of a community network? (Is anyone else doing this today? Could our community network do it?) * What "enabling technologies" could be used in providing this service? (What technologies are most relevant to this service?) * What resources (technical or otherwise) are required to provide the service, and who (within the community network organization or otherwise) could supply them? (Is this something a community network organization can do itself, or is it better left to others?) * What types of end user information and access controls must the system maintain in order to provide the service? (Are there privacy issues or security issues relating to protecting user information or controlling access to system information or services? Do users need to register to use the service? How do they register?) * How do we measure the growth and quality of the service (in a relatively narrow technical sense)? (How do we determine whether the service is beneficial and is being used?) * What are the relevant "limits to growth" in expanding provision of the service? (At what point might growth impact the quality of the service? What would we need to do in order to continue growing the service while maintaining or improving its quality?) * How do we measure success in meeting the (overall) goals? (Has providing this service really made a difference in the community?) [to be continued] ########################################################################### TOOLS ########################################################################### From: Gleason Sackman Subject: WWW>URouLette: The Worlds first Randon URL generator (fwd) To: net-happenings ----------Forwarded message ---------- Newsgroups:comp.infosystems.www.users Subject: ANNOUNCING URouLette: The Worlds first Randon URL generator. From:abrams@falcon.cc.ukans.edu (Matthew Thomas Abrams) Announcing the worlds first* random** URL generator: A World Wide Web page called URouLette has been created by some of the developers of the Kansas University Campus Internet Association. URouLette is better left unexplained*** -- you should see it for yourself. We think it is pretty nifty, you may not, but at least take a few minutes to take a look. Description: You can use your favorite WWW browser to click on an image and be taken to a random* URL. We don't know where you'll end up and you won't either. Location: http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/cwis/organizations/kucia/uroulette/uroulette. html Created by: Matthew J. Angell and Matthew T. Abrams at the University of Kansas. * We think ** Almost. *** Mostly :-) mta -- Matthew Thomas Abrams Academic Computing Services at The University of Kansas email:abrams@falcon.cc.ukans.edu http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/~abrams phone:913.864.0490 snail:KU Computer Center; Sunnyside and Illinois; Lawrence, KS 66045 ************************************************************************ From: Gleason Sackman To: net-happenings Sender:owner-net-happenings@is.internic.net ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From:david.riggins@tpoint.com To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: INTERNET HELP COLLECTION A nice collection of Internet help documents at the Phantom Access Technologies, Inc. Gopher. 1. Listings of Access Points to the Internet/ --> 2. Guidebooks on the Use of the Internet/ 3. Information about Electronic Mail/ 4. Information about File Transfer Protocol (FTP)/ 5. Information about Internet Relay Chat (IRC)/ 6. Information about Telnet/ 7. Information about USENET News/ Guidebooks on the Use of the Internet --> 1. Frequently Asked Questions about the Big Dummy's Guide. 2. Glossary of Internet Terms. 3. The Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet (ASCII text). 4. The Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet (PostScript). 5. There's Gold in them thar Networks!. 6. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Internet. 7. The Pocket Guide on E-mail, ftp, and telnet. 8. The Complete Internet Resource Guide/ 9. The Internet Tour. 10. NSF Internet Resources Guide. 11. Zen and the Art of the Internet (ASCII Text). 12. Zen and the Art of the Internet (PostScript). Type=1+ Name= Internet Information Listing (Features and Access Points) Path=1/Internet Host=mindvox.phantom.com Port=70 Admin=Phantom Access Technologies, Inc. / 800-MINDVOX ModDate=Fri Jul 15 15:25:54 1994 <19940715152554> URL: gopher://mindvox.phantom.com:70/11/Internet ******************************************************************** 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, or if the URL has been constructed correctly. Traffic jams are common at sites mentioned on this list. Don't be surprised if it takes a few days to gain access. David Riggins Gopher Jewels Project david.riggins@tpoint.com URL=gopher://cwis.usc.edu/11/Other_Gophers_and_Information_Resources/ Gophers_by_Subject//Gopher_Jewels ########################################################################### Classes & Meetings ########################################################################### Errors-To: jstewart@ccs.carleton.ca Reply-To: can-freenet@cunews.carleton.ca From: aa127@freenet.carleton.ca (Garth Graham) Subject: Conference news - hot off the press CANADIAN COMMUNITY NETWORKS CONFERENCE and founding meeting of TELECOMMUNITIES CANADA August 15-17, 1994 Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario The site established on National Capital FreeNet (NCF) to report this conference is building rapidly. A team of conference recorders are posting summary descriptions (both English and French) of each session within a short time after it finishes, and the texts of most conference papers are following. For registered members of NCF, this site is at the bottom of the main menu as "Canadian Community Networks Conference, 1994." For nonmember, NCf can be reached via freenet.carleton.ca. (login: guest). It's also accessible via gopher and WWW. The URL for the WWW server is http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/ The FreePort based menu is at: http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/freeport/freenet/conference2/menu The Gopher URL is: gopher://freenet.carleton.ca/11/ncf/conference2 By gopher directly, follow to: Carleton University Gopher |National Capital FreeNet Gopher |National Capital FreeNet (NCF) info by gopher |Canadian Community Networks Conference, 1994 The site also contains background policy documents related to the founding meeting of Telecommunities Canada, status reports from community network and Free-Net associations, and a detailed directory of Free-Nets and community network organizations in Canada. -- Garth Graham aa127@freenet.carleton.ca Coordinator, Canadian Community Networks Conference, and founding meeting, Telecommunities Canada, Aug. 15-17, 1994 Box 86, Ashton, Ont., K0A 1B0, 613-253-3497 Errors-To: jstewart@ccs.carleton.ca Message-Id:<9408172111.AA27882@calvin.dgbt.doc.ca> Sender: can-freenet@cunews.carleton.ca From: andrew@calvin.dgbt.doc.ca (Andrew Patrick) Subject: summary of conference technical discussion The following is a summary of the technical discussion session held at the Canadian Community Networks Conference yesterday. Feel free to report any mistakes or ommissions, and please use this as a start of discussions (on the freenet-tech mailing list). Canadian Community Networks Conference Focused Working Group Discussion Future Directions in Community Network Technology August 16 1994 Andrew Patrick (aa118@freenet.carleton.ca) Brief Summary - goals for session: - share information and reduce duplicate work - identify important issues - organize - make recommendation to Telecommunities Canada Sharing ------- - we have mailing list for electronic communications: The Freenet-Tech list provides a forum for discussion of the technical aspects of operating a Freenet, eg. software and system administration. To subscribe to the Freenet-Tech List, send a message to the address listprocessor@cunews.carleton.ca with the following line in the body of the message. Subscribe Freenet-Tech Your-Name "Your-Name" is your full name, eg. Subscribe Freenet-Tech John Smith Postings to the list should be addressed to Freenet-Tech@cunews.carleton.ca - David Jones has tentatively offered a location in Toronto to house an FTP archive and system for revising program code - we need an inventory of the software being used, and the pro's and con's of each option - NPTN has started such an inventory, and we can participate - John Stewart agreed to prepare list of systems that are currently being used in Canada, and a list of projects that people are working on (e.g., TIN for news, PINE for mail) Important Issues ---------------- - the group raised a number of issues that should be considered: - can we address the needs of: - small vs. large systems - PC-based vs. other platforms - UNIX vs. non-UNIX environments - we need a list of requirements for community network software (David Jones to start) - do we need a "wish list"? - short-term and long-term goals - tool sharing - document sharing - support sharing - how to share info between very busy people? - security - universal and "dumb terminal" access - IP to where: the server? the users' screen? - support for multimedia - delivery methods other than phone lines - Cable TV trials - ISDN - limitations imposed by CRTC: regulations and rates - migration: to where, making it easy - providing feedback to software developers (e.g., Chebucto and Lynx) - using off-the-shelf systems for small communities - centralized effort for software development - rehash CANARIE project? - seek different funding agency - role in Telecommunities Canada lobbying efforts - technical people have unique viewpoint - can identify issues, provide technical briefings, etc. - e.g., price of bandwidth, Cable TV regulations - Ian Duncan will get us started Organizing ---------- - organization possibilities - Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) might be good model - philosophy is "rough consensus and running code" - no formal voting - often presented with 3/4 solutions that require finishing - RFC process to communicate and establish "standards" - implementation often separate from standards - Ian Duncan to provide more information - should we create "Telecommunities Canada Engineering Task Force (TCETF)"? - editor to review and house documents & software - can we have standards that people agree on (roughly) and can be implemented different ways? - examples: user interfaces, user registration data - another model is the Free Software Foundation (FSF) - software shared, often with packaging costs - "server on a CD" concept - the VRML project may also provide a model Recomendation to Telecommunities Canada --------------------------------------- - that TC mandate an "Engineering Task Force" to develop and share expertise and software, and contribute to the TC activities Open Items ---------- - how to organize ourselves - how much to organize? - representation within TC? Action Items ------------ - all: join and participate in freenet-tech mailing list - David Jones: seek approval for and install archive location - Dennis Hoops: forward NPTN system survey to John Stewart for distribution within Canada - John Stewart: gather list of systems and projects - David Jones: prepare list of requirements - John Stewart: ensure freenet-tech listserv is archived and document how to access the archives - Ian Duncan: get group thinking about lobbying issues - Ian Duncan: provide more info on IETF - Andrew Patrick: bring recommendation for TCETF to TC Directors "once the dust settles" Addresses for People Mentioned ----------------------------- David Jones Andrew Patrick Dennis Hoops John Stewart Ian Duncan * Thanks to Alison Ball for keeping great notes! -- Andrew Patrick (aa118@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) Vice-President - National Capital FreeNet *********************************************************************** From: Gleason Sackman Subject: WRKSHOP> Online Interactive Workshop To: net-happenings Sender: owner-net-happenings@is.internic.net ---------- Forwarded message ---------- SENDER: Herb Wylen Subject: Online Interactive Workshop The Online Interactive Workshop on Grant Proposal Planning and Writing is now registering participants for the September 15 - October 5, 1994 session. Conducted by e-mail and a ListServer, this workshop emphasizes the use of Internet resources in the Grants-seeking process. e-mail to hwylen@access.digex.net for an electronic brochure which has details, cost, and a registration form. Herb Wylen Internet Works, Inc. 703.978.9122 Voice ########################################################################### ########################################################################### 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 NETCOM On-line Communications Service, Inc. Editing is done by myself. 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 ", OR by e-mail to myself, cvington@netcom.com requesting to be put on my mailing list for the newsletter. Additional distribution is assisted by the managers and owners of NET-HAPPENINGS, COMMUNET, & the CANADIAN FREENET listservs. This newsletter is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN, with the exception of Global Community, Notes or where noted, and may be used as you see fit. To contribute items or enquire about this newsletter, contact Stephen Covington