johnt
================================================================
>>>>> "Palouse-Clearwater" == Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute <pcei@moscow.com> writes:
> John, Is there any way to set up a structured forum like this?
> I or someone at PCEI would be willing to do maintenence, if it
> is needed.
> How does that hyper mail work? Wouldn't that be pretty
> appropriate?
> Frtiz
>> X-POP3-Rcpt: pcei@archer Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 11:44:35 -0800
>> (PST) From: Tom Hudson <thudson@uidaho.edu> To:
>> vision2020@uidaho.edu Subject: Options for Vision2020 Network
>> MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: owner-vision2020@uidaho.edu
>> Precedence: bulk
>>
>> Visionaries
>>
>> There seems to be growing discussion about the appropriate
>> subjects and roles or our Vision2020 forum. Is education a
>> good topic? What level of detail is too trivial? Should we
>> have different forums for different topics? Shouldn't all
>> political orientations be welcome (i.e., shouldn't we be
>> civil)? Who's listening/reading? It is an interesting
>> process, this evolution. I'd like to share some thoughts.
>>
>> First, I believe that this tool was intended to expand access
>> to and participation in discussion of community issues. What
>> we're learning is that the tool has the potential for building
>> sense of community. In this early stage, however, it is
>> sometimes unwieldy and we may not be using it to full
>> advantage. I'd like to think that this forum can be made
>> suitable for a very broad range of community issues and citizen
>> users. For example, what about our children, special interests
>> (environment to baking), etc? In a way, my 'vision' of it is
>> something of a community hall or gathering place, where all are
>> welcome, people of common interests can find each other and
>> speak in a group or privately as they see fit.
>>
>> Yesterday, I found something of a prototype network that may
>> suit our 'community' network development well. I'd like for
>> you all to go visit this network and give it a test. It is
>> called 'Big Sky Telegraph' and is over in Dillon, Montana. It
>> is one of the earliest community 'freenets,' in the
>> U.S. (started in 1988). It has the flexibility to offer
>> 'rooms' (or "conferences") on a wide variety of subjects, from
>> education to pen pal programs for local kids to economic
>> development. It is easy to use, has a beginners education
>> program and is extremely flexible in linking people, needs,
>> interests, etc. I was particularly struck by how far they have
>> gone to serve child-users. I like that. It stretches me in
>> what I had in mind for a community-oriented computer network.
>>
>> Here's how you find it.
>>
>> Get out of Pine. At the prompt, type Gopher,<RTN> In the Home
>> Gopher Server window, select 'Internet Information by Subject
>> Area.' In that window, select 'Government' In that window,
>> select 'U.S. Department of Agriculture' In that window, select
>> 'U.S.D.A. Extension Service' In that window, select 'Internet
>> Services & Information' In that window, select 'Community-based
>> Networks' In that window, select 'Big Sky Telegraph' Log on to
>> Big Sky by typing 'BBS'
>>> From here on follow the very easy directions.
>> For anyone interested, Free-Net is a national phenomenon. The
>> National Public Telecomputing Network originated it in the 80s.
>> I quote: "Free-Net community computer systems represent a new
>> application in computing. A multi-user computer is established
>> at a central location in a given area and the machine is
>> connected to the telephone system through a series of devices
>> called modems. Running on the machine is a computer program
>> that provides its users with everything from electronic mail
>> services to information about health care, education,
>> technology, government, recreation, or just about anything else
>> the host operators would like to place on the machine."
>>
>> I have a Free-Net application package, due to work I'm doing in
>> the Intermountain region. If anybody wants to take a look at
>> it, let me know.
>>
>> As a parting shot, I agree philosophically with Susan Palmer
>> about the ideal of not splitting out forums. However, it is
>> very difficult for me to log on and try to get through dozens
>> (sometimes over 100) messages on Vision 2020. I'd like to log
>> on to a menu of local topics, which shows which have had recent
>> postings. Then pick and choose rather than have to wade
>> through so much 'stuff' to find issues within my area of
>> interest. In this scenario, there might be a 'hot topics'
>> alert folder that tells us of important messages in other menu
>> folders (e.g., in the Government Folder, a message on another
>> conspiracy from those criminals involved in that 'shared
>> facilities crap'- yes, I did take offense).
>>
>> Tom Hudson I don't log on very often, so if you'd like to reach
>> me, my office number is 883-2890
>>