Response to Rod Clark; Re: Free Internet Access?

[Rod Clark]

> ... while continuing to insure the provision of access through
> the Seattle Library.

Doug, 

   From what I remember from a discussion of this at a General
Meeting last year, the Library now provides fewer lines to SCN
than it did before, and it cut back on those services because
SCN was a lower priority than providing access to its own
catalog. KCLS and PAN probably have a somewhat similar view. 

> This is an interpretation of our policy statement, and a narrow one.  If
> that is the case than we need to make it an organizational goal to raise
> the necessary funds to provide adequate dial-up access for 10,000 users.

   Many users do have other access available. It would be
interesting to know, though, just how many don't have. It might
well be a lot less than 10,000. Was this information part of one
of the recent SCN surveys, by any chance? 

> At a modem ration of 10:1 that's 1,000 phone lines, perhaps more than we
> need, but lower than the ratio guaranteed by some current private
> providers.  I gather that the best phone rate available now is $30/month
> from ELI - let me do the math for you that's $30,000 a month.
>
> I'm sure the board would love to hear your ideas and have your
> contributions towards that little bit of reality!

   Well, let's see. Would it be possible to ask each member of
the ISP Alliance to consider donating the cost of a phone line
to SCN? That would help considerably, if it's not too much to
ask as part of the Alliance's activities in connection with SCN.

   Other non-profit organizations offer a variety of fundraising
items to their members, to raise annual operrating costs. Maybe
the T-shirt could be joined by a few other goodies (such as
maybe a car window sticker with the Giant Mercury stamp on it?)
People like SCN, and might enjoy having the chance to buy an SCN
mug, or whatever, in much the same way that KUOW supporters and
others do, during their annual fundraisers.

Rod Clark

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