SCN: Funding sources, policy, future course of SCN

[Rod Clark]

> Rod's comments (below) that CPSR set up SCN in such a way that we
> wouldn't get substantial corporate, foundation, or govenment
> support doesn't square with my recollections. One of the main
> reasons that we didn't get any support was that we didn't ASK. I
> can remember only one previous time when we submitted a grant
> proposal (to the Bullitt Foundation to help environmental groups).
> The main reason (in my recollection) we didn't seek grants is that
> seeking grants is hard work and we didn't seem to be able to find
> the time. I don't think it was ever an explicit POLICY decision
> that forbade making proposals.

Doug,

   I wasn't there for the very early history of it, so I'll
defer to your memories of that. But when I was a volunteer when
CPSR ran SCN, in late '95 and the first half of '96, there was
always a good deal of debate about issues like this, and never a
clear agreement that I could see. And I think that in some
important sense, policy is what actually happens over a course
of years.

   This next is off on a tangent I suppose, bacause it's
different from any question about grants. But I do remember
that, in response to a question from a dissatisfied volunteer,
you stood at a general meeting and said that you were in favor
of SCN being friendlier to businesses in its content and in
inviting more of their participation in the project. I'm sure I
don't remember your views exactly, but I think they were mostly
a general expression that SCN should more prominently include
local small businessses and their economic life in the city.

   I also remember that while there was much sentiment in
support of this as a fine concept, most of the volunteers there
did not agree that actively advancing SCN along this course at
that time was a good idea in practice. That particular
discussion sticks in my mind because Doug Tooley had raised it
as an acrimonious issue at the time, and because I was on the
receiving end of a lot of the acrimony.

   This was also a time when people were fighting the CDA. If
someone would have said then, "Oh, heck. I think we should
pursue alliances with King County and some foundations and banks
and institutions and seek major funding from them, and make that
a lot more important than our membership revenues, and take them
up on their generous offers to send us some experienced
executives to advise us how to run things, and just see what
happens!" that person might have met a cool welcome among the
majority of SCN volunteers, even though that was and is a
popular and workable model for other community networks.

> I am in favor of developing innovative community technology
> projects and finding funds for them. What I think we need to
resist is reliance on one or two resources for all of our
revenues, fees for services, and (especially?) advertising.

   That's a responsible position, and I support it. I think SCN
now has the solidity and experience, and the confidence in its
ability to survive intact, to proceed safely and successfully
with this on its own terms, that it did not have five years ago.

Rod

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