SCN: Possible Roles for SCN -- and what we can do about it...

[Doug Schuler]

Possible Roles for SCN -- and what we can do about it...

SCNites,

I've compiled a quick note which I think (HOPE!) may help us now and in
the future.

The first part of the note is a brief list of all of the possible roles
for SCN I could think of this morning over my second cup of coffee.

After this list I make a simple suggestion that I think could (help)
guide further development on SCN.  I'd love to know what you think.


 ------------------ possible roles for SCN -- 
(PS.  there are many others -- let me know what they are and I'll add them) 

Assume a place at the table for developing city / regional / state (and
other?) ICT initiatives and policy.  (ICT = "information and
communication technology)

Provide low / no cost ICT services (email, listservs, web pages, etc.)

Provide useful civic and community content on our web site (and other
places?)

Provide portal to Seattle community / civic information, applications
and services

Agitate for socially responsible ICT policy locally, regionally, and
beyond

Perform training and other pubic education

Help define and develop future community / civic information,
applications and services

Work with community / civic groups to develop relevant ICT applications
and services

Take part in regional, national, and international coalitions to
advance community / civic ICT goals.

------------------------------------------------


If we asked everybody in SCN to prioritize these possible roles
I'm assuming that we'd have some champions for each and every one of
these roles.

So which of these roles should we as SCN volunteers address?

ALL OF THEM.

But, people will say, we don't have the resources to do ALL OF THEM.
That's right!  We don't have the resources AT THE MOMENT to do all of
them.  So, at this point in time let's not do ALL of them.  In fact, at
any given point in time, let's just focus on the ones in which we have
volunteers who are willing to do the work.

We have to realize that ALL of these issues are important and that they
together form a coherent body of work that SCN stands for.

We have, in fact, worked on all of them, at one time or another.

I'm not against setting priorities.  We have to do that!  But that
shouldn't be used as an excuse to rule out a relevant piece of work.

Let's do the limited amount of work that we can do.  The way I see it,
however, there is no reason to ban certain activities.  The situation
is dynamic -- we need to be dynamic as well!

Thanks!

-- Doug


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