BD: Re: SCN: "Free-Nets" in Los Angeles Times

[patrick]

Doug,

Thanks for the response.

Hmmm, I was getting the impression that SCN never change and it could
remain to be the Amish of the internet society.

With the new site redesign in place, that should bring SCN a little
closer from 1995 to 2002.

P-


--- Doug Schuler <douglas at scn.org> wrote:
> 
> I hadn't realized that the note on the Los Angeles Free-Net would
> generate such excitement!
> 
> My original intent was not that we necessarily need to emulate L.A.
> but
> just to show that some of the *old* technology, ideas, and services
> (from
> the pre dot.com / dot.gone era) are still useful and viable.
> 
> I do want to weigh in a tiny bit on these current issues, however.
> 
> The first is related to Steve Guest's comment:
> 
> > Plus - this was not what SCN was designed to offer.  It is
> initialy an
> > email and maillist site which grew into a major web resource for
> > Seattle. We were never in the free ISP business."
> 
> When we set up SCN nearly a decade ago we knew that technology
> would be
> changing.  For that reason we didn't put in our principles
> (http://www.scn.org/commnet/principles.html) very much at all about
> specific technology.  IMO SCN is in the access to information and
> communication business, not (just) in the email and maillist
> business.
> 
> The final commitment in our principles, "Commitment to the Future"
> states
> that "We will continue to evolve and improve the SCN" and lists the
> following:
> 
>    We will explore the use of innovative applications such as
>    electronic town halls for community governance, or electronic
>    encyclopedias for enhanced access to information. 
> 
>    We will work with information providers and with groups
>    involved in similar projects using other media. 
> 
>    We will solicit feedback on the technology as it is used,
>    and make it as accessible and humane as possible. 
> 
> In other words, there is no reason to think that we are necessarily
> stuck
> with the status quo at any point.
> 
> The second point I'd like to make is that lots of people have ideas
> as to
> where SCN might go -- full ISP, fee-for-service, etc.
> 
> I, like everybody else have my opinions, but It seems to me that
> there 
> has to be a better way than people making a suggestion and then
> other
> people coming back with the conclusion that the suggestion is bad,
> impossible, stupid, etc.
> 
> If there is a concept that some people think is interesting or
> worth
> considering, why don't they put together some type of committee or
> group
> and develop a thoughtful, well-reasoned recommendation that they
> can then
> bring up to the board and to the membership.  
> 
> I'm not necessarily saying I'm in favor of either charging for
> service or
> providing full Internet access but I do believe that there *might*
> be ways
> to do either of these that still meet our needs and constraints.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> -- Doug
> 
>   
> ******************************************************************
>    *     SHAPING THE NETWORK SOCIETY                               
> *
>    *          Patterns for Participation,Action, and Change        
> *
>    *                  http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/diac02       
> *
>    * Tomorrow's information and communication infrastructure       
> *
>    *   is being shaped today.                                      
> *
>    *                              But by whom and to what ends?    
> *
>   
> ******************************************************************
> 
> 
> 
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