SCN: Prarienet.org - community network - check it out

[patrick fisher]

Hi,

I wanted to point out that I wasn't advocating anything by mentioning the other
community network. Things are going just fine at SCN and the Seattle Public Library
is wonderful.

Prarienet does have something that is nice: low-cost internet access and grants they
give out for free access, but it looks like they will have to be self-supporting in
some way and who knows what will happen.

The Telcos, DSL companies and the whole internet access thing, to include cellphone
companies and long-distance companies: It all seems like a madhouse of one company
falling, another rising, one buying this, the other buying that. How does anyone
keep from going crazy? I'm sure some people are going crazy. So I just keep my
regular phone line, no long distance, no cable, no cell. POTS: Plain Old Telephone
System.

Again, things are fine at SCN and there is too much to do, too many steps to take
right now, too much going on. Those of us who are working on those things only see
those things and that is plenty on the plate for now.

Patrick

--- Joe Mabel <jmabel at speakeasy.org> wrote:
> I would suspect that we do not want to losesthe library as our web hosting site: 
> they have been very god about our no-censorship approach. However, for all otheo 
> purposes, the UW seems to me to be potentially as likely a partner as the 
> Library.
> 
> --------------------
> Joe Mabel
> 
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2002, Doug Schuler wrote:
> 
> > 
> > JJ et al,
> > 
> > I've always been in favor of at least looking into various types
> > of "strategic alliances" and one with, say, a UW department
> > is one of the ones that I'd be most interested in looking into.
> > A model like the one JJ mentioned would obviously be undesirable
> > but there may be partnership models that really worked to
> > both party's advantage.  After all, SCN and SPL have a 
> > fairly reasonable partnering arrangement that seems to work 
> > to both of advantage.
> > 
> > As with other ideas that would have a wide impact this would
> > have to be studied.  I think that members would like to see
> > pros and cons before any sort of decision would be made.  If
> > people were interested in this they'd need to set up some of
> > study group to do so (IMO).
> > 
> > -- 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?     *
> >    * Questions: diac02-info at cpsr.org                                *
> >    ******************************************************************
> > 
> > 
> > On Mon, 25 Mar 2002, J. Johnson wrote:
> > 
> > > Au contraire.  I think that the "university structure" of "business" model
> > > could work quite well for SCN.  We "merely" find enough well placed people
> > > at the U. who have influence (I presume at least professors here) and
> > > access to resources (such as facilities, bandwidth, paid staff, etc.), and
> > > have them take over.  Oh, and re-write the articles of incorporation. 
> > > 
> > > Of course, then it wouldn't be SCN any more.
> > > 
> > > === JJ =============================================================
> > > 
> > > On Mon, 25 Mar 2002, emailer1 wrote:
> > > 
> > > >  Actually, this is an assumption (that the university structure means that
> > > > Prairienet's methods won't work for SCNA).  It sounds to me like the methods
> > > > of this group should be thoroughly investigated, to the point of -- when
> > > > enough has been learned -- having Patrick and others from the Ops Committee
> > > > fly out and spend a few days talking to these folks.  In one way or another,
> > > > they have accomplished what SCNA has not been able to do:  (1) PPP
> > > > capability;  (2) much better level of financial support; and (3) paid staff.
> > > > It is possible that very little of their methods willl apply to SCNA, but it
> > > > is important to do an in-depth examination of them IN CASE they have much to
> > > > show us.
> > > > 
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: J. Johnson <jj at scn.org>
> > > > To: <scn at scn.org>
> > > > Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 11:38 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: SCN: Prarienet.org - community network - check it out
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > > So looking over several examples of nominally successful not-for-profit
> > > > > ISP and similar entities shows a trend:  their "business" model is to
> > > > > associate with some large school where there is a lot of money, excess
> > > > > bandwidth, facilities, and cheap graduate students, and no particular
> > > > > concern about meeting quarterly profit targets.
> > > > >
> > > > > === JJ =============================================================
> > > > >
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> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
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