UK Communities Online is a new
initiative to promote electronic networking within communities,
non-profit organisations and interest groups. The initiative was
launched at the first UK conference on community networking at
Sheffield University on July 4, where more than 100 people involved
in the field gave it enthusiastic support.
The first task will be creation by September 1996 of a Web site and
mailing lists in conjunction with the new International Association
for Community Networking.
The site and lists will have two functions. First, to enable
networkers to exchange technical and other experience. Secondly to
provide a home for discussion of the social, economic and
environmental issues affecting local communities.
Already there are hundreds of local electronic networks in North
America, scores in the UK, and many emerging in Europe and other
countries throughout the world.
The content on community networks covers arts to politics, sports
fixtures to job opportunities, and many networks encourage 'readers
to be writers' by helping users join discussion groups and add their
own information to the system. Some networks also often provide
training for new users, and a range of facilities including public
access points in libraries, shops or community centres.
The first Communities Online event was held in October 1995 at BT
Centre, when individuals and a partnership of public, private and
community interests started planning a UK initiative to promote
networking. BT Community Affairs and BT Labs have provided initial
development funding.
In May 1996 the third annual
conference of community networkers, meeting in Taos, New Mexico,
decided to set up an International Association for Community
Networking. UK Communities Online is the first national initiative to
be formed as a result of the conference.
David Wilcox, editor for UK Communities Online, attended the Taos
conference and was elected one of the core team to develop the
international association. He has been working with Richard Stubbs
and others in the Partnerships for Tomorrow network in the UK over
the past year to promote community networking.
In the longer term UK Communities Online intends to provide
assistance to new and existing community networking projects,
particularly by developing a network of experts prepared to give
technical support and advice on hardware and software, information
management and organisational development.
As well as promoting local networking, UK Communities Online will aim
to help non-profit organisations and interest groups improve their
human networking through the use of new technology.
For more information contact David Wilcox
<dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk> Tel: 01273 677377, or Richard Stubbs
<R_Stubbs@compuserve.com> Tel: 0181 534 6891.
In order to join the UK Communities Online mailing list, send an
email to Dave Miller <D.Miller@sheffield.ac.uk> asking to
subscribe to iacn@sheffield.ac.uk. This is not an automatic
subscription process.