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Communities Online conference
October 1995 report

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Conference report

In October 1995 Urban Forum and Partnerships for Tomorrow ran a conference at BT Centre on the theme of Communities Online, funded by BT Community Affairs. Plans for the conference were developed following a workshop at the the Urban Forum annual meeting of April 1995.

At the conference we demonstrated a bulletin board system which could be used as the basis for an online information system for community-based projects. It used the same user-friendly software - First Class - as the Regen.Net system backed by the Department of the Environment for `official' partners in local regeneration projects.

Our pilot system was developed on an existing system called pHreak operated by Intermedia Associates.

Plenary session conclusions

At the end of the conference, participants in the plenary session concluded that the task for the Community Regeneration Network is twofold:

• Help people get online and provide them with support.
• Develop an online system which provides a communications infrastructure and easily accessible information for the sector.

The system should cater for a range of users: individuals, groups, organisations, networks. Some will already be online, but many will not.

The online system should enable users to have public and private conversation (email, use of conference and chat areas), and also provide substantial information resources.

The immediate implications for development are then:

• Create the technical platform - the hub computer (server) with direct dial in and Internet access. (At present pHreak performs this function for the demo and pilot).
• Recruit a core of active users, ranging from individuals to network organisations.
• Provide training and support.
• Encourage users to upload their own information, and target some major information providers.
• Manage the technical and editorial development of the system, support, training etc.
• Monitor and evaluate the experience during a pilot period, then market more widely through a range of media.

The way forward is by:

• Gaining the commitment of major network organisations who can provide users, information, and endorsement. These organisations include Urban Forum, the Development Trusts Association, BASSAC,
• Community Development Foundation, and the Standing Conference on Community Development.
• Mounting a one-year pilot to work through the issues above, and develop a longer-term structure and business plan. The development work would be closely linked with the 'real world' development of Urban Forum and other national and regional networks.
• During the pilot refine the scope and positioning of the system: the topics it would cover, the target audiences, the pricing structure and editorial approach.
• The pilot will be managed by members of the Partnerships for Tomorrow network, working with Intermedia Associates and key network organisations.
• For the longer term the working assumption is the Network will operate through a non-profit company earning revenue through user subscriptions and contract work.

• Original proposal to BT
• Communities Online now