David Wilcox made the presentation
below, and Richard Stubbs reported that Communities Online will
shortly have use of a high specification server on which to develop
conferencing and other applications.
Nick Trent from the Department of Trade and Industry provided an
update on the IT
Partnership initiative. The
initiative will consist of a promotional campaign, badging of
projects, brokerage to link sponsors to projects in the community,
and dissemination of best practice.
Those at the meeting decided to collaborate in helping develop a book
and pages on the this Web site linked to the initiative. What follows
is a first draft proposal prepared for discussion with the group and
sponsors.
This is a first draft proposal following the September 17 meeting. See the Guide to Community Internet pages for updates.
Use collaborative online working to develop a Communities Online book(s) and Web site associated with the launch of the Government's IT Partnership initiative. Shows what the Internet (and later developments) offers 'ordinary people', and how community networks could further social and economic development of communities.
The purpose of the initiative is to
raise awareness among citizens not yet online, so the following
audiences were agreed with DTI for the basic book: anyone interested
in using the technology for personal learning, collaborative working
outside a single business, community or voluntary sector initiatives,
cross sector partnerships. Mainly active citizens and non-profit
professionals, but also anyone stepping outside the usual business or
education environments - e.g. professional networks.
The book will also be useful to agencies who want to support
community use of IT, who need to understand the basics and the
potential.
The scope of content is potentially
very wide. Many readers will not understand Internet basics. On the
other hand we want to start promoting the vision of community
networks. In the long term we will probably need:
- A Getting Started book for December which includes a taster of
community networking, but cannot go into great detail
- Follow on articles and/or a further book about community
networks
- The Web site covering the full range, with linked mailing
lists/conferencing
The basic book should encourage readers to access the Web site
through a library, cybercafe, or other means.
Content below spans a Getting Started
book, the Web site, and possibly a further publication. How to slice
this is for discussion with DTI, sponsors and contributors. It also
partly depends on what else is planned, if anything.
Basics of online systems in a community context e.g.
* What is the Internet: the value of email, Web etc
* Who's who - ISPs, Online services
* How to make a choice
* Checklist for getting started
* Who may be able to help
What works - and what doesn't e.g.
* Examples of successful community projects and networks
* Personal stories of how people use the Internet
* Pitfalls and how to avoid them
* Debunking the myths
* How we used the Internet to write this book
What's there e.g.
* Examples of relevant content online
* Using search engines, finding newsgroups, mailing lists
* Gateway sites
Using the Internet actively e.g.
* Taking part in discussion
* Creating your own Home pages
* Making online activity a useful part of your life/organisation
Policy issues for community use e.g.
* What is community, community development - how might technology
help
* Democracy online
* Social inclusion, universal service
* Public access
* Training and support
Community networks now
* UK and US examples
* Analysing the different models
* The technology - software, hardware, networks
* The sociology - gaining local commitment
* Building the network: technology, content, training, organisation,
funding
What's on the horizon
* A reminder of where we were 5-10 years ago
* The drivers for change
* Technical possibilities
* Personal-social challenges these raise
* Scenarios, visions
Other routes in to the content e.g.
* An A-Z of online terms
* FAQ
* If you are interested in....
Resources
* Bibliography
* Contacts
* URLs
We practice what we preach and use
the technology to develop the book and Web site by:
* A mailing list or Web conference for contributors
* Drafts on the Web site to solicit comment, contributions
* Taking the launch book as a snapshot/digest of current content
* Carrying the process forward to develop the site, further
publications and linked events.
This outline will evolve through that process, and through the
requirements of DTI and sponsors.
David Wilcox
How this outline developed - Guide
to Community Internet
UK Communities Online September 17 1996
Peter Chauncey Newtel. Peter Chauncy
<peter.newtel@ukonline.co.uk>
Peter Day. P.Day@bton.ac.uk (Peter Day) Brighton University
Peter Durrant , Humberston. thedurrants@cityscape.co.uk (Peter
Durrant)
Kevin Harris Community Development Foundation. cdf@geo2.poptel.org.uk
(Kevin Harris)
Val Jepps and Steve, Harlow CVS c/o della@harlocvs.demon.co.uk
Peter Mason Sussex Community Internet Project. SCIP
<scip@pact.org.uk>
Colin Millar BT Labs. Colin Millar
<colin.millar@bt-sys.bt.co.uk>
David Potts Walsall Central Library . c/o
<ianeverall@walsplsm.demon.co.uk>
Sue Sadler Rural Forum Scotland. rural@post.almac.co.uk
Penny Shepherd Business in the Community. pennys@bitc.demon.co.uk
(Penny Shepherd)
Richard Stubbs, Partnerships for Tomorrow and Communities Online.
Richard Stubbs <100617.3462@compuserve.com>
Rowzat Tayyebkhan Business in the Community. rowzat@rmplc.co.uk
(Rowzat Tayyebkhan)
Danny Torbica Quest Business Technology Centre.
d.s.torbica@open.ac.uk (Danny Torbica)
Nick Trent Department of Trade and Industry.
nick.trent@dtieed.dti.gov.uk
David Wilcox Communities Online. dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk (David
Wilcox)
Communities
Online events