Introductions E-K
These are introductions made from July 1996 to the IACN
mailing list E-K. Back to full IACN intros index.
Debbie Ellen
Kate Ennals
Malcolm Forbes
Hugh Govan
Michael Hammond
Peter Hussey
Neil Irving
David Jennings
Heikki Korpinen
Debbie Ellen
Debbie Ellen <INFO.UNLIMITED@MCR1.poptel.org.uk>
My name is Debbie Ellen. I am doing an MSc ( part time ) in Information
Management. My project for the MSc is looking at a community information
network in Manchester ( Manchester Community Information network - MCIN
) . As part of this project I am gathering information about community networks
in the UK, and looking at the issue of evaluation and user surveys.
I have designed an online evaluation for MCIN, which I hope will be going
on line by the beginning of next month.
I wil be sending details of results etc. to this list so that anyone interested
can read about it, and contact me for further information.
This is done during the evening and at weekends as I have a full time job
to... so bear with me if it takes me a while to post results or respond
to queries.
That's enough about me.
While I'm here, let me tell you about a very useful report I have just got
hold of, written by David Drewitt. It is a final report about the Golden
Valley Information project, written in 1995. It contains a wealth of information
and experience about setting up a community information system. Well worth
a read. David can be contacted on 01905 766240. Or you can email the project
director, David Morris : dmorris@tacin.co.uk
Kate Ennals
Kate Ennals <kmennals@iol.ie>
Hi everyone,
I have just joined the mailing list and Dave suggested I send an email to
introduce myself.
I am Kate Ennals and I work in Dublin, Ireland, trying to develop Internet
use (mainly around the Web and email) among the community sector in inner
city Dublin. I work with Dublin Inner City Partnership and am employed by
Dublin City University for whom I shall write up the difficulties and successes
experienced - of which there are various different kinds!!
At the moment I am working with organisations involved in an employment
iniative - inner city employment services - which is where five key local
community groups are providing an employment service. They are linked to
a varying number of satellite groups. This is at a very early stage and
we are trying to develop it on line. You can find out more information from
the homepage URL: http://www.iol.ie/~dicp/iccn.html.
I am also working with others to develop community sector awareness and
use of the internet on a wider scale in Dublin. The homepage above is a
first attempt to provide a homepage which can act as a forum for information
exchange on line.
So... I hope this is useful.
All the best
Kate Ennals
12 Thomond
Shankill. Co. Dublin
Tel. 2821334
Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Forbes <brixchal@rmplc.co.uk>
I work for a City Challenge company in Brixton - South London. I'm involved
in a number of projects in the local area that we fund and am also setting
up the company's web-site (from zero knowledge so it is still 'under construction'
at http://www.brixton-challenge.co.uk/ ). We have been involved in getting
internet access into the schools in the area and generally promoting wider
awareness of the possibilities of the internet in education and community
activity. I am also trying to get a Brixton site set up that could also
serve the commercial interests in the area. My interest in CIN stems from
an attempt to get one off the ground in Brixton.
Currently I am working with some tenants from an estate in Brixton to see
if we can interest the local cable company. I am also looking at putting
proposals to an internet cafe company and probably submitting the project
as part of an SRB funding bid next year.
Hugh Govan
Hugh Govan <Hugh@napiers.demon.co.uk>
I am a marine biologist by back ground but have worked largely on "community"
participation, whether in development, investigation, research or resource
management.
After six years working in the South Pacific, my recent work has been in
Scotland (and in Costa Rica) looking at enhancing community participation
in fisheries, Agenda 21, forestry issues and sustainability.
I would be interested in sharing experiences with people who work on changing
the perceptions of agencies and the different levels of government towards
a more participatory approach.... this seems to be one of the biggest challenges
at present.
Hugh Govan
SCOTLAND | COSTA RICA
Hugh@napiers.demon.co.uk | funtuva@sol.racsa.co.cr
38 Queen Charlotte St. | Fundacion TUVA, Aptdo 54
Edinburgh EH6 6AT, Scotland | Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Michael Hammond
"M.P.Hammond" <M.Hammond@sheffield.ac.uk>
I am writing to introduce myself to the iacn forum. My name is Michael Hammond
and I work at university for Sheffield on a research project to do with
using network communications in professional learning mostly to do with
courses here - this means networks both for information and communication.
I think the first is less problematic - increasing numbers of people will
have Internet access and if convenient and cheap will get info via www,
of course inequality of access, and learning to use the tech are issues
but it is clear why someone might want to get info this way. The communications
side is more difficult / interesting, I do not have a lot of experience
in this as yet but it seems to me that people use email with great ingenuity
to share information even though many people would rather be talking than
writing and meeting face to face - I am interested in community groups on
line as I got interested through a local group interested in third world
issues which I belong to.
I am now running a course (7 meeting over 14 weeks) - well, advertised a
course to run if anyone joins it - for people involved with local community
group to use the Internet, this is at the university of Sheffield - if you
would like to know more or can offer advice on this could you contact me
- I would be keen to hear of anyone else's experience in this area.
Michael Hammond
Division of Continuing Education
West Street
University of Sheffield
Sheffield S1 4ET
Tel (0114) 2825382 fax 27686533
jitol project
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/projects/jitol
Peter Hussey
106034.1735@compuserve.com.
Hello to all the other posters on the IACN list. I am the manager of a community
business in Liverpool, its full name is the Croxteth Enterprise Training
and Employment Centre Ltd, but it is generally known as CENTEC.
We have been in existence since 1988 and I have been there since 1990. We
are a CBED enabling body - CBED is Liverpool City Council speak for a Community
Based Economic Development body. We provide enterprise start-up advice,
managed workspace, career guidance, Job Brokerage and workshop resources
that can be used by small businesses and unemployed individuals.
We also have a community garage and a building maintenance company, and
we have an involvement in a community care company, a supported living project
for adults with learning difficulties and a citizen advocacy project. One
of the workshops is an computer resource. My original thought was to create
an urban variant of the Electronic Village Hall concept, It would provide
hands-on training and be a resource for people once trained. That idea has
been cash starved in spite of the lip-service paid by the strategists in
the funding bodies to telematics being the main driver for economic development;
but is now beginning to shape up.
I have a question for other folks on the list. When you use the word community,
for example in the name International Association for Community Networking
- what do you mean? Clearly, from the introductions already made many people
see this list as an opportunity for people like us - i.e. academics and
community workers / activists (no I dont like that word either) to exchange
examples of best practice, etc. all of which is very useful and worthwhile.
I also think along a different path.
I have been interested to find ways in which the communities in peripheral
estates and inner city areas can get access to computers and to the Web
and thereby to have real equal opportunity for once. A colleague of mine
Steve McGrath of Dingle Opportunities is exploring how information can be
made available throughout that community via computers in public access
places. Information such as Welfare Benefits information, Whats On, contact
numbers. etc. Our EVH is another example but so far has not attracted the
width of people that I would like.
We are trying to effect a network of the CBED bodies of Liverpool, there
are about a dozen, and there are the beginnings of other networks, e.g.
one linking some of the Partnerships to Integration.
The introductions are very interesting but I would like to see a lot more
posting from those who have introduced themselves, to tell the rest of us
what they have tried, what has worked AND what has failed - and why. Failure
often provides better experience than success!
Neil Irving
neil@nyfvo.demon.co.uk
I've just joined the list and Dave Millar asked that I provide an introduction.
NYFVO (North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations) is the county
wide development agency for the voluntary sector in North Yorkshire. In
conjuction with 14 local development agencies (councils for voluntary service
etc) we have a role in developing, linking, servicing and representing the
sector. Our focus in on strategic work at a county level, work where the
necessary critical mass only exists at a county level, and other work that
is best done at a county level. It is a big county - 3250 square miles.
Much of the area has a very low population density but there are also urban
areas that score highly in indices of urban deprivation. I've only been
here about 12 weeks and previously worked in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
I'm interested in developing use of electronic communication to overcome
the difficulties of communication within and outside the sector that arise
because of the high cost of transport (time, money and very poor public
transport). Currently I'm working on a small funding bid to link all the
local development agencies to the internet (offers of cash - or ideas -
welcome!)
I'm also involved in a group of 22 councils for voluntary service nationally
who are currently using the internet.
Neil Irving <neil@nyfvo.demon.co.uk>
North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations
William House, Shipton Road, Skelton, York YO3 6XW
telephone: 01904 644520 fax: 01904 634874
David Jennings
djennings@swan.fdgroup.co.uk (David Jennings)
I joined this list just today, and - prompted by Dave Miller - am writing
to introduce myself.
I know Dave and some of his colleagues, particularly Graham Bagshaw, through
being based in Sheffield UK, where I work as consultant and project manager
in the area of facilitating group working over networks, both in community
and in business.
I am director of the Network Users' Forum (http://www.shef.ac.uk/~snuf/),
a not-for-profit organisation established just over a year ago to support
exchange of best practice in using network technology. We have subscribers
in business, community and education sectors, and organise both face-to-face
meetings on a number of themes and on-line exchanges (via a listserver).
I also manage a development project with some European funding (see http://www.fdgroup.co.uk/neo/)
to provide Internet services to the small, often micro- businesses in Sheffield's
Cultural Industries Quarter. Since October 95 we have put around 60 enterprises
on-line, and many of them have taken first steps in developing their own
web sites. My main interest is in encouraging use of the net for on-line
exchange of information, trading, tips, gossip etc that is relevant to our
target sectors (we have a news server established to support this).
Professionally and career-wise, I come to this area as a chartered occupational
psychologist who got interested a long time ago in how technology mediates
the way people do their work and their relationships with others. I remain
active in the Human-Computer Interaction and Computer-Supported Cooperative
Work professional communities - see http://www.fdgroup.co.uk/neo/djassoc/
if you want to know any more.
Heikki Korpinen
Heikki Korpinen <heikki.korpinen@dipoli.hut.fi>
Hei, regards from Finland. Do you think why a Finn in your list?
I thought it might be good for me to introduce myself now after we all have
read David Miller's message about EU-discussion about community nets. It's
the same ship we are on our cruise, true?
I am in charge of Free-Net Finland, a network for Finland's schools, nation
wide. The system was opened almost three years ago. Every student, teacher,
parent, partner willing to have can get a noncost internet account by Free-Net
and all it's services without extra cost. Like a library, in a way. Electronic
card to a modern public library. There are now about 65 000 internet accounts
by Free-Net and largening www-services for that COMMUNITY of us, the learning
environment.
Free-Net's vision is a community network vision. We have worked for years
with our American and Canadian friends. We joined the Free-Net family and
NPTN about four years ago, when we found the way we like to make true our
high hopes of the way networks are worth using.
Now we'd like to enlargen our scope, from learning community to a net of
communities for all citizens - by the same visions David Wilcox has so many
times written in this list and in other places. I had an honour to meet
David in Cupertino May 1995, in a conference similar to that one in Taos.
I hope you in UK and we in Finland can work together to build a European
model of community networks and let people in other European countries know,
what's most valuable also in the nets - the people.
Regards
Heikki <Henry> Korpinen
Free-Net Finland
Heikki Korpinen Helsinki University of Technology
coordinator Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli
Free-Net Finland, K-12 network 02150 Espoo, Finland korpinen@freenet.hut.fi
tel. +358-0-4514007, fax. +358-0-4514655
http://www.freenet.hut.fi/
http://www.freenet.hut.fi/english.html
Prepared by Communities
Online December 2 1996