Introductions L-R
These are introductions made from July 1996 to the IACN
mailing list L-R. Back to full IACN intros index.
Anna Malina
Colin Millar
Robyn Mills
Jon Moore
Michael Mulquin
Lynnda Neethling
David Newman
Susan O'Donnell
Graham Pitt
Stephen Rennie
Stephen Robinson
Brian J Robson
Anna Malina
cimali@cis.qmced.ac.uk
Hello!
I recently joined the mailing list and would like to introduce myself and
briefly outline my areas of interest.
I am a PhD research student in the Dept. of Communication & Information
Studies in Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh.
I am interested in the implications of virtual communication for the 'public
sphere'. I am particularly interested in the different scenarios regarding
the social and economic uses of new converging electronic media and want
to explore what might be described as the emergence of opportunities and
risks created by new forms of locally based electronic networks. These
include concepts of empowerment, equality and citizenship described by
the concept of 'virtual democracy'. I also find interesting the continuing
significance of market forces, consumerism and the move towards smaller
scale niche markets. Increasingly significant in this respect is the ability
to represent places in a virtual environment located in the global market-place.
My PhD research study is centred around the Craigmillar Community Information
Service Network, a community-based electronic network in Edinburgh. The
study is qualitative and seeks to explore and seek understanding about the
background, subsequent development, human use and perceived significance
of the network. I hope to examine the way CCIS (as one example of community
electronic networking) is bringing local organisations and local people
to the forefront and how they are supporting, through different forms of
agency, the cultural and economic intitiatives which contribute to urban
regeneration of the local area.
Earlier this year, I was able to present papers at two international conferences,
outlining some of the introductory aspects of my study and describing some
theoretical and empirical directions. These could be described in more
detail to anyone interested. (For info, the second paper was presented
at the 20th IAMCR Conference in Sydney and was co-written and co-presented
with my supervisor, Nick Jankowski, of the University of Nijmegen, The
Netherlands.)
I am looking forward to continuing communication and discussions with this
group.
Anna Malina
Queen Margaret College
Dept of Communication & Information Studies
Edinburgh, Scotland.
email:: cimali@cis.qmced.ac.uk or 100526.3635@compuserve.com
Colin Millar
Colin Millar <colin.millar@bt-sys.bt.co.uk>
As Dave suggested when we joined up to the list ( a most excellent job -
thanks Dave!) we could send out a short introduction summarising our interest
in the IACN and its UK offspring. Here goes.
I lead a small research project on Community Networks at BT Labs. You may
note my colleagues Doug Williams and maybe Dave Greenop on the list. Basically
this Project is funded from the Board via the Strategy Departments and is
of the form of a "Advocate Team", where we try to develop a case
for a radically different view of a future operating environment and inform
decision-makers accordingly. It is a mix of trying to be visionary whilst
keeping our feet firmly planted in reality.
Our background is basically technical (networks, information and applications)
and this is largely new territory for us, so we need to understand the issues
through interaction with practitioners. That is why we think the IACN is
important - to form new understandings and identify partnerships to help
make the future happen.
The Project noted above is actually supporting the formation of the IACN
(UK) or whatever it will be called, through small financial and moral support
for venues, refreshements, admin costs etc via P4T. This is not sustainable
in the long term, but will get things off the ground.
We have a vision to actually get involved in a community network at some
time in the near future, but we need to form a better understanding supporting
a crisper case to decision-makers in the company to get to the "beyond
critical" activity stage. The IACN will help us immensely in this process
by providing a focus for information and opinion, a font of possible partnerships,
leverage to get things moving, a depository of good practice, and a place
where manifest success can be recorded.
Doug and I gave a presentation at CIN 96 where we elaborated BTs research
position. If you wish to talk further, please dont hesitate to contact me
on 01473 643863 or colin.millar@bt-sys.bt.co.uk.
Robyn Mills
Robyn Mills <millsr@pigeon.qut.edu.au>
Thanks for adding me to the list. A bit about me and Logan Regional Resource
Centre: ours is a small community based nonprofit organisation serving community
agencies and groups in an urban and rural area that abuts the capital city
of Queensland, Brisbane. We work with workers and caregivers to enhance
service provision and we provide information resources. That's where I come
in. As the Librarian, I control our collection of material on community
development and management and regional and local issues. I am currently
undertaking a research project into the feasibility of establishing a community
services directory and network facility for the local community sector using
either Internet or electronic bulletin-board. Hence my interest in finding
out about community networking. I am currently at the literature review
stage, and am pulling quite a lot of stuff off the net. I am appreciative
of any assistance I can gain with research in this area.
Logan Regional Resource Centre
PO Box 640 Woodridge Australia 4112
Ph. 61 7 3290 2399
Fax 61 7 3290 2851
Email millsr@pigeon.qut.edu.au
Logan Regional Resource Centre
PO Box 640 Woodridge Australia 4112
Ph. 61 7 3290 2399
Fax 61 7 3290 2851
Jon Moore
Jon Moore <jmoore@fzl.cel.co.uk>
I'm Jon. I work for CEL - Collective Enterprises Limited.
We are a private small business specialising in providing management services
to not-for-profit organisations. (More info at www.cel.co.uk).
We are currently writing up a long-term (3 yrs) study into the feasibility
of providing a public-access internet and on-line services facility for
Derbyshire organisations.
Good to meet you all at the conference - I found it very interesting and
useful.
Jon Moore http://www.win-uk.net/~jmoore/
Personal Mail: jmoore@fzl.win-uk.net
Collective Enterprises Ltd: jmoore@cel.co.uk
Michael Mulquin
Michael Mulquin <ASTON-CIU@GEO2.poptel.org.uk>
It was exciting to meet many of you and to get the sense that things are
about to take off! My name is Michael Mulquin and I work in the East London
borough of Newham for a charitable trust. I head a team of 13 people supporting
new community initiatives in the borough. We obtained European funding to
set up the NewTel project to help the voluntary sector in Newham to use
the new communications technology and the team have been working since January.
They, no doubt, will introduce themselves. Since March last year I have
also been supporting David Wilcox and Richard Stubbs in every way I could
in the attempt to link such initiatives up nationally. Things are happening
at breathneck speed and now is the time for us to take a step back and identify
good models. I look forward to working with you all!
Lynnda Neethling
Lynnda Neethling <minerva@dcez.com>
I am a graduate MLS student in Library and Information Science at the Catholic
University of America, with an interest in the ways in which partnerships
between libraries and community information networks can be developed and
fostered. (I know that there are some other folk on this list with a similiar
library perspective).
I have worked as a public librarian in Johannesburg, South Africa for 8
years, and developed an interest in community outreach as a result of this
work, but it was when I came to the US last year on a Fulbright scholarship,
that I began to learn about the possibilities of using technology as a tool
to reach more people more effectively. This is my final semester, and in
between studies, I am doing some research for the Community Information
Exchange in DC on community information in public libraries, and how their
CD-ROM on community development might benefit public libraries.
Am enjoying the informative and interesting discussions on the list!
Lynnda Neethling
School of Library and Information Science
Catholic University of America
Washington, DC
David Newman
David Newman <Infoman@Queens-Belfast.ac.uk>
See http://www.qub.ac.uk/f&info/staff/dave/
OK, now I've sorted out my local computer conferencing to e-mail gateway,
here's the rest of my introduction.
I'm just about to advertise for a half-time research assistant to evaluate
community information networks, especially Community Information Network
Northern Ireland (CINNI). CINNI is designed to support communications between
community and voluntary groups, rather than general public access. Each
group can choose what they wish to do with their Internet connection: use
it for local people who drop in, for training and education, for their information
officer to find information, or to communicate with similar groups or people
with similar interests outside their community.
The evaluation will be based on the critical benefits and initial needs
of each of the participating groups. Some have already set measurable objectives,
others can be gleaned from group interviews and my students' case studies
of the organisations.
From davenewman at QUB-IM, via infoman@qub.ac.uk account of Dr. David R.
Newman, Queen's University, School of Management, BELFAST BT7 1NN, Northern
Ireland. mailto:d.r.newman@qub.ac.uk http://www.qub.ac.uk/f&info/staff/dave/index.htmlDate:
Tue, 6 Aug 1996 11:12:51 +0100
Susan O'Donnell
I'm working on a research project looking at info&comm technology use
by Irish community and voluntary organisations. We're in the midst of organising
a conference here in Dublin about the Internet for these organisations.
For more info, you can visit our Web page:
www.dcu.ie/staff/volsec.html
Bye for now.
Susan O'Donnell
Researcher
DCU School of Communications
E-mail: odonnels@ccmail.dcu.ie
Home page:http://www.dcu.ie/staff/sodonnell/index.html#intro
Graham Pitt
Graham J Pitt <graham.pitt@ukonline.co.uk>
I'm Graham Pitt of the West of England Community Network, hopefully!:) I
am a volunteer trying to establish a community network with the help of
the University West of England, based in Bristol.
The aim of this network is to provide easy and low-cost access to a forum
for discussion and exchange of information relating to non-profitmaking
organisations.
I have spent the last fourteen years working as a volunteer helping to develop
the community here in Cornwall, where I live. During this time I have always
been acutely aware of the lack of communication between similar organisations
and the wasted effort caused by the duplication of events and pilots studies.
At present, the West of England Community Network is running a very small
pilot study within the University using the FirstClass conferencing system.
It is hoped that, eventually, this system will be opened to the Internet
to all the sharing of all information relevant to community groups.
One point I would like to make through this missive is about volunteers.
We ARE volunteers. There ARE a lot of us out there working in the community.
Many of us do not have the advantage of financially secure organisations
behind us and therefore, we can only support our ideals as far as our pockets
will allow.
I am sure that you are all aware of the valuable contribution that Volunteers
can make to community projects. I also realise that it is all too easy to
lose sight of the 'grass roots' when the community project becomes part
of your paid employment.
Many thanks to the financially secure organisations that have managed to
get UK Communities Online this far.
Regards to all,
Graham Pitt
Tel: +44 01288 356 045
Fax: +44 01288 356 045
E-mail: gjpitt@aol.com
West of England Community Network
Stephen Rennie
srennie@lmu.ac.uk
By way of introducing myself as a new member, I have included an outline
of the course I teach on which is closest to what I perceive to be members'
interests. Other than this Foresight and Futures course, my teaching (and
my working background) has largely been in the field of children's play.
The Dip HE Playwork at Leeds is my core teaching area.
Stephen Rennie, Leeds Metropolitan University
Stephen Robinson
srobinson@cix.compulink.co.uk (Stephen Robinson)
A brief note to let members of this list know I am here.
I am the Director in charge of IT for the Royal Borough of Kensington &
Chelsea. We are working closely with the London Research Centre to establish
EMAIL links with other London Boroughs.
We are seeking ways of strengthening electronic links with other Boroughs,
our local community and businesses.
Brian J Robson
Brian J Robson <100321.1522@CompuServe.COM>
Retired and working for the last couple of years as a volunteer with Surrey
Charity & Voluntary Initiative (SCVI) which is hosted by Surrey Voluntary
Service Council (SVSC).
I am an IT and Internet enthusiast, both personally, and for their potential
in the voluntary sector. Have just joined the CVS & Internet Working
Group.
Interested in the wider perspective which community networking offers. Hope
I'll be able to make some useful contribution.
Brian
Banstead, Surrey.
Prepared by Communities
Online December 2 1996