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          Text of slide presentation at TeleCommunities-96

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Lessons I have learned -- maybe

         John Mueller

    University of Calgary
    Calgary Free-Net Association

    mueller@freenet.calgary.ab.ca


      (views are purely personal ...)

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Internet "culture" & evolution

> " Unregulated"  -- no central authority
> Open view of knowledge, sharing ideas
> Active: knowledge networking, self-directed
> Communication, not computing
> Volunteers, voluminous, vigourous, volatile
> Enlightened altruism
> Value added
> "Do it, share it, get permission ...."

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" What can I do"  -- problems

> Serendipity
     - e-mail a by-product, not planned
> Nonlinear extrapolation
     - laser weapons ... laser printers
> Old wine in new bottle
     - (not) global Nintendo
     - (not) 500 channels
     - (not) home shopping
     - (not) computing
> Volatility

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Freenets & Community Nets

> Excellent fit to "Internet" history & culture --
     need to remind ourselves of this!
> Why the trouble "explaining"?
     - media confusion
     - business confusion
     - government(s) confused
> Confusion?
     Internet is not identical to the Information Super Highway.

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Internet vs. "Information SuperHighway"

>  Internet is
     - bidirectional (user driven)
     - communication/information
          not entertainment per se
          not home shopping
     - here, now, thriving ....

> Info Super-HYPE-way (500 channels) is
     - minimally bidirectional
     - provider driven
     - mostly entertainment ("edutainment")
     - coming " REAL SOON"  ....

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Why the confusion & hype?

> Media types thrive on hype

> Business understands hype, e.g.,
     - Windows 95
     - IPOs  for Netscape et al.
> Business sees no money in Internet per se

> Internet involves education, information sharing: generally
  computer hardware and software has never understood
  the education/home market (BOB, eh?)

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The Government(s)?

> Governments may understand the Hype-Way proponents?
> Governments do not really understand grass-roots
  movements in general?
> Goverments better prepared to deal with larger organizations,
   especially pre-existing ones (historical working relationship)?
> Area too volatile for conventional long-term planning.

        (... hurry ... next slide!)

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Government(s) not the enemy

> The Internet as we know it developed with little government
   involvement.

> Free-Nets have developed with little government involvement.

 Goverment's impact overall is (has been?) "irrelevant" or
 "incidental" -- sometimes positive, sometimes negative,
 but never the major player.

        (hurry on ... )

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 I didn't say that!

It's not that "government" is irrelevant, just that it hasn't
been the definitive factor in the growth of the Internet,
and is unlikely to be the salvation in the future.

We haven't had a lot of help from that quarter, but we're
still here; maybe, just maybe, we don't need "help" as much
as we need non-interference?

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Govt(s): neither friend nor foe?

> Don't blame "the government"
> Don't wait on "the government"
> Educate "the government", but carry on
         (praise the Lord, pass the ammunition?)

 Government impact has been greatest when open-ended
(rather than detailed): e.g., NSFNET involved a modest
dollar amount, but huge benefit -- stay out of the way
(think about your own volunteers)

       open-ended: "go forth and multiply ..."

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Status Report

> "Government(s)" struggling to understand
> Business disappointed that marketing hasn't
    been a run-away success ...
> Web designers/artists "showing off"
> ISPs selling access from every third garage

 Community Nets still viable ... must be doing something right

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Prognosis?

> Business still thinks we want more home shopping,
  more channels, etc.

> circa 1950s: picture telephones ... still don't have (nor want),
       and CU-SeeMe not from business sector
> circa 1950s: we'll be working 30-hour weeks, need buildup
  in leisure outlets -- yeah, sure, two career families instead
> circa 1950s: newspaper via TV

 Still lots of effort going into solving problems we don't have?

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 Community Nets as a replay?

> Internet evolved in academic arena

     - Community Nets have goals and needs very similar
        to those on campus 15 years ago.

     - Academics had indirect infrastructure, but made it
        work in unplanned ways.

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Other on-campus parallels

> Separate access for the VIPs (administrators) and academics ...

> Security, etc., big concerns for administration side ...

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Who gains from Community Nets?

> The "little guy", business or civilian
> The newcomer
> The self-starter
> Those with economic problems

Zero to "something" --
 nothing to 14.4 a bigger gain than 14.4 to T3?

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 Don't apologize so much

> It's about communication, information, it's not about
    golly-whiz cutting-edge flash and sizzle

       And just what is "information"?

> ASCII text, primarily? (text-only Mondays)
> picture = thousand words (2 pages ...)
> graphics, sound, etc., all too often incidental, poorly
    integrated, distracting, time consuming .... (or useless)

          (and this from a Mac fan ....)

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If you are a newbie ...

> Basic Access does information quite well --
   Microsoft Office is not for a computer literacy course

     - High-end access is curiously promoted by ...
        computer manufacturers and software and RAM marketers ...

> Free-Net advocacy groups can have a very high degree of
  credibility, because we are not selling anything ...
  "government(s)" might well note this too

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 Life-long learning

> Multiple careers in a life-time?
   (or is this too another 30-hour workweek fiction?)

> "Look for the work that needs doing", not pre-defined desk plaques

>  Learning intrinsic to life, but courses are not relevant
   (only for "certification")

>  Downsized employees could retool as volunteers?

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Don't deny

> It's OK to "compete" and "profit"
     $ Public library vs. Coles
     $ Public museum vs private
     $ Public golf course vs. private

> We don't have quite the same goals as a commercial ISP,
  but we need not take a vow of poverty either.
  The "consumer" benefits as we push the ISPs
  (just like libraries push Coles).

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 Embrace change

> Can't buy a pulse phone (or 8 track players, etc.)
> Graphic (PPP) interface ubiquitous
> Not just about "browsing"
> Nicer clients: "force" download mail

> Volunteer turnover: fact of life in schools

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Prepare for delays

> On this side it's about communication
> On the "other side" it's about giving up control of the
   flow of information ...
> CBE found 8 million; spent 6 million on administrative
   computing, 2 on classroom.
> ATA "complains" about (not) wiring schools; would have a
   fit if the Clinton-Gore weekend wiring was to be proposed

> People making the decisions aren't even computer literate,
   much less on-line -- "real men don't type"

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Take a retiree to lunch

> Retirement age creeps down, voluntary or otherwise.
> "Seniors" a tremendously underutilized community resource.
> Cheap, doesn't require travel, fills time constructively,
   and expertise (content) counts ...
          no one knows you're an "old dog" on the Internet!
> Common interests give elders and youngsters something in common

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Have some fun

> "Big business" view of computer use as deadly serious ...
  another thing not understood about Internet
  (learning involves exploration,  play9)

> "Playing with computer" vs. "working at typewriter"

We are advocates for benefits of information technology;
a breath-taking time to be alive, occasionally useful     :-)

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