AGENDA COMMUNITY NETWORKING: THE INTERNATIONAL FREE-NET CONFERENCE AUGUST 17-19, 1993 CARLETON UNIVERSITY OTTAWA, CANADA Sponsored by the National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa, in association with Industry and Science Canada. Chairman: David Sutherland, Director, Computing and Communications Services, Carleton University; and President, National Capital FreeNet Inc. This conference was action oriented. Following panel presentations on each of four themes, every conference participant joined in working groups to discuss "action agendas" addressing key issues in the development of community networks. The action agendas were presented to all conference participants in a plenary session and a conference summary was posted on FreeNet. WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION MODERATORS Group A: Julie Chahal Group B: John P. Ferguson Group C: Warren Thorngate Group D: Jean Wilmot Group E: John Morgan DAY ONE Tuesday, August 17, 1993 6:00 - 7:00 pm REGISTRATION * Carleton Tour and Conference Centre, University Commons Building, by the Residence Commons Registration Desk 7:00 - 9:00 pm BARBECUE AND CASH BAR * Courtyard behind University Commons Building DAY TWO Wednesday, August 18 ALL CONFERENCE PLENARY AND THEME SESSIONS HELD IN FENN LOUNGE, RESIDENCE COMMON 8:00 - 9:00 am REGISTRATION * Fenn Lounge, Residence Commons 9:00 - 10:00 am PLENARY SESSION - REINVENTING CANADA: COMMUNITY NETWORKS AND THE TRANSITION TO AN INFORMATION SOCIETY * Conference overview: David Sutherland, Conference Chairman * Welcome: Mr. Michael Binder, Assistant Deputy Minister, Spectrum, Telecommunications and Information Technologies, Industry and Science Canada. * Keynote speaker: Peter Calamai, Editor, Editorial Page, The Ottawa Citizen 10:00 - 10:15 am Refreshment break 10:15 - 11:15 am THEME I: HOW TO START AND RUN A FREE-NET; THE ORGANIZATION OF FREE-NETS * "If I had to start another FreeNet, knowing what I know now." - David Sutherland, President, National Capital FreeNet * Planning Communications with the Community - David Loan, Chairperson, Community Relations Committee, National Capital FreeNet * Funding FreeNets - Sam Sternberg, Toronto FreeNet Treasurer and Committee Chairperson for Data Resources and Fund-Raising * Wiring the West - Free-Nets and more in British Columbia - Gareth R. Shearman, Victoria Freenet 11:15 - 12:15 pm Working group discussions, theme I * What do we mean by community computer networking? * How to start a Free-Net * How to fund your Free-Net. * Increasing awareness about the purpose and possibilities of community computing networks. * Identifying key issues and possible responses for communities and governments in the growth of community computing networks. 12:15 - 1:30 pm Lunch 1:30 - 2: 25 pm PLENARY SESSION; ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR COMMUNITY NETWORKS * Keynote speaker: V-Sat and rural access - Barry Kirk, Senior Associate, Satellite Communications, NGL * Keynote speaker: "FirstClass:" multiplatform electronic communication that works - Maury Markowitz, SoftArc Inc. * Keynote speaker: McGill University Campus Wide Information Service - Roy Miller, McGill University 2:25 - 3:10 pm THEME II: THE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY OF FREE-NETS * Questions from experience with a FreeNet prototype - Walter Lewis, Halton Hills Public Library and Chair, Halinet Technical Services Committee * Understanding FreePort - Andrew Patrick, Communication Research Centre and National Capital FreeNet Board * Making National Capital FreeNet Bilingual - Pete Hickey, Communication Services, University of Ottawa 3:10 - 3:30pm Refreshment break 3:30 - 4:30 pm Working group discussions, theme II * Managing FreePort software * Super users and trusted users; coordinating hands-on system development * Menu structure and page design * Security * Internet access * Software and interface standards * Programming for bilingual text * Getting the most out of Free-Net; turning members into power users * The next generation; what should the face of Free-Nets and other networks look like? 7:00 - 9:00 pm DINNER * Speaker, Tom Grundner, President, National Public Telecomputing Network, Cleveland, Ohio. DAY THREE Thursday, August 19 9:00 - 10:15 am PLENARY SESSION: CYBERSPACE AS LEARNING SPACE * Keynote speaker: Gender Issues in Networking. - Leslie Regan Shade, McGill University, Graduate Program in Communications. * Keynote speaker: Connecting school and community networks - Marita Moll, Research and Information Services, Canadian Teachers' Federation, and NCF Academy One Coordinator * Keynote speaker: The SchoolNet Project - Karen Kostaszek, representing Industry and Science Canada, national SchoolNet project. 10:15 - 10:30 am Refreshment break 10:30 - 11:15 am THEME III: SUSTAINING COMMUNITY; THE USE AND IMPACT OF FREE-NETS * For business and profit; commercial uses - Michael Strangelove, Publisher, The Internet Business Journal, Ottawa * The NCF Federal election Project - Richard Taylor, Member, National Capital FreeNet Board * Access for the visually Impaired - Sam Fulton, City of Ottawa 11:15 - 12:15 pm Working group discussions, theme III * How do we use community computer networks as tools for community development? * Local / global? - how much internet to give members? * Censorship, privacy, copyright and other legal issues * Social issues: language, gender and cultural issues, access for the differently abled; how do we deepen participation in the life of the community? * Free-Net and the arts * Relating to governments, providing government information * Understanding Free-Net as a communications medium, not an information medium * For business and profit; commercial uses and relations * Deschooling society; learning and community networks * How to moderate online discussions; critical skills for information providers in building community 12:15 - 1:30 pm Lunch 1:30 - 2:15 pm THEME IV: INTRODUCING COHERENCE INTO THE COMMUNITY NETWORK MOVEMENT. * Telecommunications Strategy and the Campaign for an Ontario Information Infrastructure - Rory O'Brien, Member, Council for an Ontario Information Infrastructure, and WEB Programme Coordinator * Community access to the electronic highway: freeway or tollroad?- Brian Penney, CANARIE Associates and Vice President, Business Development, Gandalf Technologies Inc. * National development of community networks; alternatives for structure - Garth Graham, Community Access Network Information Services 2:15 - 3:15 pm Working group discussions, theme IV * Action planning; where does community networking go from here? * What are the necessary local, national and global links among Community networks? * Finding out who is active in the development of a network of community computing networks. * Creating learning spaces for people interested in starting and running community computing networks. * Other models for community networks and bulletin boards * CA*net and CANARIE relations with Free-Nets * Public access to high-speed networks; future telecommunications tariffs and policy * The equity issue of rural access from outside your free dialing zone * Impact research and evaluation; understanding the role of Free-nets in social change 3:15 - 3:30 pm Refreshment break 3:30 - 4:30 pm PLENARY SESSION: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 4:30 pm: Conference closes; David Sutherland