From: aa309@freenet.carleton.ca (Kyla Huckerby) Date: Wed, 31 Aug Managing FreeNets: outline for presentation at '94 FreeNet Conference Kyla Huckerby, Office Manager NAtional Capital FreeNet August 1994 INTRODUCTION: ------------- -Year and half as NCF employee -Accumulated wealth of experience and insight into NCF and FreeNets -Want to impart this knowledge to others involved in this process *** FreeNets are about people not computers, thus *** *** managing FreeNets is about MANGAGING PEOPLE *** *** not managing computers!!!! *** SCOPE OF MANAGING FREENETS (AT THIS TIME IN THE GROWTH OF THE MOVEMENT) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TASK: How to move from a group of founding individuals (provide visionary energy, FEW INDIVIDUALS DO IT ALL) to a professional run organization (allows for full participation by community) Obstacles to achieving this task: * 24 hour on-line democratic endeavours: staff/volunteers can't be available 24 hours a day * overwhelming interest sparks REACTIVE management (all energies spent on responding to requests from community wanting to participate yet no infrastructure in place to facilitate this involvement) * very difficult to be PROACTIVE in approach to management How to ease transition to professionally run organization: 1. BE CLEAR ON WHAT FREENET IS TRYING TO DO AND FOCUS ENERGIES ON THESE GOALS *PUBLIC ACCESS *COMMUNITY INFORMATION *ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION 2. SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS WITHIN IN ORGANIZATION AND CONVEY THIS OUTWARDS TO THE COMMUNITY - AVOIDS DISAPPOINTMENT 3. FOCUS ON PROVIDING A SPACE WHICH WILL ALLOW COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO PARTICIPATE (faciltate/manage process as opposed to doing everything)^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ 4. BE PROACTIVE IN APPROACH ^^^^^^^^^ FINDING A BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM/INTIMATE NEIGHBOURHOOD ----------------------------------------------------------------- * develop an organization structure which permits board/staff/volunteer to work togeather to achieve goal (ALL 3 ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF A FREENET) * need a clear vision to guide activities (short and long term) CLOSING REMARKS --------------- -would like to take the opportunity to say it has been an exciting, dynamic and incredible experience to be involved at the intial growth stage of NCF -provided an opportunity to a little bit of everything (never boring!!) -most importantly thank Jean Wilmot, Andrew Patrick and David Sutherland for their support and encouragment -- Kyla Huckerby NCF Office Manager aa309@freenet 520-9001 -- Garth Graham aa127@freenet.carleton.ca Coordinator, Canadian Community Networks Conference, and founding meeting, Telecommunities Canada, Aug. 15-17, 1994 Box 86, Ashton, Ont., K0A 1B0, 613-253-3497