New board presented with issues on TC's future Shady Kanfi Realtim Online Ottawa, 17:00 Aug 17 94. Delegates at the founding meeting divided into four working groups to study the main issues facing the fledgling organization of Telecommunities Canada (TC), Wednesday morning, after which the newly elected board proposed the following two areas as key objectives: 1. Fostering the freenet movement within Canada. 2. Representing the freenet movement on national and international levels. As one board member put it: "To be the public lane on the information superhighway." The working groups also gave recommendations on the future goals of TC. Among these proposals was the creation of a mission statement by the begining of Science and Technology Week for an organized PR campaign by freenets across the country. As well it was suggested that TC obtain the national rights to the Freenet name from NPTN, and to work with that organization to evolve a new international framework for developing the global Freenet movement. Finally it was suggested that coordination of the assistance to organizing freenets was necessary, and could be achieved in the development of organizing kits and central clearinghouses of local experiences with various issues. Other recommendations were: -for TC to provide a unified voice to the rest of the country, -that a response to the Advisory Council be drafted by late September, -that movement on the establishment of freenets as charities be encouraged, -that internet access be obtained at lower fees from providers, -that local groups be assisted on establishing liability policy, and, -that TC support the development of on-line literacy among the public. Closing comments by conference organizer Garth Graham echoed the opening comments made by Mark Surman, that the electronic commons are upon us, and that now there was a national organization able to ensure its existence. Anyone wishing to offer their services to the new organization can contact board member Kevin Nugent at the Chebucto Freenet: aa006@cfn.cs.dal.ca -- Realtime Online - Professional Conference Reporting Team Rosaleen Dickson, Ottawa ac174@freenet.carleton.ca. Pierre Bourque, Michel Careau, Shady Kanfi, Charles King, Andrea Kujala, Jules Lafrance, Bruce MacDonald, Robt Rattey, Natalie Roth, Michael Silvestrini, Stephen Toy.