What are FreeNets for? You name it (Ambassator of Spain adds to definition) By Charles King Realtime Online OTTAWA (1700 hr, Aug. 16, '94) -- Knowledge. Communication. Information. Literacy. Participation. Community. Democracy. All these words, and many more, were cited by delegates to the Canadian Community Networks Conference Tuesday as examples of the usefulness of FreeNets in the new Information Age. In a brainstorming committee session, four groups came up with a series of practical uses for the computer-based community information service, soon to be linked from coast to coast under the umbrella of Telecommunities Canada. One of the keenest participants in the session was Jose Luis Pardos, the ambassador of Spain to Canada, an enthusiastic FreeNetter whose hope is to open the first such facility in his own country in Barcelona. The ambassador (aj765@Freenet.carleton.ca.) could hardly contain his sense of excitement in the potential of the community-based service. "It has a direct impact on culture," he said. "It is very important -- very democratic." Other delegates agreed wholeheartedly, praising the FreeNet concept as a key unifying influence in the community, a method of increasing literacy levels, educating in technology, and shaping the future of information delivery. FreeNets were seen as well as vehicles for positive social change, providing access to global information structures and a key democratic tool in facilitating interaction with government. Or, as the ambassador put it: "FreeNets are linked to freedom. They offer a free way of passing education to a new generation." -- 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.