MORE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY USE OF COMPUTER NETWORKS
In the information revolution underway in Australia, the community is being overlooked. The gap between the information rich and the information poor is growing wider. There is a danger that the evolving information society will be more about social control than empowerment of the community.
It is time we made a collective lobby for greater resources to develop community-based computer networks, to simplify the use of these networks, to provide better support for new users, and to encourage a wider range of people, including those with no previous experience with computers, to come online.
The business sector, particularly large-scale enterprise, the government at Federal and State level, other large government agencies, and the universities, have been steaming ahead with the introduction of new computer communication systems. The information revolution has so far all but by-passed the grassroots informal sector.
ANYONE INTERESTED?
Does anyone think that a lobby group for developing grassroots/community use of computer communications and online information (telematics) would be a good idea?
Respond to this topic or drop me an e-mail message if you have some views on this, if you would like to be involved, or if you would merely like to be kept informed.
Contact: Geoff Holland e-mail: gholland@peg.apc.org
postal: Community Telematics proposal, PO BOX 683, Bondi Jcn, NSW 2022.
tel (02)365 2251
The group would promote the perceived interests of
a) community groups/organisations, local government
b) activist groups
c) individual networkers/home-users
d) the computer illiterate
Below is a list of suggested objectives for this proposed lobby group.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
To further develop online services so that they are:
a) more accessible
b) less expensive
c) more reliable
d) more user-friendly and self-explanatory
e) more convenient and faster
f) of higher quality presentation and content
OBJECTIVES
1. To increase the number of people using computer communications from home and among local community organisations.
2. To reduce the cost of using 'telematics' (telecommunications/informatics).
3. To improve the user-friendliness of online services.
4. To improve public access to online government information.
5. To help raise computer literacy levels in the community and provide better support services, and community education in the use of e-mail, e-databases and e-conferencing.
6. To encourage mainstream media to publish more articles on community use of telematics.
7. To improve access to shareware, particularly communications, word-processing and database software
8. To identify ways of resolving inequities in the community brought about by unequal access to information technology and services.
9. To improve convenience and speed of access to e-mail and databases.
10. To encourage the development of improved screen technology to allow reading of long texts with minimal eyestrain, and notebook computers which can be read as a book.
11. To encourage the computer and information industries to focus more on developing the longterm broad market and not just the narrow elite market which is more lucrative in the short term.
12. To encourage database providers to abolish subscription fees, bureaucratic registration processes, and confusing and unnnecessarily complex cost structures and charge only for time used; and to encourage database providers to coordinate with PTTs (telephone network operators) so that all costs are itemised on a single telephone bill.
13. To encourage the use of macro commands to enhance the convenience of access to online services; and to improve the telecommunications network technology so that delays in making a connection are greatly reduced and improve success of first attempt to connect.
14. To promote the use of low-cost CD-ROMs as personal general reference sources, (which will help reduce the load on the telephone network), to encourage low-cost recordable CD-ROM technology, and improve general reference databases currently available on CD-ROM.
15. To encourage public libraries to provide online access to catalogues and full text documents, and equip libraries with a number of personal computers, CD-ROM indexes, printers and support staff trained in their use. The CD-ROM databases could also be made available by remote access. Costs of access to information should be free or kept to an absolute minimum to preserve as much as possible the principle of free access to library information.
16. To encourage development of a nationwide index of books, journals and other documents available in public, TAFE and university libraries.
17. To encourage development of more full text (low-cost) databases, beyond the current emphasis on bibliographic databases.
18. To explore mechanisms whereby libraries would charge small fees for access to full texts which are passed on to the author as royalties (eg 50 cents to download a book).
19. To encourage upgrading of telecommunications infrastructure to facilitate faster data transmission speeds, as well as affordable transmission of photos and other graphics.
20. To promote broad community use of online white pages and yellow pages.
21. To lobby for development of a national and international e-mail directory, as well as a directory of online information sources and other services.
22. To encourage opportunities for teleworking as an option, for example, by organising local teleworking centres within walking distance from home.
23. To lobby for greater aid for development of community telematics programs in developing countries.
24. To encourage development of online distance education.
25. To facilitate electronic funds tranfer (cash payments online) between individuals.
26. To promote the use of electronic news services to replace wasteful use of newspaper.
27. To promote more use of computer communications and access to online information and electronic conferences in high schools and primary schools in a way that allows students to become self-motivated and independent networkers.
28. To improve mobile access, including affordability and convenience of access for individuals traveling in different countries and remote regions.
29. To lobby for greater government and private sector funding for community-oriented telematics projects.
30. To encourage information technology research centres to conduct more research on telematics issues at the community level.
31. To explore development of online plebiscites and community interaction with government in all spheres.
32. To encourage development of community telematics centres which offer use of photocopiers, laser printers, personal computers with a range of software, faxes, optical readers, CD-ROM library, gateways to online databases, as well as equipment repair services, tuition/classes and advice in the use of equipment and information services and information management, all at competitive prices, and a free community telematics notice board.
32. To disseminate information on new developments overseas relating to building a democratic information society, and community telematics projects.
33. To encourage all sectors, including government, the private sector, community groups, educational and research sectors, activist groups and trade unions, to develop a vision statement and a plan for Australia's transition to a more democratic and socially just information societyt, databases and e-conferencing.
