Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
COM NET NEWS Vol. 1 No. 1
=========================================================================
SUBSCRIBERS
This new newsletter COM NET NEWS (CNN) will provide a brief monthly
roundup of news and information that is important to the community
networking community. COM NET NEWS, will, by choice, also contain
editorial
comment, which hopefully will stimulate discussion, argument, and action.
I will cover community networking, conferences, educational, and
commercial applications.
******************************************************************
COM NET NEWS is solely under my editorship, and is unrelated and
independent of the La Plaza Telecommunity, of which I am vice
president. The editorial comment is my own and does not reflect in
any way on La Plaza.
You may reproduce or publish any parts of this newsletter and distribute
it
electronically or in paper format. However, any reproduction or publishing
of
CNN material must be accompanied by the following reference:
>From COM NET NEWS:
Richard W. Bryant, Ph.D., Editor & Publisher
RW Bryant Associates
P.O. Box 1828
El Prado, NM 87529
Tel/fax: 505-758-1919
rbryant@hydra.unm.edu
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
COM NET NEWS
Vol. 1 No. 1 APRIL 1994
ALBUQUERQUE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY SEMINAR
The first Information Superhighway Seminar in Albuquerque, New
Mexico was held on Thursday and Friday, March 24th and 25th. This
meeting was jointly sponsored by the Albuquerque Chamber of
Commerce, US West, MCI, Jones Intercable, and NM Technet. It was
held in conjunction with the Albuquerque Business Fair. The two-
day meeting was very well attended, implying a serious interest in
the so-called Information Superhighway.
The keynote speakers were Jim O'Brien, President of Jones
Intercable Inc. and Roanne Robinson, Deputy Director of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce. Other speakers on the first day of the
conference included: Chris Bowick, Group Vice President, Technology,
Jones Intercable; Jon Curran, Regional Manager, AT&T; Rob Smith,
Vice President, Advanced Systems Networks, Microelectronics &
Computer Corporation (MCC); Jeff Sterba, Vice President, Finance
Development, Public Service Company of New Mexico; Tom Garcia,
Vice President New Mexico, US West; Mort Aaronson, Vice President,
Large Accounts and Global Marketing, MCI Business Markets.
Speakers for the second day of the conference included: Robert
Raisch, President, The Internet Company; Fred Smith, President, High
Tech Computer Crime Investigations Association; Peter Broullire,
Attorney; Teresa M. Johnson, Attorney, Keleher & McLeod; Steve
Beffort, Superhighway Seminar Committee; Irwin Kirmer, Consultant.
The overriding theme of the conference was commercial applications
for the Information Superhighway--how will money be made on this
new highway. All of the industry speakers during the first day of the
conference discussed their company's plans for providing
commercial services over the new highway. Essentially, this relates
to the so-called "500 channels." Services would include such things
as movies on-demand, the golf channel and other specialized
entertainment channels, banking, "smart homes," healthcare,
telework (telecommuting), national defense, and purchasing goods on
home-shopping channels. Some attention was paid to educational
applications, but little was actually said. Ironically, US West Vice
President for New Mexico, Tom Garcia, noted that in surveys that
they had seen indicated that approximately 80% of the public poled
felt that educational services were the most important and would be
used the most. Yet, none of the speakers treated education as a
major feature of the National Information Infrastructure (NII).
Garcia also noted that in the US West United Kingdom venture to
provide television and other services through telephone lines in a
testbed location, that they started with 2,100 services two years ago
and now provide over 71,000 services. The types of services were
not discussed.
Overall, the industry participants were promoting their own
company's approach to the development of the Information
Superhighway. Unfortunately, most participants were more
interested in advertizing their own approach, rather than trying to
deal with the substantive issues facing the NII's development and
utilization. MCI even showed its television commercials advertizing
its network.
Jon Curran of AT&T made the point that the information
superhighway is actually a "global" information infrastructure. He
cited applications such as the "smart" home, learning, healthcare,
banking and finance, retail sales, telework, national defense, and
disaster recovery. Curran, who is the southwestern regional manager
for AT&T indicated that he knew very little about the Internet and
had never heard of community networks, nor was he aware of
community network concepts. However, he did indicate an interest
in the concept when informed about the community network
movement in the U.S.
Rob Smith from MCC discussed his organization's project to build
better tools and interfaces which would overlay networks to provide
better access and ease of use for ordinary people. MCC is studying
the managing and understanding of information and information
dissemination. MCC also is working on security issues, particularly as
they relate to banking and finance. Smith discussed the development
of "virtual companies" which are formed when several companies
come together for a specific project or projects, yet physically, they
may be located in geographically disparate regions around the
country or world. Once the job is done, the virtual company
dissolves. The business, research, development, etc. of the virtual
company is accomplished mainly through electronic means. The legal
issues surrounding virtual companies (and other electronic issues)
were discussed during the second day of the conference by Teresa
M. Johnson, an attorney with Keleher & McLeod, who gave an
excellent overview of some of the legal issues facing Internet and
software entrepreneurs. Smith suggested that electronic online
systems, the information superhighway, is probably the most
valuable business opportunity since the development of the
railroads. Smith also noted that he has finally reached the point
where over half of his mail is electronic mail.
Jeff Sterba from the Public Service Company of New Mexico
discussed the power company's role in on the information
superhighway. Usually, when one thinks of the types of
organizations becoming involved in the superhighway, one does not
think of power companies, except when they plug-in their computer
or television. However, power companies are interested in the NII
for a number of reasons. First, the power companies are looking at
the NII because it could provide real-time pricing for the customer
so that power usage could be better monitored to reduce costs to the
consumer and to the power company. NII technology also could
provide for better feedback on the condition of power stations,
transformers, etc. for improved predictions of failures and other
potential problems. Meter reading also could be done more
efficiently electronically. Power companies already utilize a
significant amount of fiber-optic lines to provide communications in
its systems. Some of the bandwidth of this fiber could be used for
telecommunications applications. In addition, power companies have
obtained rights of way which could be leased to NII providers.
Mort Aaronson from MCI discussed MCI's approach to the
information superhighway, which is essentially to provide access to
video on-demand and other commercial services. Much of MCI's
presentation comprised promotional videos advertizing its
NetworkMCI* systems. Aaronson was one of the more aggressive
speakers, and clearly indicated by his comments, the intense rivalry
between MCI and AT&T. Aaronson indicated that it was important
for MCI "to control the content" of what was being delivered. This
statement seemed to go un-noticed among the audience and other
panelists. He also indicated that MCI was emphasizing partnering
among companies. Aaronson, a top executive of MCI, had never
heard of community networks, and was completely unfamiliar with
the concepts. He indicated an interest, when informed about
community network concepts.
Robert Raisch, President of the Internet Company, discussed
commercial applications on the Internet. His company provides the
network resources for Counterpoint Publishing, a company that
processes government information and sells it online. The Internet
Company also runs the Electronic Newsstand, which provides sample
articles, tables of contents, and information about how to subscribe
to a number of magazines. According to Raisch, the Electronic
Newsstand receives 40,000 to 45,000 requests per day for
information through this gopher site.
Raisch suggested that there are six main methods of making money
on the Internet:
1. Hardware--servers, routers, etc.
2. Access Provider--connections, accounts, and dial-ins
3. Software--protocols, archie, wais, gopher, front-ends, etc.
4. Services--distribution, publishing, etc.
5. Expertise--Technology transfer, training, seminars, etc.
6. Content--information for a price.
He made the point that one of the most frequently made mistakes is
to try to do too many things. That is, companies have problems when
they try to tackle two or more of the above methods. He suggested
that a company or organization should only do one of the above. The
point was made that at the present time, he estimates that there are
only 500,000 megaPel, multi-mip workstations out of about 2 million
Internet hosts. This means that the fancier graphic interface
systems, such as mosaic can be used by only a relatively small
number of users. All of his company's information is in text form
only.
Raisch also discussed electronic publishing and the difference
between value and cost of the published product. Using the example
of a Stephen King novel, if it is available in a bookstore for $28.95,
should Simon and Schuster charge $28.95 when selling it online? The
answer is no. He suggested that the appropriate way of charging for
online publications is by time or volume. For instance, charging 25"
per x amount of time to read the novel, or by a certain volume of the
work. This approach can be profitable because the cost of electronic
dissemination in minuscule compared to the cost of paper volumes
and their dissemination. Obviously, the cost of reading the Stephen
King novel online should be considerably less than in paper format.
Raisch was the only presenter that discussed the issues surrounding
providing true two-way communications in networks. Most
companies consider interactivity to mean buying products or
services. He used Prodigy as an example. When Prodigy was
designed, it was believed that its customers would only want to
consume. Thus, a big "pipe" went to the customer, with only tiny
tubes coming back (for purchasing). Prodigy found that instead of
purchasing, people wanted to talk. According to Raisch, "...the
Internet is the only major medium in which the individual can talk
back and communicate with his or her peers..."
It was announced by Raisch that his company will be starting a
series of Usenet news groups specifically for advertizing on the
Internet. This is a new approach to commercialization on the
Internet.
One of the scarier presentations was by Fred Smith, President of the
High Tech Computer Crime Investigation Association. Citing
numerous articles which have discussed the highwaymen on the
Information Superhighway, he proceeded to describe all of the
potential (note potential) horrors that could befall travelers on this
highway. The Information Superhighway began to sound like the
highway to hell. He suggested that sex was driving the highway and
organized crime was beginning to infiltrate the Internet--with no
substantiation.
As in any other human endeavors, crimes will no doubt occur on this
new highway. However, the draconian approaches Smith was
implying suggested little regard for the First Amendment. Basically,
he seemed to see demons and shady characters behind every news
group sign post. And his approach to solving these purported
problems was, in essence, what I would interpret as an Internet
police. I told you it was getting pretty scary.
One of the glorious characteristics of the Internet is its freedom. It is
one of the most democratic institutions ever devised--even if by
accident. Rob Raisch made the comment that one could consider the
Internet a city of 25 million people--who actually, for the most part,
cooperate. Moreover, I will suggest that it is also a huge
neighborhood watch. Its inhabitants have been very successful at
policing their own neighborhoods--without an Internet police.
The last presentation of the conference was by Irwin Kirmer, an
Internet consultant, who attempted to take the audience on a tour of
the Internet. Actually, his demonstration amounted to a series of
frustrating attempts to gopher, ftp, or telnet to sites which were
overcrowded. It demonstrated very clearly the traffic jams already
on the highway.
(It should be noted, to the panelist's credit, all thought the notion of
community networks was an excellent idea. I brought up the topic of
community networks at the end of the first day's session. It was
encouraging to see a lot of affirmative nodding in the audience, as
well as on the dais. However, it is unsettling to realize some of the
key players in the Information Superhighway business had a
complete lack of knowledge about community networking. For us in
the community networking trenches, we must realize that many of
those sitting in corporate offices trying to figure out how to deal with
the Information Superhighway and how to wring the most money
out of it, have never heard of, or considered community-based
networks--a sobering thought.)[\\
=======================================================
SPACE COMMERCE '94--10th NATIONAL SPACE SYMPOSIUM
Space Commerce '94 is the 10th National Space Symposium,
sponsored by the United States Space Foundation, headquartered in
Colorado Springs, Colorado. This year's conference was attended by
approximately 400 executives from the aerospace industry,
government officials, military officers, astronauts, and others.
The conference's main theme was commercial applications in space.
New business opportunities, technology transfer, and related topics
were discussed.
Of particular interest to those with an interest in the NII, was a
strong emphasis on utilizing space assets for the development and
implementation of the Information Superhighway. It appears as if
everyone is ready to jump onto the highway, even from Low-Earth
Orbit.
Syed Shariq, Manager of Technology Commercialization, NASA/Ames
Research Center, noted that NASA's approach to technology transfer
has been reactive, rather than proactive. Now, NASA wants to be
more proactive, and to this end, it is developing its NASA
Commercial Technology Network that is accessible through a Mosaic
interface on the Internet. He indicated that NASA wants to use the
Internet for dissemination of proposals, RFPs, and be part of the "NII
Test Bed." To connect to the NASA Commercial Technology Network
Home Page using the NCSA Mosaic client, the URL is:
http://nctn.oact.hq.nasa.gov
NCSA Mosaic client software is available via anonymous ftp at:
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in directory: mac/mosaic/
NCSA Mosaic for Microsoft Windows is available via anonymous ftp
at
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in directory: pc/mosaic/
The contact point for help on this network is Murray Altheim at
OACT, NASA HQ email: murray.altheim@hq.nasa.gov \\
====================================================
POT HOLES IN THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
POT HOLES is a column in this newsletter that will cover potential
problems and difficult issues concerning the development of the NII.
Most of us in the community networking world believe that
community-based networks is one of the best approaches to
providing democratic access to information and communications
resources. However, not everyone thinks the way we do. It is very
important to pay close attention to the corporate world, which as
Herbert Schiller remarks below, "...are doing the most natural thing
in the world to them..." For-profit corporations are in the business of
making money--and I have no quarrel with that. Yet, like the public
library, the citizenry must have free to very affordable access to
information and communications which can be provided by
community networking and the Internet.
As pointed out in the article on the Albuquerque Information
Superhighway Seminar, several high-level executives from
companies, presumably on top of the development of the NII, had
never heard of community networks. This was not an isolated case.
When I attended the Berkeley Roundtable for International
Economics' Technology Summit meeting in San Francisco in
November, the same problem was observed. Most of the top
telecommunications and computer industry executives that I spoke
with were unaware of the community network movement in the
country. Perhaps, those in the community networking world, despite
all of our sophisticated methods of communications, haven't paid
enough attention to communicating with the corporate world.
It is critical that those who believe that community networks are
valuable, if not essential, tools for using the NII, spread the word to
the corporate world. Corporate executives are not ignoring
community networks, but in many cases they simple don't know
about them. When I have explained what we are doing in the La
Plaza Telecommunity project, most executives with which I have
spoken, have been responded very favorably. Now, whether
favorable comments translate into action on the part of companies, is
yet to been seen.\\
THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY: PAVING OVER THE PUBLIC
>From the March, 1994 issue of *Z Magazine*
"...Huge companies are doing the most natural thing in the world to
them; following their own corporate interest..." Herbert Schiller
Open Magazine Interview with Herbert Schiller
"Q- Your article in the Nation (July 12, 1993) suggests that
commercial expansion [of information/Internet] is resulting in the
extinction of the public sphere. Can you comment more on this?
A- Yes. A clear example of this can be seen in the case of public
libraries. The public library has been one of the most democratic
institutions in American history. When you read biographical
statements of this country's most distinguished writers, many times
you'll find them describing what a tremendous debt, or what
gratitude they owe to the public libraries. It was a place they
entered without any real barriers, picked up a book, and read. The
public library has been one of the most progressive institutions in
American history. Yes, it's got deficiencies. No one's saying it's a
perfect institution. But, by and large, in comparison, it's been a much
more democratic institution than others. And one of the cardinal
principles of the public library system is that information is to be
available for everyone, and it's to be available without cost. Free.
Funding comes from the community. Therefore, the principle of
unlimited and free public access has been the cornerstone of this
democratic institution.
And what's happening now? As with so many other things in this
society, information is being turned into a good for sale. A good
that's made available on the basis of payment, a commodity. Of
course, information has always been part of commodities. Books and
newspapers were always sold. But a really massive change has been
under way due to the technologies that can transfer and reorganize
bits of data and information, and now an area that never had the
attention of private enterprise is being regarded as source of
massive profit.
An information industry has been developing since 1968. Companies
involved in the industry say they are doing very valuable things. It's
true that they are creating certain information services that were
never available before. One wouldn't argue with that. But they're
doing it on a commercial basis, which means that information which
once was or could have been available free, now is available for a
charge. If you have any experience hooking your computer in with
databases, you know that you have to pay."\\
SMOKING OUT THE OPPOSITION
The following came from Edupage, a summary of news items on
information technology, that is provided several times each week
online as a service by EDUCOM -- a consortium of leading colleges
and universities seeking to transform education through the use of
information technology.
Lawyers for the American Tobacco Co. were granted a subpoena for
the membership list of a computer network used by anti-smoking
groups. The move to acquire SCARCNet's (Smoking Control Advocacy
Resource Network) records is believed to be the first legal action of
this kind. The subpoena also demands the names of those funding
the network and copies of all posted strategy sessions. Attorneys for
the Advocacy Institute have filed papers seeking to deny the
subpoena on First Amendment grounds. (Wall Street Journal
3/30/94 B1)\\
