From gnu@toad.com Sun Apr 4 11:27:04 1993 Received: from toad.com by fido.wps.com (5.67/1.34) id AA03739; Sun, 4 Apr 93 11:26:57 -0700 Received: from localhost by toad.com id AA03562; Sun, 4 Apr 93 11:29:34 PDT Message-Id: <9304041829.AA03562@toad.com> To: tomj@fido.wps.com Subject: ["CRAWFORD": FIDOnet: planter of Internet "seeds"....] Date: Sun, 04 Apr 93 11:29:33 -0700 From: gnu@toad.com Status: OR FYI ------- Forwarded Message Message-Id: <137339@nysaes.cornell.edu> To: gnu@eff.org X-Also-To: dave@oldcolo.com, mkapor@eff.org, barlow@eff.org, sbb@well.sf.ca.us, edyson@mcimail.com, jberman@eff.org, fig@eff.org, farber@central.cis.upenn.edu From: "CRAWFORD" Subject: FIDOnet: planter of Internet "seeds".... Date: 03 Apr 93 11:45:35 EST > From: "Arthur R. McGee" > > > As you seem to be well versed in FidoNet technology why don't you > > inform us as to what 'they just don't know' about FidoNet? > > I was referring to the fact that store-and-forward networking > systems are a VERY viable alternative to the PROMISES being made in > Washington. I agree with you that if given the choice, I would want > EVERYONE to have FULL Internet access just like me. Unfortunately, > everyone doesn't know the people I know or make the salary that I > do in order to be able to afford that sort of technology. What's > scary is that in relative comparison to the people on this list, I > would probably consider myself poor. That is only an assumption, > but the point I'm trying to make is that those "under" me are > really at a disadvantage. > Arthur, you may have "hit the nail on the head". While real-time access to the Internet for _all_ people is certainly the goal, the equity of access issue presents the biggest stumbling block at this point. We need to look very strongly at BOTH real-time AND store-and-forward technologies. Here's an example of what I mean. I work for a teacher center which serves 25 _rural_ public school districts in a 2,200 square mile area in the FInger Lakes Region of western New York. These include about 3,700 educators and 40,000 kids. They are located in 14 different local calling areas served by five different phone companies in three different area codes. (What a nightmare!) None of them have local-call access to a major metropolitan area (Rochester) and there are no public universities in this area. They are mired in the "we are long distance to the rest of the civilized world" mindset. A very discouraging number of these schools don't even have a telephone in their libraries, let alone in their classrooms as a result. Even though the state is fumbling around with developing a statewide network, it's clear that it will be many, many, many years before the average kid or even teacher in the average classroom has any real, meanignful access to the network, and, presumably, the Internet. I doubt if the parents and taxpayers in the surrounding communities will ever be given the kind of access we'd really like to see everyone have. In any case, the overall cost to the taxpayer will be astronomical. However, 10 of my 25 schools now own and operate their own FIDO/K12net BBS which provide internationally circulated "newsgroups", email access to any of 20,000 FIDOnet BBS's worldwide as well as to/from the Internet and locally maintained file libraries which are "ftp-able" by sysops on other BBS's. An early incarnation of an "Archie" is even available. Furthermore, anyone can "telnet" to any other BBS by simply calling it with their modem. The students, teachers _and_their_communities_ now have access to an international cyber-community on a local phone call with no fees of any kind. (FIDO/K12net is "militantly free"). These BBS's may not be full-blown Internet, but they're here now, they're dirt cheap, they're "grassroots" and they work! .....and the whole concept is _very_ replicable on a large scale. Our students, teachers and, just_as_importantly, parents and _taxpayers_ are getting a taste of what telecommunications is all about. They are learning how to "ride a bicycle". Soon they'll want a Harley.... This environment is a "foot in the door" for the Internet.... FIDO/K12net BBS's are popping up in schools and communities all over the world because real-time Internet connections are not accessible or economically feasible for them. One of the main reasons for embracing FIDO/K12net is that the equipment, software, telephone, training and sysop expertise requirements are _very_ modest. One of my schools is actually running their BBS on one of the original IBM PC's built in 1982! (The "TRS-80 killer!) They found it in a closet. The cover was missing. But a student/teacher team found a hard drive and modem for it, installed the shareware BBS system software themselves and now their school and surrounding community are beginning to discover what the "global village" is all about! The sysops have also become the "in house" training and technical "gurus". They are learning "how to fish" rather than being "fed a fish for today" and now have their own home grown beginnings of a "Freenet" that is serving their local community beyond just the educational needs of it's kids. FIDO/K12net is a "planter of seeds"... The rural schools and communities with their own FIDO/K2net BBS start to develop the _interest_and_resolve_ that it will take to set up and fund a real-time Internet node such as a Cleveland FREEnet. I'd like to see the people in this list, the Congress and elsewhere recognize this role and begin to develop ways to help nurture these little FIDO/K12net "seedlings" to grow into fine, strong Internet Trees. =jack= Jack Crawford, Educ Tech. Spec. Internet: jack@rochgte.fidonet.org 3501 County Road 20 FIDO/K12net: Jack Crawford 1:260/620 Stanley, NY 14561 Voice phone: 716/526-6431 K12net Council of Coordinators K12net founder ------- End of Forwarded Message