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community networks
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Date: Thu, 9 May 96 17:04:33 -0700
>From: Douglas Schuler
[...]
New Community Networks Wired for Change (ISBN: 0-201-59553-2)
"Doug Schuler brings us the good news about the Internet: many-to-many communications can be a rich and powerful tool for community-building. Schuler tells us why and how community networks are a promising new technology for revitalizing not just community, but democracy. This is not just a manifesto. It's an invaluable and deep sourcebook for grassroots activists."
-- Howard Rheingold, Author of The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier
"Doug Schuler has been a crusading pioneer in the community network arena and it will help the cause to have a significant book available that presents his views. His breadth of knowledge, personal experience, and the numerous examples he presents are the strong parts of this project. His enthusiasm shows and there are many appealing anecdotes. This has the potential to be an important book that gains national attention."
-- Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland Author of Designing the User Interface
"...a rich and important new book..."
-- Gary Chapman, University of Texas Director, The 21st Century Project
In an era when many communities are declining, activists at the grassroots all over the world are building community computer networks that are designed to reinvigorate communities be encouraging dialogue and providing a vehicle for voices that too often go unheard. Via the new computer networking technology, new communities are now able to connect electronically to pursue various activities including: community and public health projects, alternative media, long-distance learning, economic development, performances and "virtual spaces."
New Community Networks, published in April 1996, is a unique contribution to the literature on social uses of technology. While the book provides practical how-to advice, it also discusses the rationale, concerns, and directions of the technology. The first section of the book is devoted to a discussion of the six core values of the new community -- conviviality and culture, democratic participation, education, social health and well-being, economic opportunity and equity, and communication and information -- and discusses some of the reasons why society needs to develop community networks. This section is followed by a discussion on the social and political milieu in communities and the technology that can support these systems. The steps that developers should undertake, and the issues that they need to face in the future are the subjects of the last two chapters. Chapter abstracts can be found at http://www.scn.org/commnet/abshome.htm.
New Community Networks should be read by government officials, librarians, policy analysts, journalists, educators, social service administrators, students, social and political activists, and, in fact, by anybody concerned about our communities and the uses of technology in our society.
Thanks to the support of the Morino Institute, the bibliography, chapter abstracts, and all six appendixes are available on-line: http://www.morino.org/schuler/ncn.htm. The book's preface and table of contents can be found at http://www.aw.com/cseng/authors/schuler/community/community.html.
Highlights:- Provides a helpful reference for people trying to develop and sustain their own community networks.- Details the issues critical for the success of a community-based network.- Includes case studies from the Santa Monica PEN project, Community Memory in Berkeley, the Cleveland Free-Net, Big Sky Telegraph system in rural Montana, Plugged-In in East Palo Alto, the New York Youth Network, and many others.- Explains short-term and long-term issues and implications of community networks and networked communication technology in general.- Provides a framework of six community "core values" (including education, strong democracy, and others) upon which succesful "new communities" are built.- Offers an extensive reference section and numerous appendices providing access to information to help people start and sustain community networks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doug Schuler has been working in the computing industry and on social issues of computing for nearly 15 years. He is currently the chair of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility and is one of the founding members of the Seattle Community Network. Doug has edited several books and articles on various topics related to computers and society and is the author of an article appearing in "Communications of the ACM" that Apple Senior Scientist Steve Cisler called "the definitive article on community networks." Doug is currently an independent consultant on community and progressive technology.
For more information on New Community Networks, send e-mail to ncn@aw.com.
Please send me ____ copy(s) at the price of $26.85.
Name _________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________ State _________ Zip _______________ Phone Number ( ) _____________________ E-mail ____________________________
[ ] Yes, I want to save! My check or money order for the total order (including local sales tax) is enclosed with this order form. (Addison-Wesley will pay postage and handling.)
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Please ship via [ ] U.S. Mail [ ] U.P.S.
Mail to: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Computer Science Marketing, 1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867. To order by phone call 1-800-822-6339.
For more information on New Community Networks, send e-mail to ncn@aw.com or see http://www.aw.com/cseng/authors/schuler/community/community.html.
For an on-line interview with Howard Rheingold about this book please consult. http://www.salon1999.com/11/departments/rheingold.html ```
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