discussion - vision for ICNA is for ICNA to be a provider of information, with the short term goal to be a facilitator
discussion - start with a tracking service, not with a professional advocate, to keep membership informed of relevant legislative issues
discussion - hire our own executive director, who contracts with existing groups for specific services?
discussion - brainstormed other possibilities, such as linking with existing and similar organizations:
discussion - single point responsibility: a full-time dollar equivalent, with finding ways to bring together existing services and relationships; but not ready to make a decision until have explored the existing opportunities
action - identified a budget workgroup: Georgia to create an 18 month budget, based in part on the mission and goals statement (see separate document) with help from John
Minutes, ICNA membership meeting, May 14th, 1996
urged membership to use the listserv:
majordomo@jerm.inetdirect.net
subscribe icna-m
ISP explanation by Mark Whitman - working more specifically on the
rural commentates now, where leadership issues loom large; trying to
get contacts between ISPs and rural networks - community networks
can now put out their own RFPs; AI even telling the ISP's to go find
their own communities; noted have had the potential now for four or
five different grants in a county, what with the libraries, schools,
etc.; working on ways to consolidate that - Intelenet "pop", with
different agencies purchasing their own tail circuits to that pop.
"We're going through a lot of different iterations, different
angles;" have about a dozen commentates now expressing interest in
their new approach.
Indiana rural Development council also working with AI on this
issue:
Mark asked for a dozen or 15 brochures from each community net at next ICNA meeting to show the other communities what's going on around them; also noted first round nets will be getting contacted about by-laws, acceptable use polices, etc.
Ray Ewick reported about the ten shrinkwrap grants, a small Apple server with NPTCN software for small community networks; state library and AI will help connect those machines with 56K lines to the Internet; state library also working on connecting the libraries - on a community partnership basis
members discussed fragmentation - not all schools and libraries are going with their local community network; felt there was a need to be more specific about cooperation;
noted there were many nuances - the schools mission is not to solve problems in the community but within the schools;
Greg Wilson from Intellect Commission said Intelenet will try to steer connectivity to local networks on the 2nd round and have specified that content must be shared; admitted there are philosophical differences involved, in that schools have not seen how it is their benefit to share (aggregate) connectivity; intend to become more specific in this area, to aggregate the traffic and get bigger pipes, rather than more pipes, into an area.
Mark asked them to add, on the refunding round, to as how the schools are cooperating with their community networks:
Greg - have heard too that some schools are saying their community nets are not far enough along
Marti - noted there were difficulties both ways, and wondered if Intelenet couldn't draw up some talking points, some key issues, key concerns, that need talking about between community nets and schools.
Challenge Grants for Technology in Education, due June 21, e-mail request for document to ITO STAFF1@ed.gov or go to http://www.ed.gov (US Dept. of Education Home Page)
library effort around the state to demo to fed, state, and local
officials different aspects of technology
community networks
library grant recipients
schools
to show how the multiple forces are coming together
Ray Ewick suggested AI (Brad Bradley) participate
State Marketing Plan - Greg Wilson : no firm report.
Georgia suggested an organizational chart to show how AI, Intelenet, IHETS, etc. all work together; didn't appear too likely; Mark said done this way to avoid a lot of red tape; but really need some explanation at the local level; Ray Ewick reported AI will become more structured in the future
motion made that ICNA adopt the mission and goals statement draft (see separate document) in principal, specifically the mission, goals and objectives; Carol so moved, Alan 2nded; motion failed.
Mark felt that the document needed to identify that ICNA is the public representative of Indiana community networks - make sure it is the common voice - could be in goal 4
Roger made motion to post the document to the listserve until May 30 for comment and based on that comment the executive committee will revise and have available for the next meeting: Cindy Smith second (EIN); passed
Alan moved to accept and Carol 2nded the mission statement (1st paragraph of document); passed unam.
Mark - how to advertise the mission statement: letterhead? on home pages? asked that executive committee to brainstorm ways.
next meeting -
Roger Whaley, Falls City (New Albany) - has 1200 members; working very hard with county commissioners for major content input, but need help, as commissioners are balking; suggestion made that AI needs to go to the association of counties; Mark said he will go to governor's office to see how state government can help;
Alan noted the big question he hears, is who is going to pay for this?
Mark said ICNA can be helpful by defining the information that is wanted from the county - then there is a possibility to get state money to convert that specific information to datified form. roger noted the information can be sold, to Realtors, mortgagors, attorneys, etc. ; but Pam urged for other funding models, because the public has paid for it already;
Mark will pursue the problem further
Pam noted ICNA could bring together other groups interested in this issue (such as state government data librarians) and that ICNA could define the issue (public vs. data for sale) with some suggestions for resolution
South Central (Morgan Co.) - has crime content, including the county's ten most wanted literally); Superior court judge has put up his own homepage; "doll lady" (collector of dolls) and related discussion group has had 2,000 hits;. genealogical data; providing free dialup accounts to the schools right now; buying band width in 100K blocks
Cindy - East Central IN net (Madison, Delaware) - coming on line this week
HoosierNet - schools have own webservers on line; have public access sites now, thanks to matching grant program from city of Bloomington
John Wallace, Boone county community network - in progress, with a lot of unity; ran a lot of election information, but don't have own server yet
LakeNet (Mary Grogan and Carol Dorner), piggybacked with the Times of Munster - using their server, and joining in content effort; northwest Indiana forum, other nonprofits; just getting started; next step is to promote the service with potential content providers.
Alan - Access LaPorte county - not a subscription service; coordinates information to be datafied; works closely with Nixon newspapers; working primarily on datatification
Georgia (Collaboration 2000) have an executive director (Pam Weaver)
Pam from Ft. Wayne Area Infonet - have had trouble "ramping up" with CIOE and customers are having signup troubles. has a great "Indiana Subject" list, a library oriented content project of Indiana websites that are linked by subject;
Worth, from CommuniNet, reported the two newspapers in the county (Nixon Newspapers and Weller Family Publishing Co., have cooperated heavily with each other and with using CommuniNet; signed up 100 members the first week on line and now are at 170, well past the break-even point for dialup; home page has wide array of content, with heavy usage, but needs to become more interactive; partnering now with Nixon Interactive to act as its business arm; very happy with ISP, CTLnet of Ft. Wayne.
how to get the long distance issues resolved for students and families of students, was a question that came up
Marti Miller (CarrolNet) (Delphi) - first month got 200 customers.