[10594] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
JOIN THE DEMOCRACY TEACH-IN
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vigdor Schreibman - FINS)
Mon Sep 9 21:14:57 1996
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 1996 19:12:30 -0500 (CDT)
From: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
A MULTI-CHANNEL NATIONAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE:
Sustaining Community Networks for Democracy
By Vigdor Schreibman
A creative vision for the future must overcome self-imposed
assumptions based on narrow market schemes, which maximize
social inequities and threaten the survival of the biosphere
of Planet Earth.
To respond to the appalling existing situation, Americans
must have a National Information Infrastructure, which
is publicly supported. This can be funded out of the
tens of billions of dollars of annual appropriated funds
now "thrown away" on information technology to empower
Government officials and subsidize corporate welfare.
A desirable NII, in addition to fairly advancing economic
prosperity through a free market, should have independent
channels governed by an authorized use policy (AUP), which
are dedicated to sustaining democratic government, and the
end-values of social equity and ecological integrity. The
AUP would require that authorized use of the designated
infrastructure should be limited to services (public or
private, for free or fee), which enhance this mission.
Three virtual networks should be constructed, inter-
connected to one another, each furthering a designated
purpose and operating under an independent economic,
Internet Model, with mutually reinforcing national goals.
NII Level 1. Public Sector - Public Funding
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Assure that core Government publications are made available
in all useful formats for the free use of the general public
NII Level 2. Non-Profit Sector - Mixed Funding
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Encourage and facilitate the pursuit of social equity and
ecological integrity through collaborative civic dialogue
NII Level 3. For-Profit Sector - Private Funding
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Support economic prosperity through free market provision of
voice, data, and video telecommunications services
Community networks, more than any other groups, should support the
establishment of a multi-channel, National Information Infrastructure for
the future, which can sustain such enlightened goals. Criticism,
amendment, and support of this proposal is encouraged.
Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
