Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1992 08:43:39 -0500 >From: "(Gary Chapman)" Subject: File 4--Local Civic Network in Wisconsin Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility is trying to help promote Local Civic Networks around the country. There are projects going on in Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle, Vermont, Portland, and Madison, Wisconsin. The following is a call for participation and help for the Madison project. For more information about CPSR, the nation's first public interest organization of people in the computing field, write for more information at cpsr-staff@csli.stanford.edu or call (415) 322-3778. For more information on CPSR's Local Civic Networks activity, write CPSR staff member Richard Civille at civille@washofc.cpsr.org. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A team of people based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is developing a Public Communication System (PCS), a non-profit network which will be available to the academic community and to the general public, and which will operate over the Internet. We would welcome any comments or suggestions which you might have, and we would like to invite anyone who's interested in this project and would like to get involved. The goal is to develop a large public forum where people can present information, ideas, and questions, and where it will be easy for people to read and respond. The hardware will consist of a central server, PCS computers at universities with connections to the Internet, and PCS computers in public libraries. The public will be able to get access by dialing in from home or via the PCS computers at public libraries. People will be able to read for free. The system will be supported by subscription fees and by fees charged to SIGs for publishing articles and newsletters, conducting conferences,etc. For software, we're modifying Gopher (a program developed at the University of Minnesota) to have enhanced interactive capabilities and security. We hope to be ready to test a prototype by this coming summer. We've already gotten a lot of valuable help from CPSR members. We hope the PCS will be another example of a public-access network which develops up from the grass-roots. Let us know if you have any suggestions, if you'd like more detailed information, and if you'd like to get involved. John Jordan PCS Project Director University of Wisconsin-Madison jordan@macc.wisc.edu (608) 233-9535 ------------------------------ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253