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                            Each Month, Jay's BBS Column
                        Appears in Texas Computing Magazine

                              The Following Is From The
                                   June 1994 Issue





                                "SomeDay"

                                    Or

                     "Why Can't We Do It In Dallas?"


Fax this article to every Dallas politician you can think of.
Then, Fax this article to every CEO you can think of.  Let them
know that:

They Do It In Buffalo!
They Do It In Cleveland!
They Do It In Cincinnati!
They Do It In Peoria!
They Do It In Santa Monica! 

"WHY CAN'T WE DO IT IN DALLAS?"

I mean, get real here.  Buffalo does it and they can't even win a
Super Bowl.  Cleveland does it and this is a city filled with
people who throw dog biscuits from the end zone.  Cincinnati does
it, and that's the Capitol of West Virginia.  Peoria does it, and
we all know about Peoria.  Santa Monica does it and all they have
is a freeway.  

This is Dallas!  The "Can Do" City.  So, why aren't we doing it?

"What is Jay talking about this time?" 

I guess I'd better explain.  Ever since I first went online, and
ever since I bought my first computer magazine, I've been advised-
over and over and over again--that "Someday, everyone will be
online."  "Someday," everyone will be able to send electronic mail
across town or around the globe, find out what's on the school
lunch menu, complain to the police department about a noisy cat,
check the library on the availability of a book, let the mayor know
about a pothole, order a pizza, pay bills, buy a car online, or
have an online conference with a teacher.

Well, that "someday" is now.  

"Someday" has arrived in Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Peoria,
Columbus, Youngstown, Santa Monica, Montana, and other cities
across the country.  As you read this, the residents of these
cities are accessing a local online service that offers the
informational exchange equivalent of Internet, CompuServe, GEnie,
Prodigy, and America OnLine--but it's all locally oriented. 
   
It's FREE-Net--a person-to-person, community-to-community,
telecommunications project that supports education, businesses, and
communities.  It's an information exchange network for educators,
students, business people, communities, organizations, and
citizens.  FreeNet is a joint community effort in which an
extremely cost-efficient method is used to deliver community-based
computerized information and communications services to all
local residents with a computer and modem.

And it's all FREE - - supported by city and county government,
corporations, and individuals.  

Few cities in America have the computer and modem penetration that
Dallas and Fort Worth enjoy, which means the user base or potential
is already in place.  The online capability is now available. All
that is needed is someone to get the ball rolling to line up the
support of local government, local corporations, and local citizens
and coordinate the implementation of DFW FreeNet.

First, let's look at what FreeNet is and how it works in other
cities.  Then, we'll examine what can happen in Dallas and Fort
Worth.

FreeNet traces its origins to Cleveland where, in 1986, T. M.
Grundner and Case Western Reserve University established a free,
open-access community computer system.  From the beginning,
Cleveland FreeNet offered a wide range of services and features
including e-mail and information in a variety of specialized areas.
Everything  offered is available because of individuals or
organizations who contribute time, effort, and expertise.  There
are more than 200 sysops, or forum managers, who are doctors,
lawyers, hobbyists, corporate representatives--each operating their
own area.  And operating the area on a volunteer basis.

The original concept, still in effect today, involves a system that
emulates a "small community."  There are sixteen "buildings," which
represent community resource centers for government, the arts,
science, technology, education, medicine, recreation, libraries,
community affairs, business, and industry.  There is a dial-out
"gateway," or "teleport," which will transfer users to other area
computer systems such as the Cleveland Public Library or Internet.
 
For residents of Cleveland, the online service is F-R-E-E.

Just down the road from Cleveland, in Cincinnati, is the TriState
Online Community Service Bulletin Board System.  This system
features nine major areas of information and interactive exchange
centers: Business, Community, Government, Learning, Media, Medical
Arts, Post Office, Recreation, and Science and Technology.

The Business Center, for example, offers a Small Business Forum,
sponsored by Arthur Andersen & Co., which provides a wealth of
information for users operating or starting up a small business. 
The Construction Industry Forum is a meeting place for users
interested in Construction.  The Real Estate Investors Association
operates an area that encourages al investors to expand their
knowledge in real estate.

The Community Center consists of a number of areas that are simply
filled with events, activities, and projects underway in
Cincinnati.

For residents of Cincinnati, the online service is F-R-E-E.

The FreeNet concept is operational even in that hotbed of computer
activity, Montana.  Yep, one of the least populated states in the
USA has one of the most outstanding FreeNet systems.  The Big Sky
Telegraph, funded and operated by Western Montana College and US
West, provides a statewide online system that offers basic access
at no charge and expanded access(UseNet, Bitnet, InterNet) for a
$50 annual fee.

The system is divided into four areas: System One, devoted to rural
education and online classes; System Two, for rural economic
development and community services; System Three, Western Montana
College campus activities, clubs, and classes; System Four,
computer conferences and access to UseNet, Internet, Bitnet, and
FidoNet.  Four systems, all connected to a central location and
accessible by everyone in the state.

For residents of Montana, the online service is F-R-E-E.

Beginning to get the idea?  The mind is boggled by what could be
done in Dallas and Fort Worth. With the local resources available,
I see a showcase online service, a DFW FREENET that would be the
envy of every city in America.  A FreeNet supported by DFW
corporate entities and communities that would connect the entire
area together via modem.   A veritable warehouse of information
accessible by all residents in the metroplex.  

I especially see a concerted effort to bring the inner cities into
this local network, providing the means for our economically
depressed neighbors to give their children the opportunity to gain
computer expertise.  Let's face it.  A kid playing a game on a
computer can't be out on the streets looking for "action." 

There are those of you who immediately point out that we already
have more than 400 bulletin board systems in the metroplex at the
present time, serving the needs of the community.  Hockey Pucks!
We have more than 400 bulletin board systems who are serving the
game-playing, file-transferring, message-swapping, chatting needs
of the metroplex.  Only a handful of DFW BBS'es are actually
providing DFW oriented information to DFW BBSers.

Imagine using your modem to:  send e-mail to Mayor Bartlett and
know he'll have your message instantly; dial into the Dallas
library to determine if a particular book is available and which
branch has the book available; check your bank balance; pay a
traffic fine; attend a community college class without leaving your
home;  obtain a list of available job openings for every city in
the metroplex; locate a baby sitter; barter your services; discover
where to get help for any problem--home, domestic, or personal;
obtain bid list for every city with one phone call; obtain calendar
of events for metroplex.  The list of things that could be
accomplished on a DFW FREENET would be limited only by the number
of volunteers and participating corporate sponsors.  

Already, we're headed that way.  Look at the Fort Worth City BBS or
the Plano BBS.  Both systems, provide exactly what I'm proposing. 
Imagine, if you will, these two joined by Arlington, Dallas,
Richardson, Irving, Addison, Hurst, Bedford, Farmers Branch,
Rockwall, Mesquite, Garland, McKinney, Lewisville--all the area
communities, connected to one fabulous, world-class system; DFW
FreeNet.

The software is available now, from Cleveland FreeNet.  The cost? 
$1.00.  I repeat, $1.00. Hey, that's a start.  Now, all we need is
a "Get It Going" Committee and volunteer workers who can get out
there to line up the corporate and cities support.  The rest is
easy.   

Let's do it, Dallas.  Is there a visionary reading this that can
grab hold and get it moving?   Who wants to volunteer?  

Remember:

They Do It In Buffalo!
They Do It In Cleveland!
They Do It In Cincinnati!
They Do It In Peoria!
They Do It In Santa Monica! 

"WHY CAN'T WE DO IT IN DALLAS?"


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                                FreeNet Directory

Big Sky Telegraph (MT)   406-683-7680
Buffalo Free Net (NY)    716-645-6128
COIN(Columbus, Oh)         314-884-7000
Heartland(Peoria,IL)     309-674-1100
Lorain County (OH)         216-366-9721
Medina FreeNet (OH)       216-723-6732
Santa Monica FreeNet(CA) 310-458-8989
TriState(Cincinnati)     606-781-5575
Youngstown FreeNet(OH)   216-742-3072
DFW FREENET              214-???-????


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