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Subject: ["CRAWFORD": FIDOnet: planter of Internet "seeds"....]
Date: Sun, 04 Apr 93 11:29:33 -0700
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FYI
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Message-Id: <137339@nysaes.cornell.edu>
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From: "CRAWFORD" <J35@nysaes.cornell.edu>
Subject: FIDOnet: planter of Internet "seeds"....
Date: 03 Apr 93 11:45:35 EST

> From: "Arthur R. McGee" <amcgee@NETCOM.COM>
> 
> > As you seem to be well versed in FidoNet technology why don't you
> > inform us as to what 'they just don't know' about FidoNet?
> 
> I was referring to the fact that store-and-forward networking
> systems are a VERY viable alternative to the PROMISES being made in
> Washington. I agree with you that if given the choice, I would want
> EVERYONE to have FULL Internet access just like me. Unfortunately,
> everyone doesn't know the people I know or make the salary that I
> do in order to be able to afford that sort of technology. What's
> scary is that in relative comparison to the people on this list, I
> would probably consider myself poor. That is only an assumption,
> but the point I'm trying to make is that those "under" me are
> really at a disadvantage.
>                          
Arthur, you may have "hit the nail on the head". While real-time access 
to the Internet for _all_ people is certainly the goal, the equity of 
access issue presents the biggest stumbling block at this 
point. We need to look very strongly at BOTH real-time AND 
store-and-forward technologies.
                                                  
Here's an example of what I mean.  
 
I work for a teacher center which serves 25 _rural_ public 
school districts in a 2,200 square mile area in the FInger 
Lakes Region of western New York.  These include about 3,700 
educators and 40,000 kids. They are located in 14 different 
local calling areas served by five different phone companies 
in three different area codes. (What a nightmare!) None of 
them have local-call access to a major metropolitan area 
(Rochester) and there are no public universities in this area. 
They are mired in the "we are long distance to the rest of the 
civilized world" mindset. A very discouraging number of these 
schools don't even have a telephone in their libraries, let 
alone in their classrooms as a result.
 
Even though the state is fumbling around with developing a 
statewide network, it's clear that it will be many, many, many 
years before the average kid or even teacher in the average 
classroom has any real, meanignful access to the network, and, 
presumably, the Internet. I doubt if the parents and taxpayers 
in the surrounding communities will ever be given the kind of 
access we'd really like to see everyone have. In any case, the 
overall cost to the taxpayer will be astronomical.
 
However, 10 of my 25 schools now own and operate their own 
FIDO/K12net BBS which provide internationally circulated 
"newsgroups", email access to any of 20,000 FIDOnet BBS's 
worldwide as well as to/from the Internet and locally 
maintained file libraries which are "ftp-able" by sysops on 
other BBS's. An early incarnation of an "Archie" is even 
available. Furthermore, anyone can "telnet" to any other BBS 
by simply calling it with their modem. The students, teachers 
_and_their_communities_ now have access to an international 
cyber-community on a local phone call with no fees of any 
kind. (FIDO/K12net is "militantly free"). 
 
These BBS's may not be full-blown Internet, but they're here 
now, they're dirt cheap, they're "grassroots" and they work! 
.....and the whole concept is _very_ replicable on a large 
scale. Our students, teachers and, just_as_importantly, parents 
and _taxpayers_ are getting a taste of what telecommunications 
is all about. They are learning how to "ride a bicycle". Soon 
they'll want a Harley.... This environment is a "foot in the 
door" for the Internet....
           
FIDO/K12net BBS's are popping up in schools and communities 
all over the world because real-time Internet connections are 
not accessible or economically feasible for them. One of the 
main reasons for embracing FIDO/K12net is that the equipment, 
software, telephone, training and sysop expertise requirements 
are _very_ modest. One of my schools is actually running their 
BBS on one of the original IBM PC's built in 1982! (The 
"TRS-80 killer!) They found it in a closet. The cover was 
missing. But a student/teacher team found a hard drive and 
modem for it, installed the shareware BBS system software 
themselves and now their school and surrounding community are 
beginning to discover what the "global village" is all about! 
The sysops have also become the "in house" training and 
technical "gurus". They are learning "how to fish" rather than 
being "fed a fish for today" and now have their own home grown 
beginnings of a "Freenet" that is serving their local 
community beyond just the educational needs of it's kids. 
 
FIDO/K12net is a "planter of seeds"... The rural schools and 
communities with their own FIDO/K2net BBS start to develop 
the _interest_and_resolve_ that it will take to set up and 
fund a real-time Internet node such as a Cleveland FREEnet. 
I'd like to see the people in this list, the Congress and 
elsewhere recognize this role and begin to develop ways to 
help nurture these little FIDO/K12net "seedlings" to grow into 
fine, strong Internet Trees.
 
=jack= 
 

Jack Crawford, Educ Tech. Spec.  Internet: jack@rochgte.fidonet.org
3501 County Road 20               FIDO/K12net: Jack Crawford 1:260/620
Stanley, NY 14561                Voice phone: 716/526-6431
K12net Council of Coordinators   K12net founder

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