Aug. 2, 1999. Dear Sir or Ms:
This notification is being sent to a selected group of consumer-oriented
organizations and individuals that I believe will be interested, and that I
hope can help with advice on how best to proceed with a proposal that I feel
certain can be of very great benefit to consumers world wide.
The proposal is covered in some detail on a Web site that has recently been
posted, and which has not yet been promoted in the normal ways, so only the
recipients of this notification should be aware of it's existence at this
point. Briefly, the proposal is for a Virtual Private Network, to be composed
of a world wide Extranet that links many small local area Intranets (e.g.,
USA=47,000 zipcode areas, max.) to be owned and operated by consumer co-ops.
The Extranet would be operated by a world wide Federation of these local area
co-ops.
The benefits for the members of these co-ops would be numerous, and
non-member consumers would benefit also, in accordance with co-op traditions.
The Web site describes the origins of these benefits in some detail.
My primary concern at this point is how best to proceed for the good of all
consumers. I am a retired business systems analyst and programmer, not an
experienced cooperative business developer, and I especially want to avoid
inadvertently doing anything that might jeopardize a major cause for which I am
proposing this network ~ that of a world wide Federation of consumer co-ops.
I firmly believe that, for reasons both technical and otherwise, now is the
time for this proposal to be implemented. I believe I am competent to
undertake the direction of many of the software development tasks that would be
required to implement this network, but beyond that narrowly technical area, I
am in the learning mode, at best, especially regarding the financial/legal
issues and options involved.
So, if you and your associates feel that this proposal has at least some of
the outstanding merit that I claim for it in the book-format Web site, I would
be both open to and very appreciative of suggestions and/or business proposals
as to how best to proceed with it's development, including any design revisions
that you may deem advisable. Please consider the rather amateurish business
development plans mentioned in the proposal as separate from the proposed
network and software design concepts, which I now believe to be both
technically feasible and to have at least adequate functionality, at least for
discussion and detailed improvements, if not for actual network startup
purposes.
The Web site is accessible from my Netopia virtual office by simply
selecting "Wisdom, Inc." on the "office door". You will also notice on the
office door there a diagram of the proposed network architecture. That diagram
and it's accompanying text is the first slide of a presentation that was
prepared for consumers in general, and the remainder of the show is accessed by
selecting the "Pictures" button to the upper left. The help facility shows
fairly complete instructions, but if you have any questions or wish to speak to
me personally, please contact me at any time by selecting "Conference" ~ the
"Intercom" is an internet telephone. Text chat and MS NetMeeting-compatible
group interactions are facilitated in the conference room also.
Thank You for your help!
CLICK Here to visit my Netopia Virtual Office
Co-operatively Yours,
Richard J. Auld
3421 Ivanhoe Lane
Garland, TX 75044
972-414-0295
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