In a message dated 10/19/2000 2:03:21 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] write in [EMAIL PROTECTED] (the neighborhoods group on TC FreeNet), regarding their ideas for better on-line neighborhood communications: << The Twin Cities Neighborhood Mailing List hosted by the Twin Cities Freenet has only about 250 subscribers and currently the level of email communication on the list is not very high. At the same time there is a great need to let community leaders know about the many great training opportunities, workshops, forums, special events and resources that can help them in their work. >> Fred and Sean go on to discuss two ideas; 1) Create a neighborhood resources "web ring" with prominent links between the web sites serving Twin Cities Neighborhood Groups..., and 2) Create a shared neighborhood web / email calendar of neigborhood events of city wide interest, training opportunities etc. <<On Friday October 27th there will be a breakfast in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis to discuss these ideas for better neighborhood on-line communications.>> People with comments/questions can call Fred Olson at 612-588-9532 or Sean Gosiewski at 612-339-3480. I thought these issues might be of interest to some mpls.issues list members who do not subscribe to nbhd-tc@tcfreenet. What do you think? My questions: 1. Why has membership/participation and community discussions, etc. on the TC FreeNet system been droping so much in recent years? 2. What seems to be lacking with TC FreeNets efforts, and why can't they be modified to meet the perceived needs, as expressed above? If indeed there are such unmet communications needs in our neighborhoods, why hasn't TC FreeNet been more successful in meeting them? What would be done differently to assure 'success' with these 'new' efforts, and how would such 'success' be defined and measured? 3. Why reinvent the wheel, when some air and a hubcap might suffice? TC FreeNet has hardware/software, excellent, though limited, staff and volunteers, and some money in the bank. What new system will be 'built and sold' to funding groups and the City (i.e. foundations and NRP/MCDA) that is intended to 'meet these information/communication needs' and how will it truely differ from what TC FreeNet has been trying to do? 4. Is it possible that the 'perceived digital information/communications needs in the urban core' have been incorrectly diagnosed in the past and the 'percieived solution' has thus been ineffective? What of all the computers in our libraries and in the schools and community computer labs? How effectively is 'information' being used? What is the real supply and demand situation for digital information/communications needs in the urban core? M. Hohmann 13th Ward
