ENA UPDATE
by Lisa Carlson

The Electronic Networking Association (ENA) conference in Philadelphia last week was a great success. More than 200 networkers participated in sessions about applications of networking for business, education, nonprofits, and individuals. People came from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, and the Soviet Union. As usual, the connections being made in the halls were as important and interesting as the formal program and numerous plans for future collaborative projects were hatched.

It will be a challenge to maintain good communication across all the participating networking systems world-wide. To facilitate that process, ENA needed someone to serve as a point of contact for people initiating ENA activities and coordinate our complex communication system. ENA needed a MODERATOR!

We're happy to announce that the ENA MODERATOR is now >>>>>>>

Jeffrey Shapard

Most of you probably know Jeff - though you may be more familiar with him as JEFU, the moderator of "Japan Talk" and other interesting topics. He has made many significant contributions to the medium including directing operations on TWICS, the networking system based in Tokyo. Jeff will serve as MODERATOR *and* President of ENA until our next f-t-f conference. Congratulations Jeff!

ENA also gave out its first awards at this conference. An award for "Contributions to Creativity in the Medium" was established and named after the late David Rodale who contributed so much to us online. This year, ENA gave out two awards in this category to:

MIKE GREENLY - the world's first interactive online journalist
for his pioneering work covering everything from computer shows
to toy shows, from the political conventions to aids;

*and*

PHIL MOORE AND SHERWIN LEVINSON - for their teamwork during the
creation of the NWI system and their involvement of the user
community in its design and implementation.

David's parents attended the Sunday awards program during which we remembered and honored David and talked about what he meant to us.

In addition, ENA presented an award for contributions to "Building Global Communities" to IZUMI AIZU for his efforts to use the medium to create electronic bridges across the world.

Congratulations to all the award winners!

Next year's conferences are already in the planning stages and it looks like we may be offering an international conference in Japan as well as a meeting in the U.S. If you would like to participate in ENA and its activities, use the membership form here in NETWEAVER or call NAN HANAHUE who is our membership coordinator (215-821-7777).

There are lots of new plans for NETWEAVER in the works - including printed highlights and availability via disk. We also have some new editors and are looking for more!

In this issue, you can read Mike Greenly's stunning keynote speech to the ENA conference. There are also reports from sessions on evaluating computer conferencing software and how the marketing of LANS relates to what we're doing in this medium. Read an update on what our colleagues in Japan have been up to since the ENA conference in 1985 and get advice on supporting moderators from a system supporting the educational community. You can also read a graduation speech from the director of Big Sky Montana which will make you optimistic about the future.

Enjoy!