Volume 2, Number 7 ---CONTENTS--- July 1986

1 Masthead and Index

2 ENA UPDATE ................................ by Lisa Kimball
(2613 char)

Reports on the status of the ENA organization, current
projects, and future plans.

3 AN INTERVIEW WITH WENDY WOODS, EDITOR OF NEWSBYTES, Part 1
by Hank Mishkoff (5156 char)

Part 1 of a 2 part interview with Wendy Woods,
publisher/editor of Newsbytes, winner of the 1986 Computer
Press Association Award for "Best Online Publication".

4 AN INTERVIEW WITH WENDY WOODS, EDITOR OF NEWSBYTES, Part 2
by Hank Mishkoff (5926 char)

Part 2 of a 2 part interview with Wendy Woods,
publisher/editor of Newsbytes, winner of the 1986 Computer
Press Association Award for "Best Online Publication".

5 COMPUTERS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: A Conference Report ..........
by Stan Pokras (8494 char)

Can computers serve community and political groups
concerned with the lives and rights of working people,
women, ethnic and cultural minorities, the poor, and the
disadvantaged?

6 CHERNOBYL OR COMMUNICATIONS ................. by George Por
(8270 char)

An opinion/editorial reflecting on the implications for
networkers of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl.

7 ETIQUETTE ONLINE: A Rand Report ........... by Lisa Kimball
(8617 char)

A summary of a RAND Corporation report on ethics and
etiquette for electronic mail. Contains guidelines for
sending and receiving messages, and for coordinating an
interest group online.

8 INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87 ......................
by John C. Oeffinger and Tom Sherman (4748 char)

International conference will expand the access of
developing countries to electronic networking and sources
of information. Focus of the March 1987 meeting includes
policy, technology and user needs.

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87
by John C. Oeffinger and Tom Sherman

______________________________________________________

In a Chicago suburb a $50,000-a-year engineer spends
countless hours twiddling with his new IBM PC. The
technology engrosses him, but he lacks a sense of
purpose. In Southeast Asia, meanwhile, a young man
wrestles with calculations needed to build an
irrigation dam. He thinks his figures are correct but
isn't certain, and thousands of people will die if the
dam collapses.

Can the Chicago engineer somehow help his counterpart
abroad?

THE SILICON JUNGLE, David H. Rothman, Ballantine, 1985
______________________________________________________


Yes, the ability to establish global microcommunications is at
hand. So far, however, no reference has been developed to
outline the opportunities and obstacles, especially for
developing nations.

Moving toward that goal, a "thinktank" conference has been
scheduled next March at Baylor University Medical Center in
Dallas, Texas. This conference--INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS
'87--will focus on outlining a "roadmap" to help organizations
and individuals develop global microcommunications networks.

The major objectives of the conference are:

* To exchange policy information and establish a common
framework for initiating and implementing informatics
policy.

* To review current projects and share implementation
strategies; to address specific problems and their
solutions.

* To develop and disseminate a guide to the activities
of groups involved in the transfer of informatics
skills/technology to developing countries.


Both before and after the Dallas meeting, March 17-20, 1987,
conference participants will be able to share information
through ECONET--the conference's official international
electronic network. [see story, June NETWEAVER (Vol. 2, No. 6)]

International Informatics Access '87 will select four types of
participants:

* POLICY DELEGATES (12)--who make decisions about
informatics in developing countries.

* TECHNICAL DELEGATES (12)--who are expert in the
technical systems required to meet a developing
country's needs.

* NETWORK USER DELEGATES (26)--who are currently
involved in establishing or operating networks with
developing countries. Delegates are not expected to be
informatics specialists but rather to be involved in
using informatics processes as a tool.

* RESOURCE PARTICIPANTS (20)--selected from major
international organizations to provide information on
policy, technical and user issues.

Half of the 70 participants will be from developing countries,
insuring an exchange of information between developed and
developing countries. In support of this exchange, conference
planners are already at work on a monthly newsletter, a process
guide for the conference and a resource guide for developing
countries. A process to nominate delegates will be announced
shortly.

The conference Planning Council represents extensive experience
in international networking: John E. Fobes, N. Rao Machiraju,
Mark Vermilion, Jeff Fobes, Russell Havard, Christian Stalberg,
Tom Sherman, Jorge Litvak, Paul Chernoff, Harry Goodman, Karen
Schiller, Pam Nelson, Lynn Gibson, Richard Roa, Lanelle
Chancellor, Kathy Oeffinger, Jerry Polen, Bennett Stewart, Cliff
Thompson, Karen Ferrill, Lupe Garcia, and Conference Co-Chairman
Texas State Senator T. Chet Edwards.

A number of corporations, foundations and groups have already
donated or pledged support to this important conference. For
additional information or to be included on the conference's
mailing list, contact:

John C. Oeffinger or Karen P. Schiller
INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87
c/o Baylor Research Foundation
3600 Gaston Avenue
Dallas TX USA 75246
(214) 820-2687

You can reach the conference on the following networks:

GEnie -- OEFFINGER
ECONET -- APPCOMEO.BAYLOR
EMSAPPCOM -- APPCOMDT.CT/BRF1
UNISON -- SHERM
SOURCE -- CPA177
DELPHI -- SHERM

-----

Authors' note: John C. Oeffinger, Chairman of the IIA '87
Conference, is Vice President of the Baylor Research Foundation
and Project Coordinator for InterNet, a health network in Latin
America. He and Tom Sherman share SYSOP responsibilities for the
NonProfit Connection on GEnie. Tom, a member of the IIA Planning
Council, is a founding member of ENA, Contributing Editor of
Computing Today! and a communications consultant.

ETIQUETTE ONLINE: A Rand Report
by Lisa Kimball


Shapiro, Norman Z. and Robert H. Anderson, TOWARD AN ETHICS AND
ETIQUETTE FOR ELECTRONIC MAIL, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica,
CA, 1985.


Purpose of the Report
=====================

According to the authors of this report, which was funded by the
National Science Foundation and the Rand Corporation:

Electronic mail and message systems are playing an
increasing role in the work we perform. The effects,
and side-effects, of this new communication medium can
be substantial... By presenting some initial
guidelines for [these systems], the authors hope to
accelerate the process by which social customs and
behavior appropriate to electronic mail become
established, and thereby to accelerate the effective
use of such systems.

The authors begin from the assertion that this medium is very
different from other means of communication, citing speed of
transmission, message permanence, cost of distribution, and the
ability of the organization to filter or channel communication
as examples of key differences.

They go on to say that the most *important* difference is that
the recipient of a message may misinterpret the sender's intent
because of certain attributes of the medium, e.g. casual and
formal messages can look quite similar, responses can be near-
instantaneous rather than reasoned, there is an absence of
feedback during delivery of a message, and there is sometimes
more willingness to express emotion in electronic mail.

Because of these differences and potential communication
problems, the authors of this report suggest that old rules of
behavior may not apply and *new* rules must enter the culture of
the medium.

A New Etiquette
===============

The report outlines suggested new rules for:

* sending messages
* receiving and responding to messages
* acting as coordinator/leader of an interest group

We are reminded that humans have been using speech for about
50,000 years, writing for 5,000, and the telephone for about 100
years. "This cultural history should not be taken lightly; the
entire fabric of our society has been shaped in significant part
by cultural accommodations to our means of communicating."

Here is a summary of a new online etiquette suggested in the
report:

Sending Messages
================

1. Create single-subject messages whenever possible.

Separate messages can be filed, retrieved, and
forwarded separately, subject lines can be
descriptive, replies can be tailored to specific
messages.

2. Assume that any message you send is permanent.

Messages can become part of someone's private files,
be ported to networks, and printed out at any time.

3. Have in mind a model of your intended audience.

"Have you used more computer jargon in your message
(lulled into techno-talk by using an electronic
medium) than is appropriate to your audience?"

4. Keep the list of recipients to a minimum.

The ease of sending electronic mail can create mailbox
overflow of peripheral material that has to be scanned
and culled.

5. Separate opinion from non-opinion, and clearly label each.

Your message may end up in the hands of someone who
doesn't know you well enough to distinguish fact from
opinion.

6. If you must express an emotion in a message, clearly label
it.

Sarcasm, irony, and humor often don't work in E-mail
because it may not come across as intended.

7. Other content labels are useful.

Labels can provide the equivalent of body language and
facial expressions to clarify your intent.

8. Think about the formality you put in a message.

In the office, we can tell the difference between a
formal memo and a note dashed off on a scrap of paper.
Be sure your electronic messages convey which should
be taken seriously and which are hasty comments.

9. Identify yourself and affiliations clearly.

When sending a message to a public system, help
readers put your ideas in context.

10. Be selective in broadcasts for information.

Use the power of networking--but use it with
discretion. Take time to scan material on special
interest group boards and make sure your inquiry is
appropriate there.

11. Do not insult or criticize third parties without giving them
a chance to respond.

"We've seen a lot of critiques and criticism on the
nets, much of it deserved. But it's also much easier
to be a critic than a builder. The labors of dozens of
people trying to build a company or product out of
only ideas and hard work can be destroyed by casual
critiques written in a moment of anger when the
criticism might have been inappropriate or answered
effectively."


Receiving and Responding to Messages
====================================

1. If you receive a message intended for another person, don't
just ignore it.

Forward the message if you know for whom it was
intended. Otherwise, notify the sender that it was
misdirected.

2. Avoid responding while emotional.

3. If a message generates emotions, look again.

Misinterpretations are *very* common in electronic
mail. Missing body language and voice tone can cause
what was meant as casual or humorous to be taken
seriously. Pause and re-read the message, consider the
source, and check your understanding with the author.

4. Assume honesty and competence of the sender.

Give the benefit of the doubt. Check the context.
Check for possible misunderstanding.

5. Try to separate opinion from non-opinion while reading a
message, so you can respond appropriately.

Try to unravel opinion from fact and make the
distinction in your reply.

6. Consider to whom you should respond.

If the message was sent to a distribution list,
consider whether the response needs to go to that same
list or just to the originator.

7. Consider alternative media.

If you can walk down the hall or pick up the phone--
that might be the best way to respond. This is
especially useful if there is potential for
misunderstanding.

8. Avoid irrelevancies.

The medium can have a chatty quality. "The message
that makes its point and fits on one screen does its
job best, and you will be well regarded."


Acting as Coordinator/Leader of an Interest Group
=================================================

1. Perform relevant groupings.

Group messages on a common topic together to help
readers detect common threads or issues.

2. Use uniform packaging.

Use message headers and other means of assisting
readers to scan material to find specific topics of
interest.

3. Exercise reasonable editorship.

"Messages that are not relevant should be excluded, as
should ones that are sufficiently tasteless to be
offensive. But it is important that opinions
(preferably labeled as such) be given a hearing." The
group coordinator can also eliminate redundancy and
use periodic broadcast messages to summarize.

4. Timeliness is important.

Coordinators should not "sit on" messages to send as a
group since the value of the medium is rapid
communication.

Conclusion
==========

The authors of the Rand Report conclude that:

"With the new power of electronic mail comes the need
for responsibility in using that power. We can all
enjoy the power and benefit from it if we find new
forms of behavior--even etiquette--that are
appropriate. The alternative is a rising tide of
irrelevant messages and electronic junk mail that will
turn off most thoughtful users."

Although this report is focused on electronic mail rather than
on computer conferencing, many of the comments and suggestions
could apply equally in this environment. It would be interesting
to use this outline as a starting point for identifying the
kinds of behavior and cultural attributes most effective for
supporting high quality computer conferencing. Of course, the
hardest job is still defining the attributes of "quality" in a
way which is comfortable for the diverse community online.

I'd like to hear some reactions to this online etiquette
proposal. What is missing? Which items do you agree with? Which
go too far? Which are reasonable? How could an online community
establish such norms?

CHERNOBYL OR COMMUNICATIONS
by George Por


When the first rain tainted with radioactive stuff from
Chernobyl came down on the West Coast, it caught me in the
middle of University Avenue.

We were told it was harmless, but I also read in the papers that
thousands of folks were buying gas masks, and that health food
stores were making a killing on kelp and miso and wheatgrass
juice, and that Geiger counters were selling like hot cakes. The
Examiner newspaper quoted a retailer who reported that his
customers were all saying the same thing: "I just don't trust
the government, I have to find out for myself."

Like most of us, I ran to get under some roof. Later, while
drying my wet hair, I was pondering what could be learned from
this nuclear accident that has occurred in our global
neighborhood. Close enough to rain down on us. I still am. It's
more obvious to me that the single most important fact of life
in our global village is our mutual interdependence. "They or
us" will never work again, or we will Chernobyl ourselves into


cosmic oblivion: to Chernobyl or to communicate.

Collectively, I see that human beings have all the elements
necessary to answer the challenges of the global crises we now
face. However, those elements won't manifest themselves as
meaningful patterns and solutions unless we develop a planetary
nervous system with electronic freeways that provide
instantaneous global access to expertise relevant to a
particular aspect of the crisis. Electronic freeways consist of
not only satellite transceivers, fiber optics, and global
computer networks; all our telecommunications gizmos won't do
any good without human beings committed to skillfully using the
technology for sharing accounts on what on Earth works.

Looking at the news I receive, I find that we are starting to
communicate: from Chernobyls to communications. The nuclear
industry has realized that it MUST make better use of available
communications technologies and human expertise.

"DAY AFTER" STORIES
===================

I heard that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev tried to call the
Swedish for advice the day following the blast, and that he
could not get through to the right person because it was
Saturday, and who works on Saturdays in Sweden?!

It seems that although we can't predict accidents in nuclear
power plants any better than earthquakes, the intelligent use of
telecommunications for managing a crisis might, at least,
minimize the damage.

At Three Mile Island (TMI), just before that nuclear accident,
operators registered more than 100 warning signals but were
puzzled about how to interpret and prioritize them. They had no
direct and immediate access to the experience of their
colleagues in other plants who had already encountered and
solved similar problems. As for Chernobyl, the poor
communications between the plant, the local and central
authorities, and other concerned countries, just aggravated the
situation.

After the TMI accident, the final report of the Lessons-Learned
Task Force of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and its
Draft Action Plan of 1980 listed more than 200 recommendations.
Having emphasized that "the nuclear industry has limited
resources, particularly in respect of technically qualified
manpower," they pointed out the importance of increasing the
speed and ease of access to rare technical expertise.

Since the adoption of the NRC Action Plan, dedicated phone lines
have been established between the plants, the designers and
manufacturers of their reactors, and the NRC. The reactor
suppliers' technical experts can be reached at any time through
electronic paging. Written communication among the plants got in
electronic gear: it's been carried by Notepad, a low-profile,
high-security computer conferencing system that has also been
used by Rotary International, NASA, and Bechtel.

On May 15th, following Chernobyl, the text of a speech by
Gorbachev was reprinted in the NY Times. Gorbachev called for
"an international regime of safe development of nuclear power
on the basis of close cooperation of all nations dealing with
nuclear power engineering. A system of prompt warnings and
supply of information in the event of accidents and faults at
nuclear power stations... should be established in the
framework of this regime."

And in a telephone call a few weeks later, an executive of one
of the computer network vendors tells me that the Soviet Union
is now participating in some international negotiations aimed at
establishing a CC-based early warning and nuclear safety
information exchange system.

I'm not the only one in the press to know about these
negotiations. Where are the writers about mass nuclear graves
when there is news of US-USSR cooperation to report on? C'mon
print colleagues who are reading this issue online, BE A HERO OF
*_GOOD NEWS_*, and TELL YOUR READERS.

TAKING CARE OF THE BODY
=======================

It seems to me, that INCREASING THE SPEED AND EASE OF ACCESS TO
EXPERTISE DEVELOPED IN THE PAST OR IN DISTANT LOCATIONS is not
only a technical concern of NRC, but in a different scale, IS
THE VERY CONDITION OF ENTERING THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR PLANETARY
AND OUR PERSONAL EVOLUTIONARY JOURNEY. It's because: one obvious
lesson of both TMI and Chernobyl is the importance of full and
immediate communications between the parties involved in a
crisis and those with relevant expertise. Of course, I'm not
speaking of nuclear accidents alone.

I have a personal story in which I have seen some of the drama
of the planetary body played out in my own body. After working
long hours on the computer keyboard for years, I've just
recently developed "carpal tunnel syndrome," a disease of the
wristbone, frequently due to inappropriate ergonomic setting and
posture. I recognized the symptoms described in a newspaper
article and wanted to know about how I can heal myself.

Not being able to use a hand is rather scary for a writer.
Seeking information, I sent a message to an online friend on my
home net, The Meta Network. I told her about my condition and
asked if she happens to know anything about the cure of "carpal
tunnel."

Next day, when I opened my electronic mail box, I saw a message
scrolling through my computer screen. Sitting in my office in
Berkeley, CA, I was reading advice sent to me by a chiropractor
in Richmond, VA, who had been alerted by my friend!

Jumping from my micro experience to the macro global experience,
this technology that you and I are using, the technology of
computer-assisted human networking, is perfectly suitable also
to disseminate knowledge resources and bring help necessary to
heal the wounds and inflammations in our planetary body: both
the natural and man-made disasters.

BUMBLE BEE NETWORKING
=====================

I leave you with a story. More *_GOOD STORIES_* from my mailbox.
This one comes from a network committed to revising health
care, one of many networks engaged in global sharing of
knowledge, expertise, and direct human experience.

"Old Doc: Have you ever considered the universal
implications of the bumble bee buzzing from flower to
flower?

"Medical Student: Cross-pollination sustains the
species. No bumble bees, no flowers; no flowers, no
bumble bees.

"Old Doc: Right. Like flowers in the field, clusters
of individual persons are maturing gloriously in
wisdom and grace. And like flowers, they are doomed
unless they exchange genetic information with their
fellows in the whole field, which for us is the
planet."

(Neighborhood Caretaker, published bi-weekly by Elizabeth U.
Dyson and Burton C. Dyson, 3038 Fall Creek Pkwy. N. Dr.,
Indianapolis IN 46205.)

-----

George Por is director of H i g h L i g h t s Electronic &
Desktop Publishing, division of Metasystems Design Group, Inc.,
telecom editor of Computer Currents, and co-founder of the
Electronic Networking Association. Address correspondence to:
H i g h L i g h t s , 3051 Adeline St., Suite E, Berkeley, CA
94703. Phone: (415) 548-8213. Via modem: The Source (BDB404),
Unison (George Por), The WELL (george), and The Meta Network
(George Por).

COMPUTERS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
A Conference Report
by Stan Pokras


On Monday, June 9 and Tuesday, June 10, 1986, a conference on
Computers for Social Change was held in New York City at Hunter
College.

Conference Description and Purpose:
===================================

"We are now members of the so-called Information
Society. But who is shaping this society and its
goals? To date, computer and telecommunications
technology primarily function to enhance the wealth,
power, and control of large corporations, the
government, and the military. Can these powerful new
tools serve community and political groups concerned
with the lives and rights of working people, women,
ethnic and cultural minorities, the poor, and the
disadvantaged? Can we make the Information Society a
truly democratic society?"

(from the conference materials)

Several books and numerous articles have been written about the
many ways that computers are used to control and even oppress
whole populations. But at Hunter College the image that non-
profit groups and community organizations are using new
technology to their benefit was in strong evidence. For one
thing, this conference was planned for a relatively small number
of people, but the response to it was overwhelming and people
had to be turned away. Nearly all of the conference sessions
were marked CLOSED on the schedule forms, due to overcrowding.

According to Terry Mizrahi of Hunter College's School of Social
Work, the conference stemmed from a series of meetings on
computers and social change. The newsletter "Reset", edited by
Mike McCullough ($1 per issue; 90 E. 7th St. #3A, New York NY
10009) played an important role in bringing the organizers of
the conference into contact and in revealing the need for this
event.

The role of the computer, according to another of the
conference's organizers, Jeremy Shapiro of the Felding
Institute, includes political information tasks, creating new
forms of solidarity, and the redefinition of issues in terms of
information.

Richard Perez: A Voter Registration Project
===========================================

As Richard tells the story, a major problem for his project was
to learn to use its equipment grant: an IBM PC. They didn't
know that they needed software for each process and their
funders didn't know that the project people couldn't manufacture
software! A great deal of pressure was put on this project to
just get started.

They wanted to keep voter records and learn to deal with high
turnover of registrants. They also wanted to pull names in
various demographic categories, but had to discover first how
hard it is to get the names INTO the system. Consultants all
seemed too expensive until they finally found a good consultant
who worked almost free.

After summarizing the project's problems, Richard told about the
happy ending: a 50% increase in the number of voters in the
first primary they worked on.

Joanne Sandler: An International Women's Network
================================================

Sandler, of the International Women's Tribune Center (305 E.
46th St., 6th floor, New York NY 10017) works with third world
women's groups. About eight groups in their network purchased
microcomputers after investigating several funding options for a
cooperative grant.

At present the individual organizations in the network are
involved in integrating the computer into their administrative
processes and little data is shared among the groups in
electronic form. However, Ms. Sandler seemed quite pleased with
the project's progress since each group is becoming well versed
at managing its own information and writing needs using the
computers.

Ed Madara: New Jersey Self-help Clearinghouse
=============================================

The Clearinghouse has helped to develop over 340 new self-help
groups in New Jersey! Ed feels that bulletin boards and
conferencing systems are going to be one of the major sources
for self-help, especially for the handicapped and the homebound.
He described existing online meetings for handicapped and forums
for this activity. He participates in online forums via
CompuServe (70275,1003). The Clearinghouse makes its database
and the program they developed available to other self-help
clearinghouses. Write c/o St. Clare's Hospital Community Mental
Health Center, Pocono Rd., Denville NJ 07834.

Housing: Anti-Arson, Anti-Displacement, Tenant Organizing
=========================================================

Mary Breen, of the New York Neighborhood Anti-Arson Center,
explained that the main use for computers in the area of housing
concerns making information on real estate and the real estate
market place available on a community level. Among the crucial
tasks is the definition of the housing stock: investigating
ownership, sale, and rental patterns, who the owners are and the
condition of what exists. Information on security, heat, water,
lighting, trash disposal and such can be collected via survey.
Profiles on occupancy are needed to find what properties are
being utilized or underutilized. A good deal of information is
available from public sources.

Mary circulated a report titled GUIDE TO NYC PUBLIC RECORDS by
Barbara Kronman, available from Community Resource Exchange, 17
Murray St., New York NY, (212) 349-8155.

Another issue of concern, especially in New York's real state
market place is arson. Bruce Dillenback described the anti-arson
program of the People's Fire House. They developed a database
designed to predict the likelihood of arson through statistical
analysis of which buildings are susceptible to arson. It is
possible, in some cases, for an owner to increase profits by
burning a building to remove the tenants. Bruce circulated
copies of the report PREDICTING ARSON by Royer Cook.

Women's Issues and the Women's Bulletin Board
=============================================

Women's Bulletin Board: (212) 885-0969, 300/1200 baud, 24hrs,
using Telemaster software. Voice number: (212) 885-1687 (call if
you want help).

The session presenters, Angela Luecht and Beva Eastman of the
Seeger Micro Computer Center, described their system which has
been running since February 1986. Before going public, the
system's moderators spent two months learning how to use the
board and in some cases how to use a computer from scratch! The
system has a separate moderator for each topic area, many of
whom put in more than an hour each day writing new material and
responding to issues raised by the callers.

This is one of very few, if not the only BBS in the country
devoted solely to women and their concerns.

CONCLUSIONS
===========

The conference may not have taken into account all of the
possible ways for people to use computers to leverage their
control over the world around them. For example, it had only
one barely-attended session on a national computer conferencing
system! But there were over twenty different presentations
ranging from a basic hands-on workshop in word processing to
discussions on "Democratizing Information and Communications."

In his closing talk, Benjamin Barber, author of the book "Strong
Democracy: Politics for a New Age", encouraged the participants
to use the means available to them to counter the selfish
interests in the market place. He strongly urged that computers
be used in political work by community groups concerned with
their own welfare. He warned that ignoring democratic
opportunities weakens democracy, and that the new information
technologies can, and are, being used to the disadvantage of
average people. The only way to counter this trend, Barber
stressed, is through political power, which can be increased in
good proportion through the effective use of small computers.

CONTACT
=======

For information on possible future events or access to the
conference presenters, contact: Education Center for Community
Organizing, 129 E. 79th St., New York NY 10021.

-----

Author's note: Stan Pokras is a member of the ENA's "Non Profit
Networks" cluster. He is also active in the Apple Computer Grant
network and in local non-profit computing in the Philadelphia
area. He teaches conferencing and computer bulletin board
technology to non-profit groups and has set up numerous BBS
systems serving non-profit goals.

AN INTERVIEW WITH WENDY WOODS, EDITOR OF NEWSBYTES
by Hank Mishkoff


This two-part interview with Wendy Woods, originator and editor
of Newsbytes, was conducted in Parti on The Source in late May
and early June 1986.

Newsbytes is a weekly electronic newsletter that offers "byte-
size" chunks of timely information about the microcomputer
industry worldwide. Wendy initiated Newsbytes three years ago as
a "user-publishing" feature on The Source (user-publishers
receive royalties based on the size of their readership).
Newsbytes is the first user-publishing effort to become a
regular "information provider" feature of The Source; you can
read a new issue every Saturday evening by entering NEWSBYTES at
Source command level. You can reach Wendy through Newsbytes or
as IP1039 on The Source (SourceMail or Parti) or WADLEMAN on MCI
Mail.

In three years, Newsbytes has grown from a one-woman show to an
extensive news-gathering operation with five bureaus in the
United States (Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Southeast,
Northeast, and Washington) and three foreign bureaus (Canada,
United Kingdom, and Japan). Just prior to this interview,
Newsbytes received an award at COMDEX in Atlanta; I began the
interview by asking Wendy about that award.

* * * * *

WW: The award was "Best Online Publication" from the Computer
Press Association (CPA). Newsbytes was one of 500 entries in 17
categories, I'm told. This was the first annual CPA awards
ceremony. Interestingly enough, Newsbytes was also the first to
adopt the CPA "Code of Professional Standards," a 12-point
compilation of newsperson ethics drawn up by the CPA last year.

Six of our eight bureaus are headed by CPA members; I urge all
the bureau chiefs to join the CPA. The CPA currently has 130
active members, is an organization devoted to the exchange of
information and clarification of issues involving the computer
press, and has a private network on The Source. The CPA
executive board has nominated me to be president of the CPA;
apparently I'm running unchallenged! (That should be very
interesting--me, nine months pregnant, being sworn in as CPA
president!) [Wendy is expecting her first child later this
summer--Ed.]


Q: When did you start Newsbytes, and why?

WW: Newsbytes was started in May, 1983 on The Source as a user-
publishing feature. I began it for two reasons: I wanted to
reduce my Source bills, which were mounting up at the rate of
$400 a month, and I saw a need for a computer newsweekly. Since
I was a technology reporter at KGO-TV in San Francisco at the
time--newly fascinated by electronic media and desperately
searching for an online computer industry equivalent of
Associated Press or UPI--I found the only way to get a summary
of the news I wanted was to write it myself.

Newsbytes was conceived as a reporter's "tip sheet" (or an
assignment editor's "poop sheet") which lists not only a story
synopsis but contact names and phone numbers. That was the
target audience: reporters. But the "insider" style was, to my
surprise, very popular with computer enthusiasts in general, not
just reporters!


Q: When you started Newsbytes, why did you use The Source? Did
you investigate any computer conferencing options (like Parti on
The Source)?

WW: I chose The Source because it PAID user-publishers. At the
time (1983) the only other service which paid royalties for
publications without a track record was Delphi, but its
readership was so low that it didn't seem worthwhile. Having
been using The Source for several months prior to launching
Newsbytes was, of course, also to my advantage, as I was
familiar with the system. I did not investigate conferencing
because there was no system for remuneration.


Q: If a computer conferencing system were structured so that
there COULD be some remuneration, would you consider using it
for Newsbytes?

WW: Sure, if a conferencing system allowed for payment to the
authors, we'd love to participate (no pun intended). Especially
adaptable would be our letters to the editor and editorial
feedback sections. As it is, readers must wait a week to see
their responses in print, and consequently our current medium is
not as interactive as we'd like it to be.


Q: When you started Newsbytes, you were the sole reporter. How
did you gather all that information?

WW: When I started Newsbytes, I gathered the information mostly
from other periodicals and magazines. I would collect two to
five stories on any one subject and boil them down to a
paragraph or two for the weekly summary. We still do this to a
certain extent; but now my (our) news gathering includes press
releases, personal contacts, tips from sources and readers, and
miscellaneous other methods.

It was a big job for me at the beginning, which is why it is now
so much easier with a total of eight bureaus. I no longer have
to report everything that's going on in the world! I can confine
myself to the Silicon Valley area and depend on the other
correspondents to cover their territories.

----

Q: Can you describe the process of gathering information for a
typical Newsbytes issue?

WW: The newsweekly is put together in one way or another through
the week. I normally receive 10-20 calls from various sources
inside the industry, PR people, and friends who have heard of
stories. I spend several hours a week tracking them down. At
least once a week I attend a press conference or go to lunch
with someone in the industry to have an insider chat, as well as
take care of the business end of Newsbytes (Being the publisher,
editor AND writer consumes a lot of time!).

Throughout the week, some 20 computer news magazines and
newsletters arrive, which I read, in addition to six daily
newspapers. If need be, I will post daily bulletins on
Newsbytes. Toward the end of the week, my office desk looks like
a tornado has hit it. It is covered with clippings and notes.
Saturday morning, after I've edited all the contributing
editors' work, I sit down to write my own column. By Saturday
evening, it's done. Monday morning I start all over again.


Q: Where is Newsbytes currently appearing other than on The
Source?

WW: In its entirety, it appears ONLY on The Source. Various
columns are in print in such magazines as Computer Currents (San
Francisco Bay Area) and I/O magazine (Japan). Bits & Bytes, New
Zealand's largest computer magazine, begins publishing excerpts
from Newsbytes in July. We are currently negotiating with other
magazines and online systems to publish Newsbytes. In addition,
Newsbytes appears on some 20 private bulletin board systems,
most of them in the U.S. Newsbytes is available on a limited
basis, via subscription, for reposting to local BBS's.


Q: Currently, what is your motivation for doing Newsbytes?

WW: It's fun and challenging. I enjoy being an entrepreneur,
breaking new ground, building a news organization. I see
Newsbytes growing: we have very good writers, and we have new
markets opening up to us all the time. Eventually we hope to
become a wire service with at least some of the scope and status
of UPI or AP with specific emphasis on technology news.


Q: Are you making enough money to live on?

WW: No, we are not making enough money to live on. I earn a
modest salary as editor and publisher, but the other
correspondents receive a monthly amount that they could not live
on. We hope to change that soon. Our goal for the next year is
to triple Newsbytes' revenues. Check back next year. I am
supporting myself mainly through television reporting; the
others have outside jobs as well.


Q: What kind of computer equipment do you use to create
Newsbytes?

WW: "Newsbytes Central" is equipped with an ancient Apple IIe
with two floppy disk drives, 128K RAM, a Hayes 1200-baud modem,
a C. Itoh dot-matrix printer, Applewriter software, and ASCII
Express Professional software. Not state-of-the-art, but that's
the workhorse of the operation. We occasionally receive review
machines that are here for a few months, and we welcome them!


Q: Have you ever "scooped" the rest of the press? That is, has
your network of sources ever enabled you to be the first
journalist to get a particularly hot story out?

WW: Yes, we OFTEN scoop the competition. In nearly every edition
there's an exclusive story from at least one of the
correspondents. We broke the Morrow bankruptcy, most recently.
Also look for a breaking story this weekend regarding Apple;
I'll have it first. [The issue of Newsbytes that appeared on The
Source on June 14 contained an exclusive story about an upcoming
and unannounced Macintosh "road-show" promotion planned by
Apple.--Ed.]

Unfortunately, when we DO break stories, the computer press in
general does not attribute the story to us. In a way, it's our
own fault: unless we get it from at least two unnamed sources,
we print the name and phone number of the contact who gave us
the story. That leaves the door open for the rest of the media
to pursue it as if they got it first.

It's often frustrating, because so few people are aware of our
existence. We are fairly well known among computer journalists;
but outside the field, in the general user and buyer audience,
we are not.

But that will change!


Q: If everything moves along in accordance with your WILDEST
hopes and dreams, how do you envision the Newsbytes operation
five years from now?

WW: In five years, we hope to be producing a daily newswire
supplying several online systems as well as computer magazines
worldwide. Beyond that, who knows? A laser printed edition? An
interactive-text-and-pictures medium? Back stories stored on
laserdisk? All of these sound remote right now, but may not one
year from now. It all depends on the industry itself, and on our
competition; if, for example, Ziff-Davis comes in and backs a
small start-up that does what we do, we are out of luck. We
could not hope to compete with a better-financed organization.

But then, our advantage has always been our size. We're small,
we're dynamic, we're open to change--and we're fast on our feet.
For the moment we can live with this "underground" status,
although we can't live ON it. The writers have been
participating in Newsbytes for love of the medium, and with
faith in its future.

Our challenge will now be to make it into a business that makes
money!

We've got the product, we're getting our market, we're slowly
being recognized. We all realize the difficulty ahead of us, but
we're not worried. Newsbytes has survived three years, graduated
from user-publishing to an information-provider feature of The
Source, reached a potential audience of 300,000 (when you
include the Japanese I/O readership), and shows no signs of
losing steam.

As I said, let's see what happens a year from now!

ENA UPDATE
by Lisa Kimball


ENA has taken some important leaps forward this month!

As we go to press, a nominating committee has presented a slate
of candidates to members of the RING (our "governing"
conference) which will enable us to finally put our formal
organization in place. A draft set of bylaws has been written to
present to the IRS.

We also got our first *royalty* check from NewsNet this month.
This is exciting both because it is good for cash flow AND
because it reflects the fact that people are interested in
accessing NETWEAVER online!

One of the important benefits of ENA is what we are learning
about working via computer conferencing. After a year of
operation in our "electronic office" on UNISON we found
ourselves tangled in multiple conferences--active, inactive,
historic, false starts, and duplicates. This has been a highly
iterative process so it is not surprising that we have changed
conference structures several times to reflect changes in our
needs. Now we need to figure out what to *do* with all that
stuff! Some of it seems useful for "posterity" or for future
studies of online culture. Other pieces are of value to our
current work. Some conferences represent conversations overtaken
by the rolling present. We are in the process of thinking about
archiving, downloading, saving to disk or tape, deleting,
restructuring, printing, and all the other options for online
material. We are encountering all the issues related to saving
or not saving particular notes. We'll report on what we learn in
this process.

We have a team hard at work at creating an "ENA TOOLBOX" of
public domain programs which will be useful for networkers. We
hope to make this available as a membership benefit of ENA.
We're also planning to create a disk for sysops and SIG
coordinators which will make it easier to provide information
from ENA to your participants. You'll hear more about this
project in next month's issue of NETWEAVER, which will be a
Special Issue on LOCAL systems.

In this issue of NETWEAVER you'll find an in-depth interview
with Wendy Woods, editor and publisher of Newsbytes. There is
also a report from a conference on the use of computers in
social change organizations and notice of an upcoming
international conference. George Por reflects on some
implications for networkers of the nuclear accident at
Chernobyl. You're also invited to add your ideas to a summary of
key points of online etiquette contained in a RAND Corporation
Report.

Enjoy!