ENA NETWEAVER Volume 2, Number 8 (August 1986)

ENA Update
Lisa Kimball

A New Research Tool For Scholars: An Interview with Dr. Richard W. Slatta, Director of ScholarNet, Part I
Ron Beloin

A New Research Tool For Scholars: An Interview with Dr. Richard W. Slatta, Director of ScholarNet, Part II
Ron Beloin

An Electronic Search Party is Helping to Find My Missing Daughter
by David T. J. Landrigan

Final Exam: Key Questions About Computer Conferencing
Art Kleiner

International Technology Transfer: A Case Study
John C. Oeffinger

Seymour Cray
Charlie Kellner (aka Dragon)

SEYMOUR CRAY
by Dragon


It was many and many a year ago,
In a city by the bay,
That a man there lived whom you may know
By the name of Seymour Cray;
And this man he lived with no other thought
Than to build the world's fastest array.

Logic was fast and memory was vast
In this city by the bay:
But no circuits were wired that were more inspired
Than the work of Seymour Cray;
With a genius that other hardware designers
Coveted every day.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this city by the bay,
A wind blew out of a fan, chilling
The circuits of Seymour Cray;
So that the high-speed data banks
Would not be too far away,
To make the data move faster still
In this city by the bay.

The logic, not half so hot as before,
Contributed less delay--
Yes!--that was the reason (as all men know,
In this city by the bay)
That the wind came out of the cooling coils,
Chilling the circuits of Seymour Cray.

But his logic was faster by far than the logic
Of other machines of his day--
Just why, not many could say--
And neither the legions of IBM,
Nor inventors in vast array,
Could ever outclever the subtle designs
Of the circuits of Seymour Cray.

For a dot never plots, without bringing me thoughts
Of the circuits of Seymour Cray;
As my program compiles, I think all the while
Of the circuits of Seymour Cray;
And so, all the night time, while the rates are off prime,
I hook up my modem--and put in my dime,
With my terminal here by the bay,
With my data so far away.

(apologies to Edgar Allen Poe and Lenore) ...the Dragon

-----

Author's note: Dragon (a.k.a. Charlie Kellner) is a
designer/programmer of state-of-the-art games for the Games
Division of LucasFilm Ltd in San Rafael, CA. Possessed of a
wicked and subtle sense of humor, he is often found grinning
mysteriously, and pretty soon the unexpected can be expected.

INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
A Case Study
by John C. Oeffinger


Recently a friend remarked that online communications is
"becoming routine." Not that he has lost his enthusiasm for
computer conferencing; quite the contrary. After six months on
two networks, he is very proficient using his computer to
communicate, but he misses the initial excitement of entering
the world of online communications.

Fortunately, there is an antidote. A few months ago, I had the
rewarding experience of helping others learn to use electronic
networking technology as the means to a very valuable end. That
experience may help other organizations and individuals involved
in global networking to sustain and extend their energy in this
medium.


INTERNET
========

In Santiago, Chile, last April, we introduced sixty physicians
and biomedical engineers to computer conferencing on an
international level. This conference resulted from an award by
Apple Corporate Grants to the Baylor Research Foundation,
establishing InterNet, a pilot-project among several Latin
American medical research groups. McDonnell-Douglas supports the
program by providing network access via Tymnet to organizations
in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. The Latin American
Cancer Research Information Project (LACRIP), part of the Pan
American Health Organization, is an important member of the
InterNet project. Dr. Jorge Litvak (Chief of Adult Health
Programs and Director of LACRIP) and Dr. Jose Pablo Dominguez
(Director of the Hospital Jose Joaquin Aguirre; University of
Chile) sponsored this conference--a first in Latin America in
health.

The conference taught us three important lessons useful to
future technology transfer seminars.


BE PREPARED
===========

You don't have to be a Boy Scout to know that good preparation
is extremely important to technology transfer conferences. In
this case, "be prepared" first meant creating a thirty-five page
booklet outlining microcomputer communications, packet-switching
networks, and an overview of two electronic messaging systems.
Translated into Spanish, the material was available for
participants to take home with them. (A limited number of copies
are still available.) During the conference, overhead projector
transparencies of key pages highlighted the topics which were
further developed during the presentation.

Most important was the time allocated to actual online and
hands-on demonstrations. Sixty percent of the seminar was spent
online. Before the conference, we developed specific
demonstrations--from E-mail to Conferencing to Bibliographic
Search Requests. During the conference, participants were
encouraged to access the two networks.

A real-time conference--involving participants in Santiago;
Washington D.C.; Dallas, Texas; Mexico City, Mexico and
Cupertino, California--added to the excitement. LACRIP
participants carried out several Bibliographic Search Requests;
many took part in the messaging.

A word to the wise: allow at least two days to set up the
microcomputer system and become familiar with local PTT nuances.
The local PTT gateway probably caused the differences between
Tymnet in Chile and in Texas.


PRIVATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SUPPORT
===================================

Be sure to work with private sector organizations--both
voluntary organizations and corporations. The success of the
seminar rests in large part with Xerox de Chile, representative
for Apple Computer in Chile. Xerox de Chile not only provided a
unit for the actual demonstrations, but also set up many other
models for hands-on use between presentations. Several resource
people were available to assist participants--very valuable
especially to first-time users.

Xerox provided a large screen projection system so that everyone
could see the online demonstrations as they took place. It was
fascinating to watch the reaction of the physicians when the
bibliographic search abstracts were sent back from Washington.
The projection system allowed each individual to participate in
the process by suggesting E-mail and Conference messages.

Russ Systems, a Santa Cruz-based company specializing in Apple
// communication products, helped create communications tutorial
software. Materials from the resource booklet and the overhead
transparencies were included with additional examples.
Individuals could actually take part in a simulated online
demonstration without ever going online. Again, they were able
to familiarize themselves with the technology at their own pace,
without pressure.

Private sector involvement in the creation of global networks
will be absolutely essential. Those networks that build upon the
capabilities and resources of the private sector will grow and
develop. Thought should be given to looking not only for money
and equipment, but also for alternative mechanisms for support.
A software tutorial or a large screen projection system can add
immeasurably to the program. Nothing will ever take the place of
resource participants.


LIFE-SAVING RESULTS
===================

Wanting to get to the meat of the subject, LACRIP Director
Litvak often asks "Donde esta la substancia?" (Where's the
beef?) New technology is fun, but substantial results are
enduring. Clearly defined technology transfer goals and end-
products are essential for any developing global network.

Since April, the Hospital Jose Joaquin Aguirre has averaged
three Bibliographic Search Requests per week. In the past, a
physician would write the LACRIP office in Washington to request
a search; air mail letters take as long as six weeks to arrive.
Its search completed, the LACRIP office would air mail the
abstracts back to the physician; another six weeks. The
physician would then have to request the selected full-text
articles--starting the cycle again. Now requests are handled in
hours not months--reducing the suffering and saving the lives of
cancer patients.

We are expanding the number of LACRIP centers on the network and
increasing their use of E-mail and Bibliographic Search
Requests. One day in the not-too-distant future, the LACRIP
Selected Dissemination of Information will be available online
in a searchable database. This data includes the most recent
cancer research abstracts, the current clinical trials that are
in progress, and new cancer treatments. The material is updated
quarterly and goes back several years.

The ability to access this material in a timely fashion and then
discuss it in an electronic conference will be the "beef" Dr.
Litvak looks for. Networks like this--in which technology is the
means to an end--will have an immense impact in less-developed
countries. And give us all something nourishing to chew on.


CONCLUSION
==========

Online communication offers real opportunities to bridge the gap
between less-developed and more-developed countries. It offers
unlimited possibilities for introducing cultures and lifestyles
to many people. Individuals can travel to several countries in
an afternoon simply by accessing an international network from
their home or office. Even this technology could become routine.
But, with sound technology transfer mechanisms, we can develop
global networks of the future with energy to sustain us all.

-----

Author's note: John C. Oeffinger is Vice President of the Baylor
Research Foundation and Chairman of International Informatics
Access '87. He can be reached at Baylor research Foundation,
3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas, 75246. (214) 820-2687. Via
modem: GEnie: [OEFFINGER], EMSAPPCOM [APPCOMDT.CT/BRF1] and
ECONET [APPCOMEO.BAYLOR].

FINAL EXAM
Key Questions About Computer Conferencing
by Art Kleiner


I taught a graduate-level course this summer called "Computer
Networking"--for the New York University Interactive
Telecommunications Program. To my knowledge, this is the only
class of its kind so far. 16 students met face-to-face for six
weeks, exploring different computer-based communication and
information systems, learning how to use them with
sophistication, and critiquing them with the same kind of
critical eye that a film critic would have for a movie.

Some students were full-time, others were taking the class on a
part-time, after-work basis. They had guest accounts on
CompuServe, the WELL, EIES, and (PARTI-based) UNISON, plus Dow
Jones News Service and DIALOG. (Also, the Source and GENIE, but
it was megalomaniacal on my part to think they could learn eight
systems in six weeks.) Students could use their own equipment,
or use IBM-PC's equipped with ProComm and PC-Write (two great
shareware programs) here at the School's computer lab, or they
could borrow those familiar thermal-paper printing terminals
that have helped so many of us get started.

I held my final exam as a computer conference on the WELL. It
worked surprisingly well. The exam did not take up class time,
and instead of writing competitive papers, students could
springboard off each others' comments. I would consider holding
the final exam this way for any face-to-face class, not just one
on computer networking.

The following five questions comprise that final exam. Lisa
Kimball (who helped write one of them) suggested that they would
be of interest to anyone who does much computer conferencing--
crystallizing points, perhaps, for thinking about the medium. If
not, maybe they'll help spark some ideas for similar questions
in others. If you were teaching such a course, what questions
would you pose in the final? If you were taking such a course,
how would you answer these?


Question 1: ElderForum Experience in Entrepreneurship
=====================================================

You are a computer-conferencing entrepreneur. Somehow, you
convince CompuServe that they should hire you to host and manage
a forum for the elderly (ElderForum). They agree. In exchange
for your time, you'll get 10% of the connect charges of all
participants for the time they're in the Forum, plus a free
CompuServe account.

You start up the Forum with high hopes. A month goes by. Four
people sign on. One of them leaves a public message. There are
no responses. After two months, CompuServe informs you that if
traffic doesn't pick up in two weeks, they will summarily drop
your Forum. Goodbye, computer conferencing entrepreneurship
career.

Does this prove that computer conferencing is of little value to
the elderly? If so, why? If not, what's your next move?


Question 2: The Online Heaven Opportunity
=========================================

You are hired as the designer of a new "Computer Information
Utility" called Online Heaven. "In two years, we want to have
the biggest membership of all of 'em," says Jules Spillman, the
principal investor and President of the Company. "We took you on
because you're NOT a techie. You know what the users want.
You've struggled through all those OTHER networks." Then he
puts you on the spot: "What do you think this utility should
look like? What kinds of commands should we have? What kind of
overall structure? What kind of help? What services?"

Here's your chance to brainstorm about the ideal computer
conferencing utility. What features should Online Heaven have?
What should the user see when they first log in? Feel free to
steal features from other networks, but give credit when you do.
Don't be general--don't say things like, "The system should be
easy to use." Instead, say, "Here's what the new user should see
when they first sign in."


Question 3: The Individually-Tailored Topic
===========================================

How would computer networks/conferencing/information systems be
of value to you in Your Real-Life Work? What would you use? How
would you use it? Why? (And, oh, yeah: be sure to tell us what
the work is that you would adapt computer conferencing for.)

This question could apply to your for-profit business; or to a
business for which you are consulting; or to a non-profit
project for which you are working; or for some enterprise in
which you are an employee. What I'm looking to find out is: Is
any of this technology useful? If so, what for?


Question 4: The Sludgebottom Conundrum
======================================

You are a small-town newspaper editor, writing a column on an
upcoming court case--the first case of Electronic Libel.

It seems that Congressman Horatio Sludgebottom (Republican,
Colorado) opened an account on the Carriage House computer
conferencing system in his home town of Colorado Springs.
Unfortunately, the congressman slyly signed in under the
pseudonym "David Jones". Then, in the Politics conference,
"David Jones" opened a topic asking how people thought
Congressman Sludgebottom was doing.

Some people said he was doing fine, others said otherwise, but
there were no real fireworks until local resident Suzie Ethan
Brown said that she had seen Congressman Sludgebottom sneaking
out of a gay pornographic movie theater in Denver. This was
particularly damaging to Sludgebottom because he is a
conservative Christian fundamentalist. He had recently proposed
a bill that would allow states to prohibit all pornographic
films within their borders.

Sludgebottom immediately sued. He didn't sue Suzie Ethan Brown--
he sued the Carriage House computer network. They are
responsible, his suit says, for any slander that appears on
their network. And, since his day in court has not yet come
about, he denies that the event ever happened. Meanwhile,
Carriage House is protesting that because Sludgebottom signed on
under a false name, his suit represents invasion of privacy.

As a newspaper columnist, you don't have to decide what's
legally correct. You have to opine on what is MORALLY correct.
Should Sludgebottom be awarded damages? If so, who should pay--
Suzie Ethan Brown or the Carriage House computer network? Should
the damages depend on whether Sludgebottom was actually visiting
the porn theatre or not? If Sludgebottom had signed on under his
own name, would he have a better moral case? Or does it make no
difference?

What's the ethical bottom line of this complicated situation?


Question 5: The Seven-Headed Monster
====================================

You are the chief of planning for a large multinational
thinktank organization called NUMCO (Nebulous Ubiquitous
Multinational Corporation). You are bringing your top seven
planners into a single conference where they are all supposed to
decide the direction of planning for NUMCO during the next six
months. They are scattered around the world.

The planner in London ("Equipment Failure") is wildly
enthusiastic. Unfortunately, she can't get her modem to work.
She doesn't know if the problem is in her modem, her terminal
software, or her transmission line. So she has yet to sign on.

The planner in New York ("Luddite Curmudgeon") doesn't
understand why he has to deal with computer conferencing and
wants to make his contributions by telephoning the other
participants--or, better yet, having his secretary telephone
them.

The planner in Tokyo ("Conceptual Artist") has contributed her
first tentative comment. Unfortunately, the upload didn't quite
work, and it is complete with missing characters, double
characters, paragraphs that end prematurely, and what seem to be
missing words. To make matters worse, you're not certain if the
problem is technical, or her lack of proficiency with English.
But she's essential to the project, and must not be allowed to
become discouraged.

The planner in Melbourne ("Uncle Irrelevant") has contributed
four items so far. Only one of them has to do with the topic at
hand. One is a boring, lengthy description of Australian
restaurants ("in case you ever make it down here, mates").
Another is a fascinating story about the first Australian
computer. And the third is hard to understand, but it appears to
be a digression on the nature of planning itself--something that
might be interesting, if it were written better.

The planner in Cleveland ("Insufficient Access") has only signed
on once, although she is enthusiastic. The reason is apparently
that she has to walk down three flights of stairs to someone
else's office to use their computer.

The planner in Montreal ("The Phantom Lurker") has apparently
signed on. You've seen her name online. But she has yet to
author any comment, or to respond offline to tell you that she
is paying attention.

The planner in San Francisco ("Captain Overload") is
enthusiastic, and has gotten his modem and software to work.
While waiting for everyone else, he has flooded the network with
20 comments. He is beginning to complain that no one else has
reacted to his brilliant ideas.

What are your ideas for solving any or all of these problems?
If you don't get them all communicating within the next six
weeks, the project will likely go down the tubes--or you'll have
to budget a lot of money for phone calls and Telexing.

-----

Author's note: For more information about the NYU Interactive
Telecommunications Program, call 212/598-3338. And if you're
interested in seeing my students' critical journals, I will be
editing a selection of comments into an article for LinkUp
Magazine. The students' journals currently are available in Data
Library 1 of the Whole Earth Forum on Compuserve (GO WEC).

AN ELECTRONIC SEARCH PARTY
IS HELPING TO FIND MY MISSING DAUGHTER
by David T. J. Landrigan


"Daddy I want to stay here with you. I want mommy to visit."
Those were the last words Angela spoke to me on the evening of
June 8, 1986 before she left with her visibly upset mother. Two
days later I learned that Angela's mother had taken our 4 1/2
year old child, crying, from her bed at 3:30 Monday morning.
Neither Angela nor her mother have been seen since by anyone who
has shared information with us.

The first week was hectic. I learned a lot about searching for
missing children and the means that people used in many previous
efforts. I spoke with the police, the Guardian Ad Litem, and a
social worker from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). Another social worker, who was
investigating a report that had been filed by an MSPCC social
worker alleging abuse of Angela by Nancy came for a home visit.
A concerned private investigator needed an orderly presentation
of facts before beginning his teams' work. The Missing
Children's Network and Elaine Moriconi from the Society for
Young Victims were contacted for their assistance. I had recent
pictures developed at Central Square Photo, Cambridge and
posters printed at C.W. Beane, Cambridge. I felt emotionally
bolstered when the owners of these establishments volunteered
their speedy and excellent work free of charge together with
words of support. That was one of the first signs that someone
really cared. Detective Munger of the police and the
International Research Services private detective had been
helpful, the social workers had said that there was little they
could do, and the guardian had said let's wait to see what
happens.

My aunt Marjorie put an excellent perspective on what was
happening when she said, "David you are an adult and capable of
dealing with this awful thing much more easily than your poor
daughter. Angela's life has been turned upside down. Think of
what she must be going through right now. She's missing you and
all of the people, places, and things familiar to her." I
wholeheartedly agreed with her. Angela, and other children in
similar circumstances, are victims more than we adults because
of their greater dependency.

While doing the layout for the posters on my IBM/PC, I realized
that I could contact fellow sysops of BBS's (system operators of
electronic bulletin board services) and friends from the
electronic networks to ask their help and support in finding
Angela. Initially, the most important request was for volunteers
to distribute the posters of Angela which C.W. Beane had
printed. But, much more is developing than the list of volunteer
poster hangers that I had originally envisioned. That's what
happens when a group of motivated and bright people have the
ability to communicate.

Bob Klepac, sysop for PI-Net in San Antonio, and Paul
Wilczynski, Business Forum sysop on DELPHI, were among the first
to respond with both support and help. Bob initiated the spread
of Angela's description and other information on bulletin boards
from Texas to N.Y. Paul contacted other sysops on Delphi,
arranged with Bob Fried, Ellen Kaufman, and Peter Bolson to
digitize a picture of Angela for DELPHI users to download to
their machines, and requested help from the DELPHI staff.

The day after I was sure that Angela was missing, I started a
conference called "ANGELA" in PARTI on the UNISON system. Harry
Goodman, Catharine Vinson, Pat Niehoff, Peggy Rossing, Stefanie
Kott, Fred Dudden, and a great number of other people from
UNISON have helped. A SEARCH PARTY phenomenon began to take
hold.

News of Angela's disappearance began to spread from system to
system. Porters are carrying information among the different
electronic network systems. Important information or offers of
help are returned to the "ANGELA" conference by the porters. Bob
Brody, of Los Angeles, contributed to the SOURCE PARTI "ANGELA"
conference which Catharine Vinson created. Bob and his friend
Dale have been successful in gaining further cooperation from
the Howard Johnson Corporation. Phil Moore, Sherwin Levinson,
and Terri Leitao of Networked Systems International (NSI)
arranged for Angela's picture to be digitized in a form that can
be viewed on Telex machines as well as all personal computers.
People are being encouraged to print the picture and post it in
stores, schools, etc. throughout the nation. NSI, The Source,
UNISON, GEnie, and other systems have placed messages for
everyone to see as they logon to the systems.

Messages have been received that people have spread the word
about Angela to the WELL, PeopleLink, CompuServe, EIES, New
England Commons, BIX, Usenet, Apple Grantee Network, ECONET,
QLINK, and MCI systems. All of this activity has required the
willingness of people like John Evans, Peggy Berk, Sharon Fales,
Nancy Tully, David Sawyer, Renee O'Connell and Taylor Walsh of
STC, Steve Beale, and many others who are geographically
scattered around the U.S. but linked to each other through
people working together on many computer systems. Presently no
established means exists to enable automatic porting of
information between systems. Systems have different ways of
encoding and transferring information so that without the work
of these people, the intersystem ELECTRONIC SEARCH PARTY
phenomenon would not be occurring. Perhaps some day soon greater
intersystem capability will exist so that people will spend less
energy "turning the crank" and more time communicating.

The technology of electronic communication offers capabilities
with which many people are not familiar even though they may
have a pressing need for such communication. NSI has made an
offer to assist child search organizations such as the Society
for Young Victims in communicating with each other. Cooperation
between systems such as NSI and organizations like the Society
offers hopeful prospects for locating missing children. NSI also
has a separate goal of helping the parents of missing children
through the formation of electronic links which will contribute
to their support and information needs.

The Society people have expressed an interest in becoming
familiar with the electronic approach to communication, and they
have arranged for a demonstration. People from the Adam Walsh
Foundation are being contacted with an offer to have them
participate in the first demonstration with the people from the
Society. This demonstration will be an interesting step toward
electronic networking among all of the interested organizations.

An estimated 25,000 to 100,000 children are the victims of
illegal parental abduction each year, according to figures from
the beginning of the 1980's. That the number was rising.
Including the children who are abducted by nonfamily and runaway
children, the number of missing children in the U.S. each year
is staggering. About 60% of missing children are found according
to one agency's report. While it is wonderful that so many are
returned to their homes, there is a lot of room for improvement.
Hopefully, intrasystem and intersystem electronic communications
can be one avenue toward improvement.

Angela will be found through the efforts of the many people who
are contributing both in the ELECTRONIC SEARCH PARTY and the
more conventional searches. It hurts to have her missing and it
hurts to think of what she is going through right now. However,
there is solace in knowing that no obstacle will stand in the
way of people united in a common purpose. We the people will
succeed; and now, technology has given us tools to speed us
toward success.

-----

Author's note: Dave Landrigan (TJLAND) is a psychologist in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. His daughter Angela was abducted from
their home in June of this year and has become the focus of an
intersystem "electronic search party" effort the find her and
return her to her father.

A NEW RESEARCH TOOL FOR SCHOLARS
An Interview With
Dr. Richard W. Slatta, Director of ScholarNet

by Ron Beloin


Last fall, advanced computer-based telecommunications, in the
form of PoliNet, was introduced to scholars in political
science, public administration, and criminal justice. This
marked the first phase of ScholarNet, a network devoted to the
humanities and social sciences. The project is supported by
North Carolina State University, Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., and
Wadsworth Publishing Co. This summer, HumaNet makes its debut to
facilitate collaboration among professionals in history,
religion, philosophy, and English.

ScholarNet offers a range of services including E-mail,
topically-oriented bulletin boards, real-time conferencing, and
access to relevant databases. The following is an interview
(conducted via E-mail) with history professor/ScholarNet
Director, Rich Slatta.

RB: Rich, how did an expert on 19th-century Latin American
bandits come to be involved in computer networking?

RS: Thanks for asking, Ron. I've asked myself the same question
a number of times over the past years. Completing my first book
manuscript ["Gauchos and the Vanishing Frontier"] in 1982, I
vowed not to go through the interminable bout of retyping and
reproofing with secretaries again. I bought an Osborne 1 and
have pounded out thousands of pages on it since.

As a researching historian, I quickly became fascinated with the
capabilities of telecommunications. Bringing the catalog to the
Library of Congress [via DIALOG] into my home study was a
wonderful possibility. I began working online early in 1983 and
explored The Source, Dow Jones, CompuServe, and lots of bulletin
boards. Unable to restrain my "teaching urge," I began writing
tutorials and articles for microcomputer publications, like
Link-Up, PC, Business Software, and many more.

The potential for international communications also attracted
me, given that most of my research is done in Latin America. In
short, just as I added SPSS [Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences] and mainframe computing to my historian's toolbag in
the Seventies, so I added microcomputing and telecommunications
in the Eighties.

North Carolina State University, a leading technological campus,
provided ample support to encourage these computing activities.
I think that within a few years, virtually all productive
scholars will be working with word processing and online
research.

RB: What are the immediate goals of ScholarNet?

RS: ScholarNet seeks to provide for the scholar what Delphi,
CompuServe, et. al. offer for home computer users--a bundle of
essential, easy to use, and cost effective online services. The
first goal is to place materials online that our subscribers--
mostly university professors and research professionals--need.
These include course syllabi, bibliographies, software reviews,
tutorials on computer use, and public domain software--all
tailored to the interests of scholars in the humanities and
social sciences. Secondly, we must publicize our existence and
increase the subscriber base. We strongly believe in an
interactive system with services shaped by the requests and
participation of users.

RB: Do you find that new methods of working are evolving to fit
the technology, or are users more or less duplicating their
existing work habits online?

RS: Most of us are creatures of habit. Initially, most users
duplicate traditional work habits. They substitute electronic
mail for the postal letter. They look for types of information
online relevant to past and current interests.

But, as online experience grows, new possibilities occur to us.
For example, Dr. Alex Pattakos, a professor at the University of
Maine at Orono, has used PoliNet to institute an "electronic
visiting professor" program. He brings professors from other
universities into his classes via a PoliNet conference. That's
an innovative use of telecommunications.

RB: What is the most popular feature of PoliNet?

RS: The first heavy use of the system by a new subscriber is
generally E-MAIL. That probably remains the most used feature.
But professors are "infomaniacs," always hungry for information,
so the file exchange areas get a good workout, too. So far,
most of the articles, reviews, and public domain software in the
file exchange have been posted by ScholarNet staff.

We recently added tutorials on uploading files. We hope that
subscribers will begin posting their materials online. Ken Baser
of the ABC-Clio publishing firm in Santa Barbara recently posted
some items on their scholarly publications. We expect the file
exchange to grow rapidly and to diversify.

Michael Vasu, executive editor of PoliNet, has held one online
conference and will be sponsoring more this fall. I expect
conferencing to "take off" as we develop more identifiable
interest groups. I also expect to see the creation of many more
online newsletters to reach different academic constituencies.

RB: How essential are the contributions of volunteer editors and
writers to the operation of PoliNet?

RS: Whether ScholarNet ultimately succeeds in becoming THE
communications medium for scholars depends largely on our
recruitment of online editors and contributors. We aspire to
cover all significant areas of the humanities and social
sciences. The staff at our campus cannot and should not
coordinate information in all areas.

The network offers the possibility of having the best person as
editor of a given specialty, regardless of geographical
location. It holds the promise of a decentralized and more
democratic forum for knowledge. We have commitments so far from
professors in several states to serve as online editors. The
National Library of Canada has contacted us about improving
scholarly communication with Canada.

Of course, professors who wish to work with us online must
educate their campus administrators in the importance and costs
of such activity. What budget line covers connect time? Will
electronic publications be recognized? But as professional
organizations adopt ScholarNet as an official communications
medium, we'll see more electronic pioneers step forward.

RB: Word-of-mouth is probably important in the recruitment of
new users. Do you see a danger of a group espousing a particular
philosophy or doctrine dominating the network to the point that
potential subscribers with conflicting viewpoints are turned
off?

RS: So far we haven't had any problems with system abuse. Those
of us on campus jealously guard our academic freedom and
zealously protect our access to information. [This is one reason
that the secretiveness and censorship of documents by the Reagan
administration is so disturbing to academic researchers.] Our
goal is to keep ScholarNet a somewhat transparent medium with no
particular axes to grind [beyond hyping online communication, of
course!].

The diversity of academia, the tremendous storage potential of
our system, and the open combat of ideas on the intellectual
"battlefield" will serve to keep ScholarNet open and attractive
to all subscribers, I think. We can certainly offer a much wider
range for potential debate than currently exists within the
scholarly print media.

Censorship of academic expression or coercion toward an
"official history," like that practiced by Accuracy-in-Academia
type groups, constitute real dangers to academic freedom. In
addition to maintaining our traditional disciplinary interests,
we will try to safeguard this new medium from political bigotry
arising from any part of the political spectrum.

RB: How does ScholarNet view some of the more sensitive issues
of privacy and ownership of intellectual property? For example,
does ScholarNet hold a copyright on material that appears on
bulletin boards?

RS: As you know, Ron, the whole area of electronic law is just
being worked out. The proliferation of new publications, like
the "Computer Law Journal," attests to the need for confronting
new legal issues. We do not copyright materials on ScholarNet.
BUT all authors retain implicit copyright, just as with any
printed publication.

We will work very hard to keep implicit and registered
copyrights respected. Materials from the network can be
reprinted only with the author's permission--just like printed
media. We will work out citation forms so that articles cited as
sources by other authors can be ascribed properly to the
network. The notion of "fair use" for educators applies, so that
a course syllabus, for example, could be downloaded, modified,
and used for a class. It cannot, however, be republished for
profit. In any case, we encourage subscribers to request author
permission, regardless of information use. This also lets the
author know that his/her contribution is being put to use.

Like other online services, we have to build a body of
experience and rules. I hope to avoid the heavy-handedness that
characterizes CompuServe. That service threatened to revoke my
subscription when I posted a notice in the public access area
about ScholarNet. That type of nasty, corporate monopolism only
hinders the cooperation that online communication makes
possible.

RB: Where is ScholarNet going?

RS: ScholarNet will grow in a number of directions, I hope.
First, insofar as costs permit, we are dedicated to making it a
truly international communications medium. We are enhancing our
Latin American offerings on PoliNet with an excellent newsletter
edited by Nelson Valdes at the University of New Mexico. We will
begin mailings to Europe this fall. We have a potential
constituency of 65 nations. Connection charges are very high
from many nations, but we would like to reach as many as
possible.

Secondly, we'll reach out to as many areas of the humanities and
social sciences as we can. Beyond that, we can create new
interdisciplinary areas of inquiry. For example, Bill Williams,
of the Organization of American Historians staff, wants to
institute a future studies area on HumaNet. This area would
encompass new paradigms and encompass new types of emerging
knowledge that do not fit neatly into existing academic boxes.

I also hope to see greater integration and cooperation between
electronic networks. We offer gateways to the DIALOG databases
and to the home/business services of Delphi. Our subscribers can
send E-mail to CompuServe users, but they can't send messages
back! I hope that evolving standards and declining turf
protection will help us to extend ScholarNet's communications
potential with other systems.

Finally, during the next few years we wish to move from novelty
to "old hat" status. I hope that, like word processing, online
communication becomes an everyday part of professional life.
Estimates that I read cite only one modem for each 5 to 10
micros. We'll have an attractive bundle of well established
services when the electronic wave rolls across campuses around
the country--and the world. Thanks for taking an interest in our
project, Ron.

-----

Author's Note: Dr. Slatta can be reached at ScholarNet, Box
8101, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8101,
919/737-7908 or by E-mail: ScholarNet@Delphi;
70156,404@CompuServe.

Ron Beloin is a cofounder of Life Sciences Telecomputing which
is implementing a network for the biological sciences. He can be
reached as LST@Unison; RONB@Delphi; G.U2DJ@CRNL20A.BITNET.

As we celebrate our one-year anniversary issue, we would like to
thank the following people who have contributed articles and/or
editing time to Netweaver during the past year:

Andy Abramson Helene Lee-Gosselin
Izumi Aizu Martin Lee-Gosselin
Art Bechhoefer Billye Lemon
Mike Blaszczak David Lochhead
Kelley Boan Linda Maldonado
Roger Bunting Al Martin
Frank Burns Brock Meeks
Lisa Kimball Tom Miezejeski
Carolyn Clock-Allen Hank Mishkoff
Dawn Debbe Mitra
Joe del Rosso John C. Oeffinger
Fred Dudden Susanna Opper
Sylvia Engdahl Stan Pokras
Andrew Finkenstadt Alan Pollock
Clyde Ford George Por
Micheal Gilson Peg Rossing
Gary Ginter Parker Rossman
Harry Goodman Jeffrey Shapard
Margaret Gouin Tom Sherman
Mike Greenly Bob Sprigge
Robert Harper Harry Stevens
Barbara Harrison Mark Szpakowski
Jill Herndon Stuart Umpleby
David Hughes Takeshi Utsumi
Darrell Icenogle Catharine Vinson
Grant Ingle Rev. Lewis L. Wilkins, Jr.
Joichi Ito Kate Wholey
Stefanie Kott Peter Wingfield-Stratford
Norman Kurland Diane Worthington
Bennett Landsman

And, as always, we thank ALL the porters who distribute
Netweaver across the electronic networks!

ENA UPDATE
by Lisa Kimball


This is the first anniversary of the publication of the first
issue of NETWEAVER!

Getting out a monthly newsletter is quite a challenge. But I
think we've found a technology which makes the process
*significantly* easier. Computer conferencing provides an
environment in which we can design issues, solicit and receive
articles, edit material, compile the final product, distribute
the newsletter, and interact with our readers. This makes the
process very efficient *and* cost effective. But the biggest
contribution of this technology is that it allows us to make
producing NETWEAVER a real team effort--with a team of authors,
editors, and porters from all over the world.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say thanks to the NETWEAVER
team for a great--award winning--first year! You'll find a list
of the many people who have made contributions in this issue.

This month ENA has put a new part of the organization's team in
place. ENA's RING (a group which consists of representatives of
each of ENA's major activities and operates as the network
equivalent of a Board of Directors) has elected a smaller group
which is empowered to make quick decisions when needed and serve
as ENA's equivalent of an Executive Board.

Kudos to the nominating committee--Tom Sherman, Stefanie Kott,
Fred Dudden, and Hank Mishkoff--and to the Ring for helping ENA
take this important step!

The new members of the ACTION RING are:

Diana Campbell
Lisa Kimball
David Lochhead
Peggy Rossing
Catharine Vinson

The Action Ring has been elected to serve a six-month term. The
first order of business for this group is to appoint officers
for the organization to deal with some of the legal requirements
and provide a point of contact with the offline world. After
that, the Action Ring will be helping ENA follow through on
priority projects and distribute resources where they will do
the most good.

ENA members have taken the lead in applying computer
conferencing technology to the problem of missing children. In
this issue you'll find an article about an intersystem effort to
locate the daughter of one of our fellow networkers and find out
how you can help. You can also read about a network for the
academic world and a case study of international technology
transfer. Think you know all there is to know about computer
conferencing? Take the final exam Art Kleiner gave his computer
conferencing class in New York University's program on
interactive telecommunications.

We hope you'll like this anniversary issue of NETWEAVER!
And we hope you'll participate by writing or commenting on
stories during our next year.