Public Interest Computer Association Conference (8/87)
PUBLIC INTEREST COMPUTER ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE FCC PROPOSED REGULATION September 9, 1987 Washington, DC The FCC has announced its intention to lift an exemption of access fee payments by value added networks - in other words - providers of information services. This could mean that online data services could cost an additional $5/hour in 1988. The Public Interest Computer Association (PICA) is sponsoring a conference on the FCCUs proposed on-line access fee regulations on Wednesday, September 9, from 9 am to 1 pm in the Phillips Ballroom of the Omni Georgetown Hotel, 2121 P Street, NW, Washington, D.C. The conference...

An Electronic Search Party is Helping to Find my missing Daughter (8/86)
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....

Computers for Social Change (7/86)
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...

ECONET (6/86)
ECONET by George Por "In an Atlanta suburb, a $50,000-a-year engineer spends countless hours twiddling with his new IBM computer. The technology engrosses him, but he lacks a sense of purpose. In Southeast Asia, meanwhile, a young man wrestles with calculations needed to build a hydroelectric dam. He thinks his figures are correct, yet isn't certain and thousands of people will die if the dam collapses. "Can the Atlanta engineer somehow help his counterpart abroad? "... An Electronic Peace Corps could bring these two together and offer the Third World some of the best American technical expertise via computer...

Six Weeks on the Road (6/86)
SIX WEEKS ON THE ROAD Presbyterians Move Into A New House by Rev. Lewis L. Wilkins, Jr. On April 1, computer communicators in the Presbyterian Church moved into a new, denominationally sponsored network home. The latest move comes at the end of a year of unusual activity, initiated by the Communication Unit of the denomination's New York-based Support Agency, aimed toward bringing comp comm into the mainstream of the church's array of communication technologies. In June 1985, the Communication Unit offered any who would sign up three months of fully underwritten use of a closed E-mail system that used...

Computers and Your Health, part 2 (2/86)
COMPUTERS AND YOUR HEALTH, Part Two Ergonomics: Your Feet and Lower Back by Clyde Ford In the first part of this series (NETWEAVER Vol. 2, No. 1), I discussed some of the health hazards associated with the radiation output of the computing devices with which we work. I also offered some health and nutritional guidance to help you combat the potential health risks of this radiation output. In part two, I will introduce you to the ergonomics of your working environment. As you are most likely aware, "ergonomics" is a science that makes extensive use of mathematics, physics, and...

UCHUG: The Electronic Network of The United Church of Canada (1/86)
UCHUG: THE ELECTRONIC NETWORK OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA by David M. Lochhead Why has a Canadian church become involved with electronic networking? There are two major reasons. 1) Geography: The Canadian population is distributed in a thin strip stretching for 4000 miles across the northern border of the United States. Communication across the length of the church is difficult and expensive. 2) Text: The business of any church is related to textual information. For centuries, the church was the major provider of information in western society. The transmission and creation of text have always been the primary...

Computers and your Health (1/86)
COMPUTERS AND YOUR HEALTH Combating the Effects of Low-Level Radiation by Clyde Ford This article (possibly the first in a series) explores what you can do to prevent your computer from becoming a hazard to your health and a major source of stress in your life. You may well be familiar with some of the facts and recommendations contained herein; but, hopefully, one or two items may pique your interest, and help make this wonderful electronic world a little less detrimental to your well-being. The major hazards of a computer environment can be divided into three categories: low-level radiation,...

Support Groups (1/86)
SUPPORT GROUPS by Dawn Debbe For many, the green screen creates a world: new perceptions, perspectives, and concepts roll across the screen as fast-- sometimes faster--than we can absorb their content. The screen also reflects our everyday *personal* realities and concerns: the five pounds we never seem to lose; the cigarettes we struggle to snuff out--permanently; the sorrows and frustrations, as well as the pleasures of personal relationships. "SUPPORT GROUPS", a conference structure available on PARTICIPATE (R) on the Source, is designed to provide an atmosphere of support for people having difficulties in various areas of their personal lives....