From: Michael Hauben (hauben@cs.columbia.edu) Subject: Common Sense: The Net and Netizens Part III/III This is the only article in this thread View: Original Format Newsgroups: alt.amateur-comp, news.misc, news.future, alt.culture.usenet, alt.culture.internet, comp.misc Date: 1993-07-06 02:24:38 PST V. APPENDIX ----------- A) Is the Net a Source of Social/Econ. Wealth? B) The Magic of E-Mail - Beginnings. C) Does the Net bring Real-Life advantages? D) Looking for Exciting Uses of the Net. E) Connecting Others to the Net. F) Looking for stories of Net Harrasment. G) Does the Net help you be Creative or Have Fun? A) Is the Net a Source of Social/Econ. Wealth? & Other thoughts POST ---- Newsgroups:news.misc,alt.culture.usenet,alt.amateur-comp,sci.econ,comp.misc, soc.misc,comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Is the Net a Source of Social/Econ. Wealth? & Other thoughts There are some notes I have made in trying to form a proposal for a paper I am writing for an Independent Project in College. I would appreciate any any ideas or suggestions in e-mail. Please send e-mail to me at: hauben@cs.columbia.edu The points I would most like some feedback on are 1 - 6. However, it might be useful if anyone is interested in the question of whether or not the Net (and its users) is a source of creation of economic, social, or intellectual wealth. This might make an interesting discussion via public followups. MY PROPOSAL: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I want to understand this idea of Internetworking and cooperative attitude. The social connections and collaborations that the Internet and other parts of the global computer network make possible are new and very important. This more widespread communication brings the general populace of the world in better intersection/ global social intercourse. Question about Battle for use and right to utilize. And people have taken the battle up in order to keep access open and for all. Forces for restriction and censorship. Only through battle that net has stayed open. Net *inherently* allows people choice to speak. Is it secret that Usenet did restrict corporations/private from abusing Net as it is research-oriented and developed only via because it was an experiment? (NOT A FLAME) *****1. What does communication over the networks mean? Is it "value-added" somehow in that any response might bring something added into the amount of information or value. Does communication via the Net represent the quicker building by people on other people's work thus representing advancements (in ideas, products, production, etc) *****2. Does the Net represent intellectual wealth? Does the net represent the growth and increase in Gross National Product /Wealth or Wealth of Nations? [What if any theoretical background is there to this?] William Petty maybe Bacon, or Royal Society. ***3. What does the Net make possible? Is the "Communication" on the net different than normal/before modes of communication? DOes the widespread of connections and zero-time [Ability to turnaround information and/or publication or exchange of information in almost no time] of producing things prove revolutionary? ***4. Provides a Forum that facilitates Intellectual Ferment *****5. Net makes knowing real conditions of society possible - because you have a "direct" connection to "many" people - the masses. *****6. Accurate Information [similar to point 5] 7. How does the network make these "connections" possible easier than before? [These connections being finding people in the world to enjoy exchanging information, debating, connecting intellectually or whimsically - helping to find people who you can or want to interact/communicate with.] 8. Who has access and can gain the advantage of this service/connection/resource/revolution? Is this only an advantaged group of people, or is it growing quickly? Or should it grow quicker? What direction is access going towards for? What is Clinton/etc doing? [Business?] Is there a fight against the continued openness and/or growing openness of letting the great body of people communicate accurate information that is normally controlled in normal modes of mass media. Thanks -Michael Hauben ------------------------------------------------------------------- B) The Magic of E-Mail - Beginnings. POST: ----- Subject: The Magic of E-Mail - Beginnings Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc,alt.amateur-comp,alt.folklore.computers, soc.college,alt.culture.usenet,news.misc Do you remember the first email message you sent? Do you remember the first email you replied to? Do you remember the first response you received in email? Do you remember the first email response you received seemingly before you sent out the original message? -- Do you remember the magic? -- Excitment is a key word, as is immense usefulness. Whether you are a scientist, a student or a casual user, person-to-person communication via the computer is *VERY* exciting. Remember your first time and write it down. Keep your memory and save it for posterity. You...We... are all part of what is a realtivly early period of the computer communications revolution. Save your experience in order to help recognize and remember this period of change - this beginning. --- And if you do write down (or type in) your first (or first couple) of real *exciting* e-mail beginnings please email them to me. I will try to post a summary to usenet. And talk about e-mail from e-mail or e-mail in response to Usenet, or e-mail in connection with something before the current e-mail or what you think might come in the future. Thanks, -Michael ---------------------------------------------------------- C) Does the Net bring Real-Life advantages? POST: ----- Article 891 of alt.amateur-comp: Newsgroups: soc.singles,rec.autos,soc.college,alt.amateur-comp,soc.culture.usa,comp.misc From: hauben@cs.columbia.edu (Michael Hauben) Subject: Does the Net bring Real-Life advantages? Message-ID: Summary: Has the Net improved or broadened your off-line world? Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 06:31:58 GMT How has the Net changed your life? Has anyone who has used the Net actually been able to add to their off-line life successfully? I am doing research for a paper for college, and I am interested in the material changes that the Net helps develop through the increased communication. Has access to the Net and your participation on it allowed you to do something that you wouldn't have done before - offline? Anything would be interesting - meeting people/ new friends, marrying someone from on-line, joining groups, certain opportunities that were there because of the connection via the Net, etc. I am interested in hearing about actions caused by use of any part of the Net (Usenet, talk, e-mail, etc). The *KEY* point is that the cause or facilitator of the event needs to be because of the Net somehow. If you have any interesting, or useful stories, or ideas please either e-mail them to me, or post a follow-up to this message! Thanks, -Michael ----------------------------------------------------------- D) Looking for Exciting Uses of the Net. POST: ---- Subject: Looking for Exciting Uses of the Net I am doing research for a paper for a college independent study about the net and communications. I would appreciate hearing about using any part of the net: Usenet News/Netnews, irc, e-mail, mailing-lists, Freenets, ftp, wais, gopher, etc. I would like to know about people's uses of the network(s) that have been especially interesting, valuable and/or exciting. I want to hear about people's delights and also about disappointments using the Net. Please do NOT send me information about use by businesses or corporations for commercial purposes. I am NOT interested in commercial or proprietary uses. I AM interested in uses that serve the public, that are open, that serve science, research, education, and social aims and objectives. I am also interested in uses that serve to help people personally on their work (programming, et al) or hobbies. Either email me at hauben@cs.columbia.edu or post a public followup. Both if possible. Thanks, -Michael Hauben --------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT POST: ------------- Subject: Connecting Others to the Net Newsgroups: news.misc,alt.culture.usenet,alt.amateur-comp,comp.misc,soc.misc Hi, I would like to hear from people the various ways in how they have introduced others to Usenet and the Internet. What ways have been sucessfull and relatively inexpensive or res in getting family, friends, and other associates connected? I am interested because I am interested in people's attempts (consciously or unconsciously) to further the expansion of the Net. To the further expansion of the Net! :) -Michael Hauben -------------------------------------------------------------- F) Looking for stories of Net Harrasment. POST: ----- Subject: Looking for stories of Net Harrasment Newsgroups: alt.censorship,news.misc,comp.mail.misc, alt.amateur-comp Have you ever experienced harrasement on the net? Have you tried to utilize the communicative aspects of Usenet, Email or other computer networking capabilities but wound up discoraged? Please let me know if you have been the victim of censorship, harassment or some kind of blocking at some point in your usage of computer vfacilitated communication. If so, do you think this "discouragement" was wrong or vicious, or malicious. Thank you, -Michael And lastly maybe it would be helpful to find out why you thought you were treated such. ----------------------------------------------------------- G) Does the Net help you be Creative or Have Fun? POST: ----- Subject: Does the Net help you be Creative or Have Fun? Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,talk.bizarre,alt.mud,alt.irc,news.misc, alt.culture.usenet,alt.amateur-comp,rec.music.misc,rec.arts.misc I am conducting research for an independent study about computer and communication for college. So far I have asked and received many "serious" answers and replies dealing with work, keeping in touch with friends around the world, etc. However I am also interested in what effect the Net (Netnews, the Internet, other Nets, ftp, irc, gopher, etc) has on either creative endevors you might have, or just plain silly or fun things. Has access to the Net helped you in any creative hobbies you might have, or just given you a chance to have fun? For example. have your music tastes expanded, or do you know about more plays happening, have you learned about other who are musicians, or artists or writers? And if so, have you gotten a chance to jam, paint, write, or somehow help each other? Have there been any on-going creative collaborative music/art/literary experiments? How has the computer assisted communication helped you be creative or expanded your boundaires? The other side is, have you found more ways to just have fun, or of news ways of having fun. As I am not exactly sure where to post this message, I would appreciate any suggestions as to other groups to post the message to. Thanks! -Michael Hauben ===== BIBLIOGRAPHY ConneXions October 1989 vol 3 No. 10. Einar Stefferud (Pg 21) Hauben, Michael -"The Social Forces Behind the Development of Usenet News." The Amateur COmputerist Newsletter Volume 5 Issue 1 Winter/Spring 1993 Hauben, Michael. "The Computer as Democratizer." Amateur Computerist. Vol 4. No. 5. Fall 1992 Licklider, J.C.R and Albert Vezza. "Applications of Information Systems." Proceedings of the IEEE Nov 1978 Licklider, J.C.R. and Robert Taylor. "The Computer as a Communication Device" from "In Memoriam: J.C.R. Licklider 1915-1990," Aug. 7, 1990, p. 40; reprinted by permission from Digital Research Center; originally published as "The Computer as a Communication Device," in "Science and Technology", April, 1968, p. 40)] Personal Computing Special Issue Computing in America IV October 1989 "Fighting City Hall at 2400 Baud" pg 170-172 Quarterman, John - "The Matrix" -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | Michael Hauben CC '95 | E-mail me for sample copies of | | hauben@cs.columbia.edu | The Amateur Computerist Newsletter | | hauben@columbia.edu | & read the alt.amateur-comp newsgroup | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------