Subject: NEW LISTS: SBNnet - South Bend [IN USA] area lists

From: John B Harlan <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1992 19:14:04 -0700

Here's a new twist...
Paul
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
SBN on LISTSERV@IndyCMS          South Bend [IN USA] area lists
    or [email-masked]

                               SBNnet

   SBNnet is an experiment in human networking for computer users in
   north central Indiana and southwest lower Michigan USA.  (SBN is the
   standard, three character aviation designation for South Bend,
   Indiana USA, the area's approximate geographic center.)

   The South Bend area community possesses a significant pool of talent
   in a wide variety of fields and academic disciplines.  SBNnet is an
   attempt to link that talent pool (making it more accessible to the
   area's computer-using community at large) and to foster a sense of
   community as electronic neighbors.  It is hoped SBNnet will include
   participants from area business and industry, higher education, non-
   profit organizations, and private individuals, joining in from home
   and work, to help their electronically connected neighbors.

   SBNnet is a network without dedicated hardware.  It uses electronic
   mail lists to disseminate information of local interest and to
   facilitate voluntary communication, assistance and cooperation
   between its participants.  Its only requirement for participation is
   some form of access to e-mail -- connection to academic / research
   networks such as BITNET / CREN / EARN / NetNorth et al, commercial
   services such as CompuServe and MCI Mail, uucp mail, etc -- in order
   to receive and reply to messages from other participants.  There is
   absolutely no cost for participating in SBNnet.  The only potential
   cost is that of an individual's access to electronic mail itself,
   since that is the medium through which SBNnet operates.

   SBNnet presently consists of eight distinct components, each a
   separate e-mail list available by free subscription from
   ListServ@IndyCMS / [email-masked]:

            o  SBNbirds     South Bend area birds

                            SBNbirds is for news and discussion of
                            birds living in and/or flying through
                            our community.

            o  SBNchat      South Bend area conversation

                            SBNchat is for neighborly conversation
                            about news, sports, weather, etc., of
                            interest in our community.

            o  SBNevent     South Bend area events

                            SBNevent is for listings and notices of
                            events of interest in our community.

            o  SBNhelp      South Bend area help

                            SBNhelp is an electronic cross between a
                            library reference desk, a community
                            information and referral center, and a
                            computing center help desk -- with the
                            twist that all SBNnet participants are
                            potential service providers as well as
                            service users (i.e., "from each
                            according to his abilities, to each
                            according to his needs")

                            SBNhelp is intended to provide a forum
                            for informal information and referral,
                            and reference;  it is not limited in
                            subject matter (except that its use for
                            any type of commercial promotion or
                            transaction is strictly prohibited).

                            The modus operandi for the help
                            component is that a participant with a
                            question or need posts an e-mail message
                            to the SBNhelp list (address:
                            [email-masked]), which is
                            then automatically redistributed to all
                            other participants.  Any participant who
                            has an idea to help answer the question
                            or address the need (or even suggest
                            another possible resource for doing
                            same) then posts an e-mail message back
                            to the SBNhelp list in reply, and that
                            reply is automatically redistributed to
                            the list.

                            In order to succeed and provide a
                            valuable service to our community's
                            computer users, the help component only
                            needs its participants to read SBNhelp
                            e-mail traffic and to respond to those
                            messages with which they may be able to
                            help.

            o  SBNjobs      South Bend area jobs

                            SBNjobs is for announcements of
                            positions available in the South Bend
                            area, and for statements of
                            qualifications and interests of those
                            persons seeking employment in our
                            community.

            o  SBNnews      South Bend area news

                            SBNnews is for the distribution of local
                            and regional news of interest in our
                            community.

            o  SBNsport     South Bend area sports

                            SBNsport is for the distribution of
                            sports information and scores of
                            interest in our community.

            o  SBNwx        South Bend area weather

                            SBNwx is for the distribution of
                            weather information of interest in our
                            community.

   A ninth list, SBN, is a superlist which automatically adds the
   subscriber to seven of the eight separate components described above.
   SBNwx is available only by separate subscription.

   A tenth list, SBNnet-L, is used to discuss the design, implementation
   and management of SBNnet, South Bend's human/e computing network.

   SBNnet is a network of good will and neighborliness, a dedicated
   service for the computer users of our community, computer users from
   all walks of life, at home and at work.  Having dealt with ListServ
   lists extensively over the past two to three years, I know personally
   the impact this technology can have on communication on a national
   and international scale;  I believe it can also be applied closer to
   home to facilitate the dissemination and exchange of information
   locally.

   If you are interested in participating in or observing this project,
   please contact me at the e-mail address or telephone number below.  I
   hope you will choose to be a part of SBNnet, South Bend's human/e
   computing network.

                            John B Harlan
                          JBHarlan@IndyVAX
                     [email-masked]