Subject: forwarded message from Gary Chapman

From: Pavel Curtis <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1992 09:25:51 -0800

I don't know how many of you are also on the CPSR mailing list, but this seemed
of interest to this list...

	Pavel

------- Start of forwarded message -------
Date:	Fri, 30 Oct 1992 05:43:39 -0800
From:	"(Gary Chapman)" <[email-masked]>
To:	Multiple recipients of list CPSR <[email-masked]>
Subject:      Local Civic Network in Wisconsin

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility is trying to help
promote Local Civic Networks around the country.  There are projects
going on in Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle, Vermont, Portland, and
Madison, Wisconsin.  The following is a call for participation and help
for the Madison project.

For more information about CPSR, the nation's first public interest
organization of people in the computing field, write for more
information at [email-masked] or call (415) 322-3778.  For
 more information on CPSR's Local Civic Networks activity, write CPSR
staff member Richard Civille at [email-masked].

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

A team of people based at the Universiy of Wisconsin-Madison is
developing a Public Communication System (PCS), a non-profit network
which will be available to the academic community and to the general
public, and which will operate over the Internet.  We would welcome any
comments or suggestions which you might have, and we would like to
invite anyone who's interested in this project and would like to get
involved.

The goal is to develop a large public forum where people can present
information, ideas, and questions, and where it will be easy for people
to read and respond.  The hardware will consist of a central server, PCS
 computers at universities with connections to the Internet, and PCS
computers in public libraries.  The public will be able to get access by
 dialing in from home or via the PCS computers at public libraries.
People will be able to read for free.  The system will be supported by
subscription fees and by fees charged to SIGs for publishing articles
and newsletters, conducting conferences,etc.  For software, we're
modifying Gopher (a program developed at the University of Minnesota) to
 have enhanced interactive capabilities and security.  We hope to be
ready to test a prototype by this coming summer.

We've already gotten a lot of valuable help from CPSR members. We hope
the PCS will be another example of a public-access network which
develops up from the grass-roots.  Let us know if you have any
suggestions, if you'd like more detailed information, and if you'd like
to get involved.

          John Jordan
          PCS Project Directo
          University of Wisconsin-Madison
          [email-masked]
          (608) 233-9535
------- End of forwarded message -------