[Home]
[Themes]
[Comments]
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [By Date] [By Thread] [Top]
- - E-Mail for All - - - EMFA-EVENT - - - Universal Access - -
http://www.iaginteractive.com/emfa - Details Below
Universal E-mail - General Comments #3
--------------------------------------
These are the FINAL comments on this theme, although we
understand that the themes are intertwined. Thank you.
The following messages are included in this digest:
(Titles written by event host.)
1. Robin Miller - Priorities
2. Max G. Swanson - Juno and Disabled Use
3. Alan Mackenzie - Juno and Some Limitations
4. Achim Pawelczyk - Listening and Commenting
5. Lyno Sullivan - Proposal Abstract
6. William Steinhurst - E-mail and Time Zones
7. Aftab E. Moonga - Domains and E-mail in Pakistan
If we missed your comments on this theme, please let us know:
emfa@publicus.net
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[1]
From: "Robin Miller" <roblimo@primenet.com>
Subject: Re: EMFA: T1E5 - On Universal Access to E-Mail
- Ardai Date sent: Wed, 15 Apr 98 22:16:45 PDT
Right now, in most major U.S. cities, used Wintel PCs sell,
through used computer dealers, for about the same as two pairs of
NBA star-endorsed basketball shoes. Significant numbers of "hot"
computers are also available in most underclass-type
neighborhoods; junkies in both Washington DC and Baltimore MD
have offered to sell me virtually new, high-end PCs for less than
$100. Add Juno to any of these computers -- either the legit or
the illegal ones -- and plug the suckers in, and you have e-mail
for next to nothing.
But down at the bottom of society, as others have already pointed
out, e-mail and computers are not exactly high priorities. If
they were, inner-city kids would be shooting each other over
300MHZ Intel MMX microprocessors, not Eddie Bauer jackets. And I
would make a sunstantial bet that, in most of the world, if you
offered the average citizen a choice between a free $1000
multimedia computer (with lifetime Internet access), and a
motorscooter, the scooter would win.
If e-mail wasn't my primary means of transmitting the writing
that pays the mortgage on my house trailer, and you gave me a
choice between losing my e-mail access and losing my fireplace,
the e-mail would be gone.
While I believe universal e-mail access is a Good Thing, I don't
expect everyone to either need or want it.
Robin Miller
Cheap Computing -- http://www.andovernews.com/archive_miller.html
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[2]
Date sent: Wed, 6 May 1998 14:41:36 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Max G. Swanson" <maxswn@citilink.com>
To: E-Mail for All <emfa@publicus.net>
Subject: Re: EMFA: T1E5 - On Universal Access to E-Mail
- Ardai
On first hearing about it I thought, "This Juno thing will
never work."
It must be working reasonably well from a monetary point of view;
far more important, as demonstrated by this essay, it is
operating as a marvellously positive force within the Internet
community.
As one who, because of a disability, requires considerable
modifications in order to use a computer on- and off-line, I've
also observed that the Juno service has many devoted followers
among users of screen-reading and screen-magnifying systems.
I feel sure that the area of specialized access, physical and
cognitive disabilities will come up in a future EFMA essay, so
will simply close by underscoring the personal satisfaction
derived from this new communications platform.
Mail to: maxswn@citilink.com; Max S. KA0IZH. AKA Jazzbo.
talk2me! P.S. Thank you for reading and/or excerpting this
contribution to the discussion.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[3]
Date sent: Wed, 06 May 1998 19:13:40 -0700
From: Alan Mackenzie <talanm@earthlink.net>
Send reply to: talanm@earthlink.net
To: E-Mail for All <emfa@publicus.net>
Subject: Re: EMFA: T1E5 - On Universal Access to E-Mail
- Ardai
Juno is a great tool for low income persons, with some major
limitations. Relying on Juno for your sole source of Internet
access leaves you well behind the pack. Attachments and graphic
files cannot be used twith Juno. I cannot send the latest
multimedia email or attach a resume in a simple Word document.
Both great limitations.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[4]
[Host Note: "Listening" is one of the most important parts of
participation. Have you ever noticed how with online
forums (in-person ones for that matter) everyone seems
to be talking, but no one seems to be listening? Thanks for
listening and commenting.]
Date sent: Thu, 7 May 1998 13:03:03 +0200
To: emfa@publicus.net
Subject: Re: EMFA: T1E6 - An Opportunity
From: achimp@t-online.de (Achim Pawelczyk)
Some things that came in mind
while "listening" to the conference.
It is
- very informative, it stimulates thoughts
- inviting to listen, but not to participate
- I have to use all energy to try to come near the standard
presented here - necessary and positive maybe.
Some comments
E-mail is a means of (global) communication.
It can only be useful to people who want to communicate.
Can it be made instrumental to make people to want to
communicate? Apart from that the web is less communicating but
presenting.
Communication is (the) one thing to avoid (other types of)
conflict. It can correct lacking or wrong information, thus
helping to avoid mistrust and with this maybe even calm hate.
Speeding it up and making it available globally may be essential
for human development and global coexistence. Also E-mail may
become very useful in the future.
Putting your thoughts in a permanent form, addressing
some specific person or group of persons has in my view
a positive effect on developing a persons character.
Just speaking without needing much thought on a phone
has no such effect, even a voice letter may have.
Snail mail causes the train of thoughts to run out of fuel,
before the answer arrives.
What use could it have in a place with no technology and
knowledge of English, where daily problems reign ?
Underdeveloped communities may value new means of
communication higher, than the high-technology ones.
Apart from severe slave camps, people always enjoy
communication activities.
Automatic translation into English, if necessary, could be
made available. Communicating with persons or communities near
or far, on a permanent basis, enriches daily life, even may make
it easier by giving hints and information to improve working
methods or health care etc.
You can have public or private discussion and both can be
fascinating (or annoying and even threatening).
To limit the negative aspects of the power of communication
to a less than harmful level is an important task,
especially big with communication as volatile, global
and uncontrollable as E-mail.
Global E-mail for all cannot be free of cost,
the technology won't grow in your backyard
just from rain and sunlight.
The questions are, who will pay, who will sponsor,
who will subsidise and for what reasons or gain.
Achim Pawelczyk, Japanberatung, Germany
achimp@t-online.de
http://home.t-online.de/home/achimp/
-- a chimp at home
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[5] [An abstract addition from Lyno Sullivan.]
May 5, 1998
To: "MN Telecom & Information Industry Issues"
<mn-iii@tc.umn.edu> Fr: "Lyno Sullivan"
<lynosull@maroon.tc.umn.edu> Re: Local Community Digital Network
(LCDN): Features and Strategies
ABSTRACT
This article is in the initial phase of public review and
criticism. Your feedback and ideas are much appreciated. Please
recommend any additional features that you believe ought to be
considered minimums for a local community digital network. I
apologize to people who receive this article from multiple
sources.
This article proposes the minimal acceptable features of email
and other systems that are delivered as part of Local Community
Digital Networks (LCDN). It proposes one practical way that
universal email features might be delivered immediately to the
citizens of Minnesota. It proposes how, building upon that
universal email base, the full LCDN feature set can be delivered
in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Think of this article as if it were a high-level system design.
It discusses many of the "end user" (by that I mean you and me
and our families and the public and private organizations that
comprise our local communities) features of the system and it
discusses the nature of the project that can deliver those
features. The primary goal of the project will be to deliver the
full set of required features in a timely and cost-effective
manner. In any cost-benefit equation, the intangible benefits of
Public Good and Public Safety must be preferred above tangible
private profit.
This article proposes that, as a matter of Public Good and Public
Safety, Minnesota State government ought to muster the courage to
provide universal email within the Minnesota Public Digital
Network (MPDN) and offer it as a free service to the
approximately 160 public Local Community Digital Networks (LCDN)
that, together, form the MPDN. It proposes that, as a startup
service to the LCDNs, the State ought to immediately provide
email services for all citizens and organizations of Minnesota
until such time as each LCDN is able to assume that
responsibility for its local citizens. This article proposes that
the State of Minnesota ought to mandate and regulate the
provision of universal email within every LCDN and provide 90%
matching funds for that purpose. It proposes that Minnesota
State government ought to continue providing matching funds until
all the LCDNs have been built. The article assumes that, as a
necessary first implementation step, Minnesota State government
must claim immediate dominion over all Domain Name Services (DNS)
within the "mn.us" hierarchy and strive, through statute and
administrative rules, to establish all necessary Public Good and
Public Safety infrastructure therein.
The full text of the article may be viewed at:
http://www.freedomain.org/u/lls/writings/19980505-mpdn-lcdn.html
--
Copyright (c) 1998 Lyno Sullivan; this digital object is free and
may be copied, modified and distributed under the GNU General
Public License (GPL) at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html and
it comes with absolutely NO WARRANTY;
mailto:lynosull@maroon.tc.umn.edu
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[6]
From: "William Steinhurst" <wsteinhu@psd.state.vt.us>
Organization: Vt Dept of Public Service To:
emfa@publicus.net Date sent: Thu, 7 May 1998 11:48:41 EDT
Subject: Re: EMFA: T1C2 - Universal E-mail General
Comments 2 Priority: normal
Several comments in the above digest seemed relevant to a
personal experience. Those comments (by different persons) were:
**********
I believe that appropriate
technology has a great role in Life. I propose that we attend to
this matter by deploying systems that affirm the sense of
Place--Place within Family and Family within Community.
************
1) Despite being a messaging professional I can
count on the fingers of two hands the number of personal e-mail
messages I have sent (and on one hand where I had no option). As
far as I know none of my family has an e-mail address, most
friends only have an office address.
*********
Email in a global environment has an interesting characteristic:
it helps cope with time zone differences, even radical ones. My
story goes like this:
My daughter traveled from our home in the northeast US to
Australia twice to study in exchange programs, once in high
school and once in college. Both times there were numerous
problems and decisions that had to be dealt with rapidly and
interactively with her, schools here and there, host families,
the US offices of the exchange programs, etc.
With the best of intentions on all sides, dealing with these
issues by telephone and fax across so many time zones was very
difficult. Most telephone discussions required us to get up at 2
AM our time. Fax exchanges usually took several working days, as
each message would arrive during the recipient's night.
For her second trip, both of us had access to email. While I
still have trouble explaining the mechanics of the time zones
:-), we managed two or even three exchanges of messages per day
when an issue needed to be discussed; those exchanges were
convenient and did not disrupt sleep or work schedules. Email, it
seems, can be a great facilitator of cross-time zone
communication.
William Steinhurst, Dir. for Regulated Utility Planning
Vermont Department of Public Service
wsteinhu@psd.state.vt.us
http://www.state.vt.us/psd/
Montpelier Vermont USA
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[7]
Name: Aftab E. Moonga
Title/Organization: Moonga International Domains Network
E-Mail Address: domain@786-moonga.com.pk
Web Address: http://www.786-moonga.com.pk
Location/Country: 2-Mehran Market, Zakaria Lane, Jodia Bazar,
Karachi-74000, Pakistan
Dear List,
I am pleased to have a view on this list and am fully agreed that
atleast E-Mail should be available to each & every person in the
world at easily affordable price and appreciate JUNO mail which
became an 8th wonder of this world by offering Free E-Mail to all
(some how within USA, Canada etc). We were surprised to listen
that. Even I also filled in the online Form at the begining while
having no info on that it is limited to USA residents) <grin>
In my country - Pakistan, you will be surprised to know that we
have used E-Mails as costly as Pak Rs.6,250/= per MB through
Public Data Network`s switched packets. With today`s conversion
rate amount calculates at US$ 132/= per MB !! and at respective
time`s calculation it was CLOSE to about $190 per MB.
root@khi.sdnpk.undp.org - A united Nations Development Program
has kindly introduced E-mail systems at Rs.10/- per KB which now
gradually reduced to Rs. 2/50 (USC 5) per kb for all
international (internet) E-Mail incoming and out going, while
Local E-Mails (within city) destined to another sdnpk email
member is FREE for both sending & Receiving ends. Sending to
members of other centres of sdnpk within our country are at
reduced rates and receiving from other centres of sdnpk of the
country is Free.
Now is the time to introduce more & more competitive means.
Internet access is ranging between 50 USCents to 97 USCents per
hour., which is still at some higher end considering low economy
of our country and the vast ever expanding Internet Media, we
need Unlimited access at some reasonable charge, like US$ 20.-
per month. IBM offered unlimited access to internet on entering
into our market at Rs.1500/- per month!!, (now not offering)
while that time fascom.com was offering unlimited access at
Rs.35,000/- per month !!!!!!!! (No comparision between them)
At the same time, people in our country are not familiar with
Domains, It is a general idea HERE that the "Domain thing" or the
miracle is for ISPs only. We have just started our this Domain
Registration Business and was surprised to see that some one
offering Domain Registration at Rs.18,000/- per annum (Is he
leasing the domain????) and other one offering at Rs.9,950/- one
time charge plus monthly Rs.1,000 to Rs.3,000/- maintenance
charge. We have offered Rs.1850/- (US$39.95) one-time DNS charge,
plus Rs.100/- ($2) per month and hope for success, our clientele
won`t limit to Pakistan only, we shall welcome all international
Customers. On Disk usage for webspace, we may charge a little
more to earn, around US$ 3 to 4 per MB of Webspace. This is
because we do not expect a large number of customers for the
first year of our Internet Domain Registration Biz, like we have
customers for our Commodity based business, Moonga Tea, which is
our Quarter Century Old Business. Further we justify this price
by accepting as little as 500 KB webspace for
http://www.theirCompany.com and accepting the charges in Local
Currency and paying high Internet charges at around 50 to 97
Cents per hour for accessing the Server, physically located in
USA. We shall welcome any advice please on price scheduling.
TIA.
We Have a plan to offer Free E-Mail to all members of sdnpk
KaracHi only and are working on this project as to how to
implement, we shall highly appreciate if you or some-one will
guide us on HOW TO particularly on the theme that on connecting
UUCP with sdnpk all emails, outgoing, will be collected by us,
using our address TO: moonga@moonga.UUCP - But how the original
address where these mail be sent should be written ? using %
like in BITFTP or ??? and how for their incoming mails from
internet, our extra address be stripped and UUCP address be
added?
Here we may give ONE example that if the mail is sent from some
one with the name moonga@moonga.UUCP , his address can be
moonga-moonga.UUCP@786-moonga.com.pk for sending from us and on
receiving, dash (-) between both moonga be replaced with the sign
"@" and "786-moonga.com.pk" be stripped for onward transmission
to his UUCP address thru sdnpk again (or
moonga.moonga.UUCP@786-moonga.com.pk)
Since, all the Internet & E-Mail gurus are on the list, we
thought of getting greater ideas about. Sure, we should get
approval from SDNPK postmaster that they donot have any objection
on our this theme before implementing? Further we shall meet our
expenses from Domain Registration and web hosting, if we become
in some lack or short of funds, we shall get from our Moonga Tea
biz, as in start, we shall get from Moonga Tea.
I thank you all in anticipation. Just only contribution of your
Great Ideas and brainworking sought!
Best Wishes,
Aftab E. Moonga
Moonga International Domains Network
2-Mehran Market, Zakaria Lane, Jodia Bazar
Karachi-74000, Pakistan
moonga@786-moonga.com.pk
http://www.786-moonga.com.pk
end
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Markle Foundation's E-Mail for All Universal Access Event
WWW/Un/Subscribe Info: http://www.iaginteractive.com/emfa
Sub To: majordomo@publicus.net Body: subscribe emfa-event
Forward event posts via e-mail to others, for details on
other uses or to send general comments: emfa@publicus.net
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -