************************** Please distribute and post ************************** ************************************************************************ COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ANNUAL MEETING October 8 - 9, 1994 University of California, San Diego Price Center La Jolla, California, USA Organizing for Access: A National Forum on Computer Networking, Community Action, and Democracy ************************************************************************ In the few short years since the first proposals for a National Information Infrastructure (NII), a broad social movement has arisen to put that vision into action in communities across the country. A remarkable range of people -- educators, librarians, community activists, computer people, government agencies, advocates for people with disabilities, and others -- have been using computer networks to deliver services and to organize themselves behind an emerging agenda for computing and networking in the public interest. CPSR is convening this meeting for all people interested in the place of computer technology in society, with the goal of bringing together a wide range of voices to discuss the ways in which the NII might serve the needs of society and to empower one another to pursue shared goals in the new technological world. Our meeting this year will place particular emphasis on providing would-be activists with the skills and connections they need to put the vision of democratic technology into practice. Saturday, October 8th 8:00 - 9:00 Registration/Coffee 9:00 - 9:15 Welcome to the CPSR Annual Meeting Phil Agre 9:15 - 10:15 Keynote address Francois Bar Department of Communication, UCSD "Staking Claims to the Network" This is a critical time for grass-roots involvement in shaping America's communications networks. National policy-making has largely deferred issues of encouraging broad access, preventing network fragmentation, and guaranteeing basic individual rights and freedoms. Francois Bar argues that broad-based access and involvement today are critical -- not as charity, but because the network's future can only be imagined and discovered through broad-based and sustained experimentation by end-users. 10:15 - 10:45 Break 10:45 - 12:30 Panel Discussion -- Moderated by Steve Miller "The Meanings of Access" The theme of "access" has united numerous groups interested in ensuring equity in the NII. But "access" is a complex concept with many equally important facets. This panel brings together leading voices for community access to technology to compare and contrast the various technical, social, and institutional meanings of access. Panelists: Karen Coyle, University of California Library Automation and CPSR-Berkeley Lee Felsenstein, Interval Research and Berkeley Community Memory Deborah Kaplan, World Institute on Disability Larry Shaw, The Exploratorium Armando Valdez, LatinoNet 12:30 - 2:00 Lunch Break 2:00 - 3:30 Panel Discussion -- Moderated by Kathleen Kells "Privacy and Intellectual Freedom" Privacy and intellectual freedom are crucial information rights shared by all people. Protecting these rights is a full-time job, one that brings the members of several professions into day-to-day contact with the the diverse and complicated circumstances in which real people need to exercise them. This panel features a discussion among three national leaders in the defense of these rights. Panelists: Beth Givens, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, University of San Diego Judith Krug, Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association Gary Richwald, Department of Health Services, County of Los Angeles 3:30 - 4:00 Break 4:00 - 5:45 Panel Discussion -- Moderated by Rik Belew "Community Networking in San Diego" Our host community of San Diego makes a fine "case study" for all of our meeting's topics. In this panel, five active community members describe the remarkable range of networking projects going on around San Diego, placing them in the context of the region's economic and institutional evolution. Panelists: Nell Allen, Department of Social Services, County of San Diego Marcia Boruta, San Diego Economic Conversion Council Sandra Hall, Community Activist Al Rogers, Global SchoolNet Foundation Mike Stark, San Diego Computer Society 5:45 - 6:00 Closing Remarks -- Judi Clark ************************************************************************ 7:00 - 7:30 No Host Bar at Banquet Site 7:30 - 10:30 CPSR Banquet - Fundraiser - UCSD Faculty Club (Vegetarian food will be available) * Presentation of the 1993 Norbert Wiener Award * Banquet Address -- Patricia Glass Schuman, Neal-Schuman Publishers "Safeguarding the Right to Know" Patricia Glass Schuman, librarian, businesswoman and activist for free speech, was 1991-92 president of the American Library Association (ALA). As ALA President, Schuman launched a series of "radio rallies" to focus public attention on threats to the public's Right to Know. Hear her call for information activism that involves the entire community in strengthening democracy by defending and expanding everyone's access to information. ************************************************************************ Sunday, October 9th 8:30 - 9:00 Coffee 9:00 - 10:00 Featured speaker Sonia Jarvis National Coalition on Black Voter Participation "The Public-Interest Aspects of the Information Superhighway" Legislators in Washington are now making policies that will affect everyone's ability to join in the social and political activities that make up a democracy. How can we make sure that those who are not technologically literate will have an opportunity to participate? Sonia Jarvis will initiate a dialog on strategies for ensuring that the public interest is given proper consideration. 10:00 - 10:15 Short Break 10:15 - 12:15 Workshops Now is the time for everyone to become an activist for democratic uses of information technology. No matter what expertise you have to offer, or what contribution you'd like to make -- whether it's running a bulletin board, starting an on-line discussion group for people with a shared interest, organizing a computer network to serve your community's needs, helping to protect everyone's privacy in a world of computer databases, getting new people into the electronic world, joining the larger public-interest movement, or drawing on the resources of the net to get people the information they need to make informed choices in a democracy -- the necessary skills, tools, and connections are readily available. In these seven workshops, national experts on technology activism will tell you how to get started with your own good deeds on Monday morning. More detailed descriptions of each workshop will be available sometime in September. Building Community Networks: Promise and Pitfalls Aki Namioka and Doug Schuler, Seattle Community Network Legal Issues for BBS Operators Mike Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation Network-Based Organizing Dave Banisar, Electronic Privacy Information Center Steve Miller, Administration and Finance, State of Massachusetts Helping People and Organizations Get Started With Networking Eric Theise, Liberty Hill Cyberwerks Art McGee, Institute for Global Communications Investigative Reporting on the Internet Marsha Woodbury, University of Illinois Paul Lester, California State University, Fullerton Privacy Activism Christine Harbs, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, University of San Diego Dave Redell, CPSR Privacy and Civil Liberties Working Group Public Interest Activism and the NII Policy Process Bill Drake, Department of Communication, UC San Diego 12:15 - 1:30 Lunch Break 1:30 - 4:30 CPSR Organizational Discussion in parallel with informal discussion groups 4:30 - 5:00 Closing Remarks -- Eric Roberts ************************************************************************ ABOUT CPSR Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility is a national, non-partisan, public-interest organization dedicated to understanding and directing the impact of computers on society. Decisions regarding the use of this technology have far-reaching consequences that necessarily reflect the basic values and priorities of the people who govern their use. Founded in 1981, CPSR has 1800 members from all over the United States and 21 chapters. Each of our members is an important participant in the dialogue that is helping to shape the future use of computers in the United States. Our National Advisory Board includes one Nobel laureate and three winners of the Turing Award, the highest honor in computer science. CPSR published the influential report "Serving the Community" on policy issues in the National Information Infrastructure, and is an active participant in the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable in Washington. We believe that as the influence of computers continues to permeate every aspect of our society, it is important that professionals become active participants in formulating the policy that governs computer use and access. CPSR welcomes any and all who share our convictions, whether they work as computer professionals or not. For more information, look at the CPSR gopher server, which is located at gopher.cpsr.org, as well as the new CPSR WorldWide Web pages, whose URL is http://www.cpsr.org/home. Coming soon in these pages: much more information about the Annual Meeting. ************************************************************************ Registration Form Please pre-register as soon as possible to ensure a space at this exciting meeting. Registrations at the door will be accepted as space allows. Please send in a separate registration form for each individual attending the meeting. And please note that the Saturday night banquet is not included in the price of the meeting. Name _________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State _____________ Zip _________ Telephone __________________________ E-mail_____________________________ CPSR member $55 _______ Postmarked after September 20th $65 _______ Non member $75 _______ Postmarked after September 20th $85 _______ New CPSR membership & registration $95 _______ Postmarked after September 20th $105 _______ Low income $25 _______ Postmarked after September 20th $35 _______ Banquet tickets $40 X ___ = _______ Postmarked after September 20th $45 X ___ = _______ Additional donation to further CPSR's work _______ Total enclosed _______ For more information contact CPSR at (415) 322-3778 or [c p sr] at [cpsr.org.] Send the completed registration form with your check to: CPSR, PO Box 717, Palo Alto, CA 94302. ************************************************************************