I am forwarding this message to Mr. Gashel, Mr. Cobb,
and the R&D list. It might interest you guys.
Below is an opportunity to speak out to our government on the use of the
information highway. It is an important item to people on this list. I
hope lots and lots of you sign up to the opportunity and also speak your
mind. We want the goernment to remember we are hear and to take us
seriously.
Norman Coombs nrcgsh@rit.ed
Forwarded message below:
....................
PEOPLE AND THEIR GOVERNMENTS IN THE INFORMATION AGE
NATIONAL ELECTRONIC OPEN MEETING
May 1-14, 1995
CALL FOR PUBLIC ACCESS SITES
BACKGROUND:
In recognition of the growing importance of information
technology as a means for communication and participation in
democratic government, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), the National Technical Information Service's (NTIS)
FedWorld, and the National Performance Review (NPR) will be
sponsoring an electronic open meeting entitled "People and Their
Governments in the Information Age," from Monday, May 1 to
Sunday, May 14, 1995. The US Government Printing Office (GPO)
will assist by providing telephone registration for Public Access
Sites and preconference information.
The meeting will seek to garner public opinion on the use of
information technology by Federal, State, Tribal and local
governments. The electronic open meeting will encourage public
discussion about the respective roles of the Federal government,
State, Tribal, and local governments, industry, the public
interest and library communities, academia, and the general
citizenry in creating an electronic government.
One of the fundamental tenets of the Clinton Administration is
that government information is a public asset and valuable
national resource. This open meeting is an extension of earlier
efforts, such as the Government Information Locator Service
(GILS) initiative, to establish a framework for governments'
roles and activities in the information age. In early April, OMB
will publish a "Notice of Inquiry" in the Federal Register
setting forth the five topics mentioned below, referencing key
reports and other documents, and seeking comment.
Along with the traditional method of mailing in responses to a
"Notice of Inquiry," the open meeting will be conducted through
our nation's electronic networks including: the World Wide Web,
newsgroups, e-mail listservs (mailing lists), commercial on-line
providers, Public Access Sites, and dial-up bulletin board
connections.
HOW THE CONFERENCE WILL BE CONDUCTED:
FedWorld will create five e-mail discussion groups. The five
discussion groups will also be accessible through five
corresponding Internet newsgroups, the World Wide Web, and
dial-up bulletin board connection. Each discussion group will be
devoted to a specific topic relating to "People and their
Governments in the Information Age." Each topic will be hosted
by one or more experts, who will provide an introductory
statement to initiate the discussion and who will also take part
in the discussion.
Attendees will participate in the conference by replying to the
hosts' introductory statements, posting statements or comments,
and by replying to the statements and comments of other
attendees. We are seeking the broadest possible level of
participation emphasizing input from a wide spectrum of
Americans. The open meeting will focus on five topics:
Services -- from emergency help and health care to business
licenses.
Benefits -- from social security and food stamps to small
business grants.
Information -- from declassified secrets and travel aids to
satellite weather maps.
Participatory Democracy -- ensuring everyone's chance to be
heard in a democracy.
Technology -- how the technical portion of electronic
government will work.
NEED FOR PUBLIC ACCESS SITES:
A primary goal of the meeting is to enable as many Americans as
possible to participate in the dialogue. This includes people
who do not have a computer with a modem, or access to the
Internet. In order to ensure participation by the "unconnected,"
public and private organizations are needed to volunteer as
"Public Access Sites."
The following criteria will apply to institutions interested in
serving as a Public Access Site:
* Willingness and ability to make computer facilities
available, free-of-charge, to the general public on a full-
or part-time basis throughout the two-week meeting, and to
provide logistical and technical support to the public.
* Ability to access Internet e-mail, newsgroups, or
the World Wide Web. Public Access Sites should not use
Telnet to access the FedWorld bulletin board. Because the
number of access ports at FedWorld is finite, FedWorld
prefers to reserve dial-in and Telnet capacity for
individuals who seek to use the FedWorld BBS as their
primary means of participating.
* Willingness and ability to publicize your
institution's participation as a Public Access Site to the
local media and community, and answer local public and press
questions about participation.
* Willingness to be listed in a national directory
of Public Access Sites that will be made available to the
public and press, before and during the meeting.
If your institution would like to serve as a Public Access Site,
please do one of the following:
Point your World Wide Web browser to:
Or, send a blank e-mail message to:
In response to your e-mail, you will receive an automated
response detailing how to register as a Public Access Site. If
you do not presently have e-mail, newsgroup, or World Wide Web
capability but plan on having such capability by the time of the
meeting, you may register as a Public Access Site or receive
general end user information by calling the GPO Access User
Support Team at (202) 512-1530.
If you would like more information about the content and format
of the meeting, please send a blank e-mail message to
info@meeting.fedworld.gov. You will receive an automated
response providing additional detail for the electronic open
meeting.
Thank you for your interest in making this meeting more
accessible to the public!
*********************Please Note the New Phone Number************************
Connie Stout Director, Texas Education Network
J.J. Pickle Research Center 10100 Burnet Road, CMS
University of Texas Austin
Austin, TX 78758 512-475-9440 voice
cstout@tenet.edu 512-475-9445 fax
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Date: Mon, 03 Apr 1995 16:04:52 -0500 (EST)
From: AKPGSH@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Interesting, maybe?
To: nrcgsh@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
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David Andrews, director
International Braille and Technology Center
for the Blind
National Federation of the Blind
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