🚀 go-pugleaf

Several people have told me they are very interested in the freenet but
cannot come to the meetings, and they ask what they can do to help. Let me
answer with a message to all. 

I hope that most of the work can be done by individuals, with guidance
from committees and coordination through the larger "organizing group" (I
guess we need a name), and that much of the communication can be done by
electronic mail. It will, therefore, be important for the committees to
have their own listservs and/or news groups, that we keep the larger group
informed of the committees activities, that people be encouraged to attend
committee meetings, and that the committees identify specific tasks that
individuals or small groups can accomplish independently.  I think this
should be one of the items on the agenda for our next meeting, Sept. 22.
(I hope to draft a meeting agenda in the next couple of days.)

Meanwhile, here is what I have on committee meetings, for those who would
like to participate (suggestion for meetings in restaurants -- put a sign
on the table so strangers will know who and where you are):

Hardware/Software/Networking/Facilities
Next meeting: Thursday, September 10, meeting place not determined
Contacts: Roy Crabtree (uunet!duke!wolves!tcsrtp!royc) and
          Bill Evans (uunet!duke!wolves!tcsrtp!cwe)
          (If you have trouble mailing to these addresses, try
             royc@tcsrtp.uucp and cwe@tcsrtp.uucp.)
Suggested activities:
Explore implementation details such as software and housing
facilities, communication line alternatives and costs;
investigate and recommend hardware; coordinate inclusion of
existing resources such as MicroNet (Western Carolina
University), Learning Link (UNC Public TV and Public Broadcasting
System), FidoNet, FredMail (State Dept. of Public Instruction),
the UNC VTX information servers, and other resources.

User Interface
Met Sept. 1. Next meeting: Monday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. at the 
Picadilly Cafeteria, South Square Mall
Contact: Michael Grubb (Michael.Grubb@bbs.oit.unc.edu)
Agenda for Sept. 14 meeting includes discussion of specific dos and don'ts
and preparation of a presentation for the next rtpfreenet meeting.
Suggested activities:
Explore and evaluate existing systems (for example, the Freenets
based on a "city" model) and recommend interface guidelines;
draft system use policies and have them reviewed by legal experts
as necessary; and build and test prototypes of various interfaces
for useability.

Data
Met Sept. 1. Next meeting not scheduled yet.
Contact: Chris Tully (cptully@med.unc.edu)
Suggested activities:
Identify and enter data into the system; formulate guidelines for
growth and maintenance, and timelines and milestone markers for
adding and updating data. Develop a plan that will facilitate
funding, so that corporations can see how their contributions
would be used.

Funding and Staffing
First meeting not scheduled yet. 
Contacts: Kevin Gamble (kgamble@ces.ncsu.edu), Jefferson Surles
(jrsunc.unc.bitnet), Chris Tully (cptully@med.unc.edu)
Suggested activities:
Research and present a business plan (perhaps based in part on a
needs assessment survey this committee might design and conduct);
obtain and allocate funds for short-term for activities such as
the distribution of public relations mailings and videotapes and
long-term activities such as growth and maintenance; approach
vendors and corporate groups for sponsorships; determine
memberships fees and benefits of memberships (benefits might
include newsletters and "vanity" userids); seek paid advertising
sources (public agencies such as the Dept. of Travel and Tourism
who have advertising budgets); market services such as private
e-mail for non-profit organizations; secure facilities; determine
staff requirements and recruit staff.

Publicity, Administration and Training 
Met Sept. 1. Next meeting Labor Day, Sept. 7, at 1:30 p.m. in the Dept. of
Radiology meeting room (room 514) of the Old Clinic (Infirmary) Building,
UNC-CH campus. 
Contact: Michael North (north@rad.unc.edu)
Suggested activities:
Write and distribute press releases and other public relations
materials via print and electronic media (newspapers,
newsletters; electronic mailing lists, triangle.freenet
newsgroup); design and distribute system account applications;
install and maintain accounts; make presentations to groups;
write and distribute end-user documentation and training
materials for "sysops."