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An open ended, open
access platform
A "tradition" of
contributions - fee free information
A common place to be
and to be found
Mail and other protocols
that include and transcend Internet
Discussion
Telecommunications systems include a variety of well organized fee-based information utilities - Compuserve, Prodigy, America On Line, Microsoft, etc. - that operate as closed systems. But Internet has rapidly become the critical choice for those looking for a home for community information systems.
There are several critical reasons for this:
The Internet is not based upon a single location or a centrally managed network. It is an amorphous set of linkages among computers around the world. This offers breadth, flexibility, world scale interconnectivity and a self expanding system that will grow with the efforts of all who contribute to it.
Access to Internet from any point generally means access to all the computer servers and information sources that are a part of Internet. Most users will connect temporarily to the system through linkages to "server" computers. Already there is a choice of publicly available Internet services in most U.S. cities.
Much of the content of Internet has been built by government, university, library, nonprofit and volunteer resources who have recognized that information needs to be widely distributed and accessible. For most supporters of Internet, that has meant that costs of information are recovered during its development. Free access removes an important barrier to the use of information.
Even commercial sites on Internet have recognized the tradition by making no-cost contributions to the system. But increasingly, password protected information is developing. Access to these sites requires paying a fee. It may be argued that this form of financing is required for substantial, sustained and reliable information. But the weight of the evidence is that valuable information and communication on Internet will depend primarily upon the good will of organizations committed to building an open information platform. The synergy of collective action will rapidly expand the scope of information.
At a local level, the basis for content is the responsibility of local organizations. Very different models are likely to emerge in different locations. But most efforts recognize local community information as a citizen right and as a part of broader strategies for community development.
In the midst of confusion over which information services will predominate, Internet has become the common location accessible from most all others. User demand has forced proprietary services to permit effective Internet access. For example, other than sending E-Mail, a Compuserve user can not connect to a site within Prodigy, but both can access Internet sites. An Internet site becomes the one place an organization requiring broad access will need to be.
Even the closed systems have been linked to a critical universal networking resource - electronic-mail (E-mail). Communication has been universal for some time. Anyone with access to an information utility can be reached by any other person.
Computer software developed for Internet, however, has come the closest to integrating the various means for communication and information access into comprehensive packages. The "World Wide Web" has created an intuitive approach to accessing information. Web browser software has extended ease of use and incorporated once separate tools. With most web browsers is is possible to access text files in a "Gopher" format, to move files through "FTP", to review messages from "UseNet" discussion groups and to prepare "E-mail" messages for individuals or groups. Future software will be even more integrated than it is today.