CHEBUCTO CONNECTION BOARD NOTES

Chebucto Community Net is operated by the Metro Community Access Network Society (commonly called "Metro*CAN"), a not-for-profit society with a Board of Directors. This column will keep members and users informed of board activities.

Canadian Internet Awards

This first edition of board notes is just in time to announce the awards garnered by CCN, David Trueman, and Dalhousie's Computing Science Department at the first annual Canadian Internet Awards. The presentations were made last month after a month of online nominations and voting. Here's how we cleaned up: David Trueman won "Internet Person of the Year" for his work on Chebucto Community Net and Chebucto Suite, the software that helps make CCN what it is. Chebucto Community Net won the community site of the year; Dalhousie's Computing Science Department won Best Development Team or Collaboration for their part in the development of Chebucto Suite. (Dalhousie University also won Best Academic or Education Site!) Congratulations to David, to Dalhousie, and to the entire CCN community for a job well done!

New Membership Fee Structure

Local developments were highlighted by the completion of a survey of all MetroCAN members on the possibility of a new membership fee structure for the coming year. The society remains dedicated to the principle of free access to community resources. But the system is not free to run and that is why we sell memberships in the society. The survey revealed that members are willing to accept a modest increase in the basic fee along with a differential fee for families, youth under 18, and persons who are unwaged. Information on the MetroCAN society, including the new fee structure is available by by using the command [g metrocan].

Internet Access Contract Negotiations

The contract for providing internet service to CCN will be up for renegotiation in the months ahead and the society has created a strategy for getting the best deal out of the next agreement. A committee will be struck with the purpose of deciding what will be our goal in the coming negotiations. This committee will consist of two or three members of the MetroCAN board plus two members at large of the MetroCAN society. This is NOT the negotiating team! The job of this committee will be to decide what we cannot do without, what we'd really like to have, and what we don't want in the next Internet Service Contract. Once that has been decided, a small negotiating team will work to get the best deal for internet service from one of the local suppliers.

CCN Picnic

A social event is in the works! A committee chaired by Ryan Deschamps has been busy organizing a summer social event for CCN users in the Metro area. The bar-b-que area off the shore road at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax will be reserved for CCN users and friends from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 3rd (August 10th - rain date). Bring your own picnic supper or plan a cook-out in the bar-b-que pits provided. The Board hopes lots of Metro*CAN members and CCN users will take the opportunity to meet on-line friends in person.

First Meeting of Nova Scotia Federation of Community Networks

On the July 7th weekend an important step was taken in the Community Net movement in Nova Scotia when eight regions came together to form a Federation. This meeting was a follow-up to a provincial conference held in Truro last November.

Perhaps the most important action taken at the meeting was an agreement to cooperate with the Department of Education in providing e-mail accounts for anyone in the Province who wishes to use one of the Public Access Terminals the Department will be locating in all Libraries, Museums and Community College campuses.

Both Cape Breton Net and Chebucto who will play major roles in this program have offered to support other regions who wish to have a community net but would prefer, at least at this point. not to own their own equipment. The first regions to try this new approach will likely be Windsor, Bridgewater and Yarmouth.

The officers of the new Federation are Paul Surette, from Yarmouth (Chair), Bernie Hart, from Metro (Vice Chair), Debbie McGean, from Sydney (Secretary) and Paul Armstrong

, from Kentville (Treasurer). As much as possible the business of the Federation will be conducted on-line but face to face meetings will be held probably at least twice a year.

David Trueman will be playing a key role in preparing the first draft of a proposal for the Provincial and Federal Governments for financial assistance for the "incubator" program being considered.

CHEBUCTO CONNECTION HOME PAGE

Chebucto Connections BOARD NOTES
is edited by Kevin Nugent who is happy to receive
Questions, Comments or Suggestions.
If your browser does not support mail, write to Kevin later at aa006@ccn·cs·dal·ca.

Next Month: September 1995