Date: Tue, 5 Mar 1996 01:50:11 -0500 (EST) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (Patrick A. Townson) Subject: The Need For a Netizens Association An interesting message reached me today that I thought several of you might be interested in. If you do wish to continue the discussion, please send your comments direct to the author as shown below and not to the Digest itself. Perhaps at some future point the author will be so kind as to summarize responses for the Digest and submit them to me for publication. PAT From: hauben@vanakam.cc.columbia.edu (Michael Hauben) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: The need for a Netizens Association Date: 4 Mar 1996 03:57:45 GMT Organization: Columbia University Reply-To: hauben@columbia.edu The recent passing of the telecommunications bill in the USA demonstrates the lack of understanding by Congress and the government about the value of the Net and what it really is. In light of this, there seems a need for people to organize and form a Netizens Association. The following summary of a trip I made to Japan in November 1995 describes the genesis for this idea. Please e-mail me or respond publicly if you have suggestions or can help. Towards a Netizens Association, /Michael Hauben A little under one year ago, I received a letter sent through the Internet, via electronic mail. The letter was sent by a professor from Japan, and concerned studies we were both interested in. This communication between people concerned common interests despite differences in age, language, and culture. While Professor Shumpei Kumon knew English and was studying global communication, there were still real barriers of distance and time. I hope to show how the new technologies are helping to alleviate these barriers and help bring us into a new age of communications where the old rules and ways are no longer the guiding rules and ways. What brought Professor Kumon and me together was our shared interest in the globalization of culture and society through the emerging communications technologies. The specific concern was about the emergence of Netizens, or people who use computer networks who consider themselves to be part of a global identity. The Netizen is part of a developing global cooperative community. I first used the term "Netizen" in 1993 after researching people's uses for the Internet and Usenet. Professor Kumon's first communication to me follows: Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 12:30:23 +0900 From: shumpei@glocom.ac.jp (Shumpei Kumon) To: hauben@columbia.edu Subject: Netizen Hi, I am a social scientist in Japan writing on information revolution and information-oriented civilization. Since I came across the tern "netizen" about a year ago. I have been fascinated by this idea. It seems that the age of not only technological-industrial but also political-social revolution is coming, comparable to the "citizen's revolution" in the past. I would very much like to do a book on that theme. Yesterday, I was delighted to find your Netizen's Cyberstop. You are doing a great job. shumpei kumon ------------------- Professor Kumon also asked if I was the first to use the term Netizen. Part of his studies are socio-linguistics, so he is interested in the development and use of language over time. Netizen had come to replace the term netter or networker in Japan to describe people who use computer networks. In response to my return message, Professor Kumon offered his understanding of Netizen as "people who abide in networks and are engaged in collaborative propagation of information and knowledge just as citizens abide in cities and are engaged in commerce and industry." He continued, "In this sense we can perhaps find the origin of netizens in Europe of 13-15th centuries, just as first citizens in modern civilization appeared in Europe of 12th century as commerce revived there." Professor Kumon concluded the message by asking if I was interested in visiting Japan. He said he could make this possible. At the time I did not know where this would lead, but I responded that I would be very much interested in visiting. Japan was an unfamiliar country for me. Previously in my education I did do some research into the secondary education system, and found it to be a very stressful environment. Otherwise I had some general interest in the culture. However, I was unfamiliar with Professor Kumon, and the institutions he was connected to, the Global Communications Institute (GLOCOM) of which he was the director and the Internation- al University of Japan. However, this contact with him, and soon with his colleagues brought me to Japan. One of the planning directors of GLOCOM, Izumi Aizu, wrote me shortly after Professor Kumon, and mentioned a conference in November to which they might invite me. Before the real invitation actually arrived, several other events took place. Izumi Aizu arrived in New York City in late April, and we spoke of many things. Most interesting was how he saw the Internet being a direct challenge to traditional Japanese culture. While people normally go by their last names in Japan, the Usenet and Internet culture encourages first-name familiarity. Professor Kumon's e-mail address was made up of his first name, not his last. The style of writing in e-mail is usually informal. The ease of use encourages people to use the medium as if it were in between writing a letter and making a phone call. E-mail, Usenet and the world wide web (WWW) encourage people to share their original thoughts and creations with the world. I have been told that Japanese culture encourages people to represent the larger grouping they are part of. The concept and history of Netizen strikes a good mid-point between being individualistic or having a group identity. Netizens represent themselves, but as part of the larger group. The many-to-many technology gives people the chance to represent themselves, but in the context of contributing to the whole on-line community. During Izumi's visit, we also briefly spoke of some of the barriers to the spread of the Internet in Japan and the United States. A big concern of Izumi's was who could or should pay to spread the Internet in Japan. There are other social and technical hurdles to overcome in order to spread the Internet throughout Japan. Izumi described more of the work of the HyperNetwork Society which was connected to a network community in Oita Prefecture and described some about the conference I was being invited to speak at in November. He also asked if I was willing to be interviewed for a television special that would be created for Japanese TV introducing Netizens and describing the Internet. Two days after my graduation from Columbia College in May, the two film-makers arrived to conduct their interview and to film me and Columbia. They explained that their film would be aired on TV Tokyo, a NHK television channel on an educational TV show in July, 1995. The airing of the TV program about the Internet, communications and multimedia was very important to my later trip to Japan. My connection to Japan would broaden out from the initial contact by the members of GLOCOM. After July 2, I received several e-mail messages from other people in Japan. A student in his final year of undergraduate study at Saitama University wrote on the very day the TV show was on in Japan. In his e-mail, Hiroyuki Takahashi explained that "I discovered your idea -- Netizen ... I feel attracted to your concept. I would like to talk with you about netizen and so on. I want to spread netizen among networker in JAPAN." (email of July 2). He asked if he could copy to his public computer server in Japan the documents about Netizens that I have publicly available through my Columbia University web pages. I responded yes, and wrote, " I am glad to hear you are trying to spread Internet access to the public. We thus have a common goal. :-)" (email 7/2/95) Hiroyuki wrote back "Yes we can collaborate on that purpose." He had apologized saying that his English was not very good. I responded that "unfortunately, I speak no Japanese, but appreciate that we can communicate." Hiro wrote back saying "Nationality has no longer senses on the network. Everybody stands on same starting points :-)" He wrote that there were many problems in trying to spread the Internet in Japan as computer networking had grown a lot in the past two years. He explained: "[In the] Last 2 years [the] computer network environment in Japan grew up marvelously so most of japanese included mass media, market and ordinary men cannot catch up with the growth and they are expecting too much." Hiroyuki explained "So now I am seeking how to spread network environments." (e-mail July 4, 1995) The connection to GLOCOM similarly flourished, and I was asked to contribute a chapter to Professor Kumon's planned book about Netizens tentatively titled "The Netizen Revolution." In addition, I submitted a paper for inclusion in a newspaper special supplement whose theme was "The Media Revolution." More people sent me e-mail, and I posted publicly to public newsgroups like soc.culture.japan and fj.life.in-japan. This connection with people from across the globe whose native language was different was occurring because the computer and communications technology had developed to 1) break down the geographic and time barriers, and 2) break down the social barriers which exist in all cultures, but which are traditionally strong in Japanese culture. These changes are helping all cultures and societies to become more global, in both making their contribution to the larger world and to receive back from the world. I heard from Izumi several times after July concerning the conference, and the final invitation arrived in August. Izumi invited me to make a presentation on "Netizen concept and issues." Izumi also mentioned that there would be two other Internet conferences in Kobe that it might be possible to attend. In November, plans for my visit to Japan were worked out. I was asked to prepare a 20 minute talk and to submit a description of my talk for the conference program. I wrote Hiro telling him I would be visiting Japan and asked if it would be possible to meet him. I also posted on some Japanese Usenet newsgroups asking if there were suggestions about my visit. Hiro wrote back that he would be very happy to meet me. He said that "We can discuss or talk about many things; netizen, internet, computing and so on. I am very happy to see you :-)" (email Nov 16) When I was in Japan, we met and had dinner. We spoke of many things including the lack of professors at his University who understand the computer technology. I learned that he and other students managed the campus computers and networks. Hiro also worked towards introducing the Internet and spreading its use in Japan. When I asked how I could help, he mentioned that he wanted help to translate some of the netizens writings into Japanese. I said I would be helpful if he had any questions. Then I left Tokyo and went to the HyperNetwork conference in Oita. Similar to what took place in Tokyo, I received an extremely warm and friendly welcoming from many of the People from COARA and the BBC '95 conference. My presentation in Beppu concentrated on describing the emergence of Netizens and analyzing the development of the public communications medium know as the Net. Following is a definition of Netizens presented in the speech, "Netizens are the people who actively contribute on-line towards the development of the Net. These people understand the value of collective work and the communal aspects of public communications. These are the people who actively discuss and debate topics in a constructive manner, who e-mail answers to people and provide help to new-comers, who maintain FAQ files and other public information repositories, who maintain mailing lists, and so on. These are people who discuss the nature and role of this new communications medium. However, these are not all people. Netizens are not just anyone who comes on-line, and they are especially not people who come on-line for isolated gain or profit. They are not people who come to the Net thinking it is a service. Rather they are people who understand it takes effort and action on each and everyone's part to make the Net a regenerative and vibrant community and resource. Netizens are people who decide to devote time and effort into making the Net, this new part of our world, a better place." When I got back to Tokyo, Hiro came to visit again, and he brought several members of his computer club with him. The computer club was the Advanced Computer and Communication Engineering Studying Society (aka ACCESS). I had also received email from Mieko Nagano in November before my visit to Japan who said she was housewife active in the community network COARA which sponsored the Hyper network conference. Her e-mail was an invitation to the conference from someone outside of GLOCOM. In a later email she wrote that she was moved by my concept of Netizen which she shared in my understanding would "help further the growth of the Net by connecting a diversity of people who have various opinions, specialties and interests. This worldwide connection of people and other information resources of different sorts will help the world move forward in solving different societal problems." (email Oct. 29, 1995) She wrote that she was not able to "comprehend high-class discussions in the past conferences." "I only enjoy," she continued, "as a ordinary housewife, communication with good-willed and good-sensed people through COARA and/or E-mail on real name basis." "What is great for me," she noted, "is that I can talk to the people all over the world instantaneously and look around various sites full of information including images and sounds." (Oct. 29) When I arrived at the hypernetwork conference, there were stickers and hats declaring "Netizen in COARA." After the conference, Mieko explained: "Naming after NETIZEN, as Mr. Hauben advocated, COARA members prepared in advance 'Netizen sticker' appealing to be COARA constituent by attaching the logo on their chests of clothes and welcomed our guests."(email Dec 12, 1995) After our visit, I wrote Hiro that I was very happy to have met him and his friends from their computer club at his University. In his email when I returned home he asked if there was a Netizens Association. He wrote in a P.S. in an email of Dec. 6 "Netizen association is available? If not in Japan, I want to make it." I told him I did not know of any and asked him what he had in mind for a Netizens association to do. He responded: "I think [a] Netizen Association is a guide into tomorrow's Internet world. Internet and other network[s] have a flood of electrical informations. So people cannot swim very good in Internet. So Netizen Association tell or advise how to swin or get selected information. The association act as guide. Oh, and we have to spread information about concept of netizen. But making association process has many difficult points, I think. So we have to give careful consideration to the matter." "Please let me know your idea," he added. (email Dec 12, 1995) Hiro also wrote that he and his classmates had a "translation team" that was "now reading carefully" through the Netizens article. "And next Thursday and Friday," he wrote, "our club has big presentation about Internet in my university, so we are very hard [at work] this week." (from Dec. 9, 1995 email) Others wrote to explain their interest in the concept of Netizen. The response was important because as I found out while in Japan, the word 'netizen' meaning 'network citizen' would have a different meaning in the Japanese culture. The term or concept of citizen differs from the American meaning as the individual finds meaning in the group organizational setting and not separately. This means the meaning of the concept rather than the surface of the term was understood. While in Japan, I met many people interested in spreading the Internet. Those involved, young or old, found it important to try and connect people to the Internet as a way forward into the future. Young people were happy to have a new tool to challenge the old conventions of society. I was more surprised to find others of older generations still interested in this new technological medium which was challenging the traditional Japanese social customs. More importantly, however, was the global connections and broadening of people the Internet brings. Mieko, Izumi, Professor Kumon and Hiro were all working towards making it possible for the Japanese people, from any part of Japan, to be able to communicate with others around the world. Michael Hauben Teachers College Dept. of Communication Netizens Netbook http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook/ WWW Music Index http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/music/ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thank you for a very fine presentation to the Digest readers today. I quite agree that a Netizen's Association would be a marvelous idea. I wonder what other Digest readers think of this proposal? I believe we should at this time unanimously appoint Mr. Hauben as Chairperson or President of the Netizens Association in the United States and encourage him to work with not only his counterparts in Japan but to aid in beginning Netizen Association chapters or groups all over the world. And Michael, you can count me in as a member from the very beginning. PAT] ------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 13:15:29 -0400 (EDT) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (Patrick A. Townson) Subject: More About the Netizen's Association Awhile back, I posted some information about a proposed Netizen's Association sent by Michael Hauben. Then a couple weeks ago I presented a bit more information on how to get on the mailing list for the discussion of this proposal. I had earlier said I would present a summary of replies to the original article, but this summary was not available when I published the information on joining. So today, I have for you the summary of responses to Mr. Hauben's original item. This summary was prepared by himself. If you would like more information about being part of this new organization being formed for internet users, you should contact him direct for details, and I personally hope you will. PAT Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 23:11:07 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Hauben Subject: Netizens Association list Draft Charter PROPOSED NETIZENS LIST CHARTER Draft for Comment The global computer communications network now stretches around the world. However, there are many places within reach of the Net which are currently not connected, either because of lack of money, of knowledge, or of other factors impeding online access. There are many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and online services spreading, but these commercial entities do not guarantee that everyone who would be interested in connecting with the on-line world will have the ability to do so. Also, the personal computer is not affordable to a great number of people around the world. Just as it is important to the American society as a whole to connect our nation together on-line, so there is a similar need in other countries and a need to form a truly global and universal computer communications network. This is a difficult undertaking but one currently more in reach than ever before. There is a growing body of people who identify as members of a global community which communicates electronically over the world-wide computer communications network. These people have come to understand the value of the communication ability facilitated by the Internet and identify as citizens of the Net, or as Netizens. Netizens are people who work to contribute to the growth and collaborative community of the Net. The word describes those who help newcomers on the Net to understand the value of the Net by teaching how to utilize it and contribute back to it. The idea of Netizen has now spread around the world and is used in a variety of ways. The idea represents a helpful way to portray the principles and the vision of the social advancement that the global connection of netizens networking worldwide can make possible. It is important to support this vision and these principles. There is a need, to act towards making the on-line community available to all. Infrastructure needs to be established which would allow broad access and the chance to teach the new literacy of both computer and other on-line skills. The Internet is currently under pressure from business and governments around the world to go in a direction that strays from the guiding vision of the original ARPANET pioneers who saw an intergalactic network that would be a public intellectual utility. Usenet pioneers envisioned discussion groups being made available around the world and at low cost as part of an emerging emerging Worldnet which would be world wide and multifaceted. In response to a call for people interested in forming such an association of netizens I received responses from about 40 different people. The responses mainly came from North America, with a number from Japan and Europe. The overwhelming sentiment however, where ever the response came from, was "how can I help?" There was an urgency present in the messages. Concern existed with how to communicate successfully across cultures and societal differences. "What needs to be accomplished?" was asked. A desire was expressed to think globally enough to make such an organization international in scope. So while benefits were seen in off-line organizing, it was important to tie these efforts together in a way which contributed to a new global cooperative community. The grassroots development was highlighted as a difference between this possible association and current societies focusing on technology and the Internet. It is important to bridge the gap between the on-line discussion about access and availablity with off-line grass-roots action and development. The on-line component will guide the physical world development and feedback from that experience will inform the discussions. Individuals in localities concerned with the further development, expansion and accessibility of the Net help the technology by spreading literacy and understanding about the new global community breaking previous social and geographic boundaries. Given the vision of a future networked world and the tenuousness of the current time in realizing this vision, it is important that concerned individuals come together to discuss how to protect and expand the online world, while working with others towards making the networked future a reality. During a recent trip to Japan, I met a number of networking enthusiasts who were interested in spreading the Internet in Japan. They found the Netizen concept to be helpful in their efforts. One student who I met in Tokyo, Hiroyuki Takahashi, suggested that there was a need to form a Netizens Association. This association could work towards educating people and helping them to gain literacy in both the technical and social aspects of working, living and playing on the Net. In addition, this Netizens Association would function as a forum to bring people together to protect and advance the Net as a new public commons and global community. I propose to work towards forming a prototype for a local Netizens Association chapter. The success of a few such chapters could lead to the spreading of chapters focused around educational institutions or communities. This would be in conjunction with efforts by people working for similar goals in other countries across the globe like Japan, and Canada. While I have global concerns and contacts, it is important to start locally and concentrate on forming local associations that will help those in particular areas learn about the value of networking and help them to spread what they have learned to their schools and communities. I also see the need to have public access to Usenet and email available via public terminals in schools, libraries, and other public places. Part of the work of a local Netizens Association might be to encourage government, school and library officials to make such access available. Also, I am forming a mailing list for people to discuss the principles behind a Netizens Association. In addition, this list will be for communication about the formation of local chapters and the discussion about how Netizens can support the Net and help work against ignorant actions against the Net by individuals or groups. This is an important time in the development of a new form of human communication that the computer makes possible. The recent passage in the USA of the Communications Act of 1996 will be setting up machinery in the USA to determine whether on-line access will be available to all or limited to the few. It is a struggle in all countries to make access available to all who desire it. This is a call for people to come together to discuss and work towards these goals. _________________________________________________________________ APPENDIX Following is a summary of the concerns and thoughts expressed by those who responded to my initial post about the need for a Netizens Association: How serious is this effort to create "chapters" of the Netizen's Assoc.? ... I think I can help you in a small way and, if, after reading my thoughts, you still think so, let me know. I ... educate people on a daily basis about the net. I have started a popular Internet Interest Group in the store and loved doing it. One of the ways I stay informed is subscribing to the Cyber-Rights mailing list, amongst others fascinating sub-study of the ability of the virtual world Netizens to have an impact upon the physical world in which they interact. We are so engrossed with what the technology can do, we fail to log off in time to stand up for the potential in the physical world. It is no wonder we get things like the CDA, we are children with new toys trying to convince professional adults we are serious. I would like to believe that the manifesto of the DigitaLiberty people, technology will save us, will eventually become true. Maybe it will for my child's grandchildren. Today we need to act in the real world. How would you feel about me putting together a Netizen chapter? I am moving to a new city in a couple of weeks and the chance exists that I may not have to work right away. In other words, time. The main purpose would be to educate those offline or those online but [who are only] reading the ads. --------------------------------------------- make me a netizen. --------------------------------------------- Has much research been done on "individual base reasoning", I wonder? When we think of membership to a race, country or region, we are faced with a multitude of problems including overlapping, etc. But on an individual basis, persons are members of their individual community of one and also one of the 5.8 billion that make up our human population. Of course, as a living being or glob of matter we are also members of something bigger, but considering persons on an individual basis, human level, as in a Netizen Association seems to be the natural flow of things, and less problematic than race, nationality, etc. --------------------------------------------- I suspect that you are receiving overwhelming support for a Netizens Association. May I suggest one point that should be included in the mission statement? - To minimize the damage to the benefits of existing cultures, while facilitating the benefits of change to those cultures. If there is anything that I can do to assist you please contact me. --------------------------------------------- Was anything I could do to assist in such an effort. Do you plan on forming a mailing list (or is there already one to which I can subscribe)? --------------------------------------------- Have you been working at all at home on this idea or is this an international thing? --------------------------------------------- I have all kinds of questions, reservations and concerns, but I shall defer expressing them until I learn how the concept develops. --------------------------------------------- "netizen" phenomenon is to look at it in terms of it being an incredibly successful "meme". --------------------------------------------- What needs to be accomplished? --------------------------------------------- The degree of ignorance displayed by the "experts" giving presentations on the topic was, in fact, shocking. It seems to me very bad laws are made on the basis of ignorance this profound. What do you suggest? --------------------------------------------- I'd be interested in being on your mailing list, as long as you don't think I'll get swamped. --------------------------------------------- I'd be very interested in joining if it doesn't cost a lot. --------------------------------------------- The Internet is going crazy in Japan. I can't believe the amount of growth and energy that is happening here. --------------------------------------------- * It seems now that a day doesn't pass without another attack from a government on our ability to live freely on the Net: - U.S. (encryption restrictions; CDA; state AG suits; ...) - China (Internet packet filtering; ISP licenscing) - Germany (newsgroup - Singapore (Internet packet filtering; ISP licenscing) * While you note a colleague said netizens "are especially not people who come on-line for isolated gain or profit" I would hope that you woudln't use this to screen people out. My work is my life and I believe this is also the case for others in our company as well as millions of other Netizens. Certain people or disciplines may not like "profit," but, being intellectually honest, profit (what's left from the harvest after costs) is what lets us eat. --------------------------------------------- I believe that the WELL and the River are held back because they never developed the grand scheme for a truly global community. Have you eve played Sim City? --------------------------------------------- I think it embodied very well a few aspects of the Internet, such as fast global communication, and a sense of community. --------------------------------------------- automatically assume that japan would have been up to date on this latest technology --------------------------------------------- I wanted to lend a hand. The Internet in western Japan has really taken hold in the last six months, and I'm trying to promote its use esp. among students and ESL/EFL learners. --------------------------------------------- Global Netizen Organization. . . . I certainly belive the spirit of the NET, or ordinary people having an unfettered voice and being able to talk with others all over the world will bring world peace and respect for all cultures. Also, tell me what would be involved in my being the "Canadian" connection for the Netizen Organization? --------------------------------------------- I think one needs a sharp aim if such an association will have any chance of being more than a flea. --------------------------------------------- How about an adopt an "off-liner" program? Grt them up and running & educate them on the importance of what they are using? If you do get a mailing list going please subscribe me. I feel I must warn you that I believe these can get in the way of real action. --------------------------------------------- I am used to groups such as the "Association for Computing Machinery", the Internet Society (a society promotes the Internet), and so on. That is completely backwards from what the Netizens Association would be, I would think. --------------------------------------------- I am working in the conventional communication fields and I feel that our old society will be getting attacked and blamed by the netizens. There will be some frictions between both societies, but I do not worry about them. As people who are engaging in the communication fields know the essence or the purpose of communication. They enjoy first to make the pass road between unknown worlds, then to have a contact with unknown people and finally to become close friends. I feel the netizen idea is very similar to that of amateur ham radio. Reminding the idea of young age, I would like to cooperate with netizens to make the peaceful netizen world. Thank you for your message. --------------------------------------------- One of the problems which I think its problem is, growing Internet in Japan seems forming "Japanese cyber space". I know that there's no phisical barriers in cyber space, but language barriers are hard to cross for many Japanese. Many young people are excited by web, and start to surf and making thier web pages. But most of their web pages are made for Japanese and they only surf for Japanese pages. I hope that people like Mieko and Hiro encourage them to open up their mind to the global network. I am afraid that Japan is tend to be isolated and too nationalistic. If they meet serious argument, they tend to misunderstand to be threatened. So I think individual Japanese should comunicate with individual people outside Japan. And I strongly think THE NET is the only chance to do it. --------------------------------------------- those deeply involved become elitest and not only don't wish to help others become involved, but often want to discourage people from becoming involved. In the case of the internet this should go the opposite way, --------------------------------------------- Have Netizen organizations been formed or will they be? And what would their duties be exactly? --------------------------------------------- Well, I think of anything you succeeded in demonstrating how the net can transcend such traditional boundaries and how such a perceived different group of people can share such universal goals. What I am left confused with is the persuasive side of the e-mail message. So if there's any call to action message - specifically - embeded, then I didn't catch it. But again, I doubt that would be the main thrust of what you wrote. --------------------------------------------- Don't get me wrong, Michael, I'm not trying to discredit what you are saying. I love the hope and excitment you exhibit talking about his. But you need to examine more closely how cultures work, imho, to further your argument. Again, my opinions. --------------------------------------------- However, I'm curious and a bit confused about your idea of a Netizen's Association. Are you proposing a global group of Netizens that can act as a political lobby for net rights/consciousness in individual countries? Sort of like a Green Party comprised of Net regulars who wish to move towards a global consciousness facilitated by the Net? --------------------------------------------- Is there someway to have a presence on Usenet as well as setting up a mailing list to work towards a Netizens Association? --------------------------------------------- Michael Hauben Teachers College Dept. of Communication Netizens Netbook http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook/ WWW Music Index http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/music/ Amateur Computerist Newsletter http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/acn/ Netizens Cyberstop ------------------------------- [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: So if you would like to become part of a brand new organization devoted to the concerns of Netizens everywhere, please write Mr. Hauben and ask to be added to his mailing list. His address is hauben@columbia.edu. By the way Mike, I am wondering if you are any relation to Ronda Hauben, who sends us those nice history pieces about the net from time to time ... just curious! PAT]