The first step is to find two communitiy networks. Each person in the class should focus on two unique networks. This is so that we cover a wide swath of the community networking movement, and so that each person gets a taste of more than one. One of the problems that community networks are facing is that because they use place names, and because the words "community" and "network" are so common, finding them can somtimes be difficult. At one time community networks were often the only "local" thing going on. Now they're often one of many locally focused sites. One thing to remember when searching the web for difficult to find things is that the search engines are only a starting place. Often times you will find what you are looking for by using lists compiled by people who are interested in a specific subject. Do you think there might be some lists of community networks out there? Yep. Here are three.

VTN United States Community Computer Networks

Free Nets and Community Networks

Community Computer Networks, Free-Nets and City-Regional Guides

After identifying two networks, browse through them and collect as much of the following information as possible. You may find that some of this information is not present online. Note this fact! It is significant. It may be that the network you choose really does not have much at all online. If so choose another network.

You will want to record this information in an HTML document called comnets.html saved in your www-docs directory. There are two ways you can do this easily. First you could use Microsoft Word and save the document as HTML in your www-docs directory. Alternately you can use Dreamweaver to create your document. You will have more control over how things look if you use Dreamweaver. (Of course you could do the HTML by hand. Be sure to save often. To create your document do the following:

1. Give your document a title, copy the following questions for each network into your document, and answer them. In answering the questions, where appropriate create a link to the page where you found the information. I have started an example for the Seattle Community Network. This is only a start and I expect that you will do much better.

1. Name of Network

2. The Web Address (make this a hyperlink)

3. Place it serves (This may be defined in terms of a region, a county, a city or town, or some other designation.

4. What is its Mission?

5. Who sponsors it?

6. Is it volunteer run? Does it have paid staff? Or both?

7. What services does it offer and do these services cost anything? Some examples of services that you might find are e-mail, access to newsgroups, web discussion forums, Internet and web access, hosting web sites for non-profit organizations, businesses, individuals, e-mail lists. Many other services might be provided so be sure to note these as well.

8. If the network provides local information, what categories of informaiton does it provide?

9. Does the network convey a "sense of place"? That is do you get a sense of some of the unique qualitites of the place and the people it serves? If so how? Provide an example page. If not, provide an example of a "placeless" page.

10. Is there anything that you find particularly interesting about this network? If so what is it? Provide a link.

11. Provide a credit for yourself. This information collected by:

2. When you are done, save your document to your www-docs directory and name it comnets.html. Let me know that you are done and I will create a link to it from a document on the class home page located here. You should also start either a section of your home page or a separate page for assignments for this class and provide a link to this assignmen there.

3. Once everyone is done and if we have time you will give a brief presentation to the class on one of your networks. I'll go first with my Seattle Community Network example just to break the ice.