roundtable: Live from the Summit - Report # 3

roundtable: Live from the Summit - Report # 3

Live from the Summit - Report # 3

Lisa Kimball (lisa@tmn.com)
Tue, 29 Mar 94 13:42:35 EST 

Date: Tue, 29 Mar 94 13:42:35 EST
From: lisa@tmn.com (Lisa Kimball)
Message-Id: <9403291842.AA02014@tmn.com>
To: roundtable@cni.org
Subject: Live from the Summit - Report # 3


Report # 3 - Live from the Summit


  "I think it's very significant that participants at this
conference were given clipboards instead of notebooks," said
Raul Yzaguirre -- the first speaker this morning.  "All of
us must be at the table and in the dialogue."  "We want to
be producers, not just comsumers."   .... "Indeed we are
talking about nothing less than the future of the American
people."

  Members of the first panel are moving up to the stage
and Lane Rawlins is introducing the focus for this panel.
"Delivering the Goods: Meeting Public Needs."  Members of
this first panel include:

     C. Everett Koop, Koop Institute
     David Lytel, White House Office of Science and Technology
     Jean Armour, NY State Research and Education Network
     Anthony Riddle, Alliance for Community Media
     Connie Stout, Texas Education Network
     Patricia Wank, National Audubon Society

  The members of this panel have all said, in different ways,
that the challenge is to make sure that the NII becomes more
than just a large pipe for more entertainment.  "We need to
be talking about the real issues, how people communicate with
each other," said Tony Riddle just now.

  "We need to build the infrastructure," said Connie Stout.
"But people have to be taught how to use the tools."
(Applause for Connie's strong statement that teaching people
to use the tools is as important as building the tools.)

  "A ten-percent anarchy factor" should be built-in says
Tony Riddle.  He pointed out that the model followed by
cable TV, where 10 percent of the capability is set asside
for public use, could be adopted by planners of the NII.

  David Lytel says it will be very difficult to make the
transition from a universal service provided by a regulated
monopoly to a universal service provided by a web of companies
who are in competition with each other.

  Lots of discussion about the importance of training and
education -- triggered by several questions from the floor,
with everyone agreeing that training is essential and not
easily accomplished.

  From the floor, an opinion that the NII should reserve
one fifth of the "lanes" for public use.  The panelists
are shaking their head in agreement.  Tony Riddle says we
need new models because none of our other models (cable,
FM radio, etc) will work for the NII.  David Lytel is
saying that the Clinton administration is committed to
making sure that citizens can produce as well as consume.
There needs to be public access to the production tools.

  Ah... our first chance to see the Net in action.  A
question that came to us over the Net from Ron Miller at
the Univ of Michigan/School of Education was asked of Dr.
Koop.  The text of the question was shown on the large
screen at the right of the stage.

  Time for a break !

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