You can help create our own new information democracy!
When the life, liberty, and happiness of any person in our community is compromised by a mechanism of society or concentration of power therein it is that person's right and duty to join in an effort with his or her fellow citizens in order to correct the decline of the place we call home.
"Varying potentials of different kinds of networks exercise economic
and political power that is the source of conflict and inequality."
Suzanne Romaine, sociolinguist
Building a public space in cyberspace here will empower citizens in and around Tacoma a means of collectively discussing how our nascent fiber optic/internet municipal infrastructure (Click! net) will effectively address our concerns. Here are some examples of how my work initiating a Community computer Network for Tacoma (TCN) is progressing in this and other areas:
Activism Advocacy
Art American Flag
Bicycles
Children
Churches
Connections
Crime
Education
E-mail for all Entertainment
Environment Food
Forums
Gardeners
Historical Landmarks
Homeless
Infrastructure
Intellectual property
International
Jobless "Local" Consumer
Advocacy
Narrows bridge
Naturalists
Neighboring community networks
News
Non-Profits Professionals
Radio
Research Seniors
Traffic Unions Veterans
Citizen writings
Many aspects of these areas are in process but haven't been made public yet. What do you think should be on our Community Network? Please take a moment and send me your thoughts (bm199@scn.org re:building community). Where do you see room for improvement when you look around at business as usual from day to day? Not only are your opinions more than welcome, but your involvement is indispensable in creating future growth here at home and preventing technological infringements to our freedom.
Who I am and where I'm coming from:
Hi! My name is Preston Stanke and although I was born in Tacoma I'm not sure that I can say I'm a native...
This page is now only a small seed. It must be watered with the varied experience of everyone to bear fruit. It is the hard-working people of Tacoma who can make this part of the world wide web different from the rest. Start thinking now about how you can share your knowledge, abilities, and experiences in order to make this community a better place to live and a more democratic place for our families. Our diverse strengths are key in using our new technology to help all the members of our community realize equity and beauty in life. The time for people of conscience to stand idly by while other people destroy what they cannot create, both on human and natural scales, is over. Please don't wait until you have no other choice before helping enable this wonderful tool for social justice.
This page is largely a result of my journey through institutions of higher learning. My early college years were spent specializing in the management of technology. After an active duty hitch in the military I found myself temporarily disabled and jobless. It was at this point in my life that my focus changed from the what and how of technology to its why and who. Now after spending some more time in school I feel more in touch with the possibilities that our city's new infrastructure can bring. To read more of my personal feelings on this matter, see my article entitled "Takin' it to the Streets."
I believe that no technology can speak forthe people. We can use this space as a tool, however, in weaving the tapestry of our collective intent by empowering everyone with access to the internet a place to speak his or her own mind concerning priorities and ideas for using our information gateway. The use of the internet under empowering circumstances and within a sustainable environment is the ability this effort will bring to our citizens if we send a collective voice to the mayor and other city planners that we expect free and fair access.
I also believe the worth of every person does not depend on what he or she can produce or own or what tax bracket his or her salary is commensurate with. Every person's voice in this community should be heard simply because they belong. You are valuable because you are one of us. Unfortunately, a tension exists between this axiom of common decency and the state of our nation today. We aren't going to be able to change that right now; but building a community by communicating, making friends among ourselves, and getting our house in order here in the All-American city of Tacoma is a good place to start.
This tool can help us create an informal democracy.
This tool can empower new ideas of citizens into successful endeavors and help us have a means for making positive changes in the system within which we live our lives.