Future Plans

In upcoming months, we are extending our efforts beyond testing a way to introduce novices to technology by engaging some over a longer time period to build their information literacy. This increased comfortability with digital information will, we hope, extend to exciting innovations in usage among East Austin and Montopolis residents. We are seeking a core group of residents (citizen-partners) to participate in a focus group, but this is for a greater purpose than simply responding to some survey questions. We hope to provide members of the focus group with "surplus" PCs for use in their homes and mentoring to help them become familiar with the technology. In exchange, we are asking them to pledge themselves to a share their knowledge and experience by mentoring others in their community and by devoting time to support a public access computing station in East Austin.

We are working with several partner organizations (especially Austin Free-Net, the Neighborhood Longhorns, and the Family Learning Centers of the Austin Learning Academy) to identify and develop candidates for the focus group. We are also securing surplus computers from the LBJ School computing center to devote to the effort (PC XTs that will be outfitted with DOS-based e-mail, a text-only Web browser, and a very basic word processing program). We anticipate an early need for donations of more powerful surplus computers.

On Tuesday, April 9, 1996, we and our citizen-parters will be hosting an informal information session at the Victory Grill/Kovac Theater located at 1104 E. 11th Street. City Councilmembers, staff, East Austin residents, class members and other interested parties will be in attendance. This session is an opportunity for residents to engage in discussion with city policy-makers on their own "turf." It is important for our city officials to hear from citizens whose opinions are not being as widely touted as those with higher incomes or better corporate connections. The session will begin at 6:00 PM.

We are also looking forward to an information technology presentation to be planned and executed by our citizen partners. We see our role as a class as that of a catalyst. We are here to encourage residents to explore the possible applications of the Internet and World Wide Web through a demand-driven model. Overall, the sum of applications these and other citzens create can be thought of as EMPOWERMENT! It is this kind of empowerment that we hope to share with other community residents in the proprosed presentation. The form of this presentation has not yet been finalized, but we anticipate that a kind of "Internet show-and-tell" will be incorporated.

During the summer of 1996, we will be exploring ways in which to expand opportunities for computer and Internet training among low-income Austin residents. One of the mechanisms we are developing involves establishing centers where this kind of training is made available by citizen partners for their neighbors. We believe that partnerships between ourselves and other organizations in Austin may be especially helpful in this kind of venture. We are currently working to identify sites where training programs instituted during the summer may blossom into a more long-term processes.

We, like the Austin Free-Net, are dedicated to making available Internet-connected computers and training in public spaces for the benefit of all residents. In looking at barriers to access to information, the AFN discovered that the main barriers in Austin are not related to cost per month for connectivity, but rather equipment cost and training. We believe that community-based training programs developed by and for residents will be most effect in breaking down barriers to more advanced information technologies and its growing applications.

Austin is being looked upon by other metropolitan areas as a model for citywide networking. The city is working with a corporate strategic partner to develop an unprecedented technological infrastructure! It is crucial for Austin residents to be actively involved in and aware of the implications of this infrastructure for the city's educational, economic, and cultural opportunities. At issue is whether the coming fiber-optic network will increase the gap between Austin's economic and social mainstream and its traditionally disenfranchised persons help the people of Austin bridge that void.

Past Events

Click HERE to see what we did last semester.

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