DRAFT - by Richard Taylor

National Capital FreeNet Strategic Directions

NCF MISSION:

"The National Capital FreeNet is a free, computer-based information
sharing network. It links the people and organizations of this
region, provides useful information, and enables an open exchange
of ideas with the world. Community involvement makes FreeNet an
important and accessible meeting place, and prepares people for
full participation in a rapidly changing communications
environment."

CURRENT SITUATION:

NCF has been, and is, successful in achieving this mission. We have
attracted sufficient voluntary support that we remain free of
charge. We have brought a large number of people and organizations
to our information sharing network. We have the involvement of many
parts of our regional community. We are linked to the wider world
of the Internet.

BUT - the communications environment IS changing rapidly. The World
Wide Web has attracted a phenomenal amount of interest and
activity. "Internet" is now a household word, and Internet access
providers are springing up rapidly with access costs dropping in a
competitive environment. The method of using Internet and the Web
is rapidly changing, but is currently based on a graphical
interface, a client-server architecture, and a hypertext language.

NCF is now in danger of failing to prepare people for full
participation in the current networking environment, and of failing
to provide an important and accessible meeting place as more and
more organizations set up Web sites instead of FreeNet menus. If
NCF does not stay up-to-date, we run the risk of becoming a ghetto
for the information-poor instead of helping all members of our
community participate equally and fully in future information
networks.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: STRATEGY OVERVIEW

In order to build on our current success, to avoid the danger of
becoming irrelevant, and to fulfil our mission, NCF needs a
strategy for change.

CONTENT STRATEGY
(By "content" we mean the material that you read, see,
or hear, such as text, newsgroup articles, art, graphics, video,
music, sound.)

Content and services will give people a reason to "click on NCF" no
matter how they get access to the Internet.

NCF was one of the first and most accessible places for
organizations in this community to post their information. Now we
are not. Now most organizations (and individuals) would like to
have a Web Home Page.

The most popular content of NCF right now is provided by the
members themselves in the form of newsgroup postings. NCF
newsgroups are the popular and vibrant community meeting places.

Strategy:

-    allow and encourage information providers, local businesses,
     organizations and individuals to set up WWW Home Pages,
     including graphics and sound as well as text, on NCF servers;

-    develop a full range of services to assist content-providers
     of all kinds to build information offerings that are
     informative, attractive and accessible to everyone;

-    work with the community to build a sense of pride and
     enthusiasm in participating in their own community network;
     sponsor community "art" shows to try to attract the best local
     talent in writing, graphical art, music, etc.

SERVICES STRATEGY
(By "services" we mean functions performed at your request, such as
a database search, a calculation, sending or posting messages,
transferring files, seeing who is online, etc.)

The Internet and WWW to date have been primarily focused on access
and content. NCF has the opportunity to be a leader in providing
services that bring content and people together into a real
community.

The most widespread services today include communications (e-mail,
newsgroups, chat), search facilities, and information organization
(hierarchical menus, hypertext links). NCF provides most of these
using the FreePort software. As we move to a WWW format, we must
continue to provide these basic services, but must expand our
services, especially in areas of community-building that will not
interest commercial network providers.

Strategy:

-    maintain links between content, discussion and context as
     currently exist in our hierarchical menus, text files and
     newsgroups;

-    increase services that give a sense of other people being
     present on-line and contributing to the community;

-    work with Telecommunities Canada to coordinate service
     development in community networks; share/exchange/fund
     software development;

-    cultivate the image of NCF being the place to meet your
     friends, exchange views, get community information, etc.

NETWORK ACCESS STRATEGY
(By "network access" we mean the combination of modems, phone
lines, computers and software communication tools that allow a
person to interact with network content, services and other
people.)

With the rapid growth of commercial Internet access providers
(which is expected to continue and become more competitive), NCF
should place less emphasis on network access. We should continue to
facilitate and encourage community activism to make sure that
network access is cheap and accessible to everyone in the
community. Providing some free access modems and free public
terminals will continue to ensure that money is not a barrier to
access. However, we should encourage members who can afford it to
give their network access business to local companies who in turn
could support NCF as an interesting and attractive on-line
destination.

Strategy:

-    maintain a limited pool of free access modems; explore ways of
     encouraging members who can afford other options to use those
     options instead of loading NCF free modems;

-    encourage and help content providers to maintain core
     information in a form accessible to users of low-cost, text-
     based equipment;

-    expand the number of free public access terminals by
     encouraging sponsorships by organizations where these
     terminals are located;

-    change funding and sponsorship methods so that they are not
     dependent on the means of network access;

-    develop partnerships with local internet access providers so
     that network access remains cheap and easy, while NCF remains
     the place that links the people and organizations of this
     region.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STRATEGY

NCF needs to address the remaining significant barriers to
participation in networking: cost of equipment, computer literacy,
relevance of content and services. The cost of network access (now
on the order of $10 per month and dropping) is no longer a
significant barrier.

Strategy:

-    expand the equipment offerings at public access terminals to
     include floppy disk drives, printers, graphical interfaces,
     scanners; strengthen partnerships with organizations who do or
     could house public access terminals;

-    make greater use of volunteers to improve computer literacy
     through demonstrations, tutoring, software distribution, etc.;

-    actively seek out organizations, companies and individuals
     within the community who could enhance NCF content and
     services;

-    publicize NCF content and service offerings so that more
     people will perceive NCF as important, relevant and useful -
     worth the "costs" (monetary, time and learning) of getting
     there.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY

Many other organizations are and will be offering network products
comparable to NCF. NCF is a not-for-profit community organization
in what is becoming a competitive commercial environment.
Differentiating NCF is our mission statement; giving NCF enduring
advantage will be our image and prestige as "THE Community
Network"; keeping NCF free will be continuing voluntary support
from the community.

Size and growth are important. If we have lots of members,
donations, volunteers, content and services, then we can afford to
hire more staff, buy more and better equipment and attract more
interest. This can be a continuing growth spiral. But if we stay
constant while others grow, then we will lose content, interest and
members - we will enter a death spiral. The community needs a free,
open, accessible, community meeting place on the net, not dominated
or controlled by commercial or government interests. If NCF fades
away, we will not have served our community properly, and the
National Capital region will be a poorer place to live.

Strategy:

-    plan to grow; aggressively re-invest available funds into
     things that will help NCF grow and become more interesting;

-    adopt organizational methods that are effective and
     progressive; hire people with the skills, knowledge and
     experience needed, and organize volunteers into rewarding and
     well-defined supporting roles (eg. hospital model);

-    actively work within the local community; build partnerships
     with other community organizations that have information
     networking needs and roles;

-    periodically review the organizational structure to make sure
     that the growth strategy is supported, key positions are
     filled and that everyone understands objectives, policy,
     accountability, responsibility, reporting relationships, etc.;

-    draw on local experts to review plans, get advice, etc. - ask
     people with the expertise we need to volunteer.

CONCLUSION

The strategies above are intended to give NCF sufficient power to
serve all the community, not just a segment. If NCF targets just
one segment of the community, it will be unlikely to become THE
community network, and thus lose and important advantage and will
perhaps wither, eventually serving no-one. NCF's best bet to remain
THE community network is to accommodate everyone; all type of
people, all ranges of interests, and all perceptions of value.
People are different - NCF must accommodate differences.


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Richard P. Taylor
aa333@FreeNet.Carleton.Ca
National Capital FreeNet Board Secretary and board newsgroup moderator