Decisions about development of the
Internet and other new media technologies are likely to shape our
local communities in the future - just as decisions about roads,
parks, public and private buildings have in the past. For that reason
it is important that there is discussion of the guiding principles
behind the Digital Cities, Telecities, Virtual Towns, community
networks and other initiatives now being planned.
In 1996 Communities Online Forum conducted a preliminary discussion
of principles for local community networking development, facilitated
by Debbie Ellen, which can be found as an article
about factors for success in community
networking.
These principles are being further developed by UK Communities Online, and also helped inform development work by Partnerships Online.
Some of the issues raised here were discussed in the publication Inventing the Future: Communities in the Information Society, produced by Partnerships for Tomorrow in January 1996 as a contribution to the formation of Communities Online.
They are likely to be addressed again
in the Policy
Forum for Sustainable Communities in the Information
Society.
1 Community participation.
Community networks and similar information and communication systems
should be designed with the participation of the communities that
they aim to serve. This should include offline as well as online
methods to ensure awareness and encourage participation by the widest
possible cross section of the community.
2 Social inclusion. Networks should be designed and managed to
ensure that all sections of the community have access, and as far as
possible there is 'something for everyone'.
3 Partnership. Community networks should be partnerships of
public, private and community interests to ensure they reflect this
holistic approach.
4 Content and communication. Network users should be
encouraged to contribute as well as receive local content, engage
with wider online communities of interest, and use the network to
address and resolve local concerns.
5 Freedom of speech. Networks should include independent
discussion forums which guarantee freedom of speech within the
law.
6 Training. Programmes of training and support should be
available for individuals and organisations so they can enhance their
use of the network.
7 Evaluation. Networks should be designed with clearly stated
objectives whose achievement is evaluated and publicly reported.
8 Sustainability. Unless networks are intended to be
short-life projects they should be designed for operation beyond the
start-up phase.
9 Interoperability. There may well be more than one network in
a community, each developed for different audiences. These networks
should be designed so that they can be linked to create an integrated
communications platform.
10 Leadership. Local authorities should play a leading role in
promoting these principles, and the mechanisms by which they can be
implemented - but should not assume that they are the sole public
network or platform managers: that may be the role for a partnership
body.
Communities Online hopes that the
guidelines will be useful for local projects - so please feel free to
circulate them with attribution, and provide us with feedback.
For more information contact Michael Mulquin, chair Communities
Online. michael@communities.org.uk.
Tel: 0181 519 2244, or David Wilcox. david@communities.org.uk.
Tel: 01273 677377.