ICIS 2002

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ICIS 2002ICIS 2002

(Virtual) Community Informatics(Virtual) Community Informatics WorkshopWorkshop

Fiorella De CindioFiorella De CindioDip. Scienze dell’Informazione,Univ.MilanoDip. Scienze dell’Informazione,Univ.Milano

&&Fondazione RCM - Rete Civica di MilanoFondazione RCM - Rete Civica di Milano

[email protected]@unimi.it

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INDEXINDEX

The background Free Nets, Community Networks, Civic

Nets ... as Virtual Communities Community Networking ... and Virtual Communities Community Informatics

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The background: the LICThe background: the LIC

May 1994: the Civic Informatics Lab starts at DSI (computer science dept.), Univ.Milano

awarness of the role the ICT will play in shaping the society

need of developing independent research on the technologies for the Information Society and their social impact

need of educating the various components of the local community to approach the Internet as an interactive, peer-to-peer environment different from passive broadcasting media

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The background: RCMThe background: RCM

September 1994: starts theMilano Community Netwok - RCM

stronlgy inspired by the Free Nets, CNs, Civic Nets experiences in the U.S. and Canada

open to ALL the component of the local community, namely to the private sector too

the promoters as enablers of the social actors; citizens provide content, conceive projects and services - The slogan: “You are the network”

a registration policy and a “Galateo”- the rules of behavior shared by RCM members

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The background: FRCMThe background: FRCM

December 1998: RCM becomes a participatory Foundation

government bodies and the University:charter members

private enterprises (ICT):supporting members

citizens, no-profit associations, schools:participants

all have representatives in the Board

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RCM and FRCM todayRCM and FRCM today

RCM: the community network FRCM: the body holding RCM

8 years after its starting, a radically different socio-political and technological context

a debate about their mutual relationshipsa redefinition of the rules governing RCM

and its relationship with FRCM

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The background: the VC classThe background: the VC class

2000: the Computer Science Department which hosted the LIC and RCM as a kind of “foreign body”

recognising the growing relevance of business communities, learning communities, communties of practice, ………

asks me to teach a course on Virtual Communties

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Free NetsFree Nets

St.Silicon Hospital ˚Cleveland Free Net ˚ ……… NPTN

free access freedom of content providing bottom-up development BBS technology

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the empowerment of the local community and of the “sense of community” through the possibilities offered by ICT

ICT-based enabling environments promoting “citizens participation in

community affaires” (Schuler, 2000) the Seattle Community Network

for reducing distances between citizens and government (for “reiventing government”) the Santa Monica PEN (Public Electronic Network)

Community & Civic NetworksCommunity & Civic Networks

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RCM original missionRCM original mission

to affirm on-line citizenship in terms of access participation

by providing “an on-line and free environment designed to promote and favor communication, cooperation and exchange of services among citizens and all public and private bodies (non-profit organizations, governmental institutions, and private companies) of the local community, opening at the same time the local community to the on-line communication with the other parts of the world”

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citizens & no-profit associations(civil society)

public sector (Local Government)

private sector(Market)

an ambitious goalan ambitious goal an ambitious goalan ambitious goal

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mixed public-private third sector

free lances

an ambitious goalan ambitious goal an ambitious goalan ambitious goal

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free lances

a too ambitious goala too ambitious goal a too ambitious goala too ambitious goal

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public sector(Local Government)



free lances

to provide support to the weakest components of the society for access (learning community) and participation (in shaping the network society)

a more realistic goala more realistic goal a more realistic goala more realistic goal

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RCM todayRCM today

15,000 registered members3,000-4,000 active

200 public forums, moderated by volunteers

many schools an associated site collects and gives

services to 130 no-profit associations relationships with the Local Government:

16 “direct lines” with the Province, including one with the President;one with the President of the City Council

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a peer-to-peer communication environment where

the content is provided by the community members

the shared interest is the “local” the “local” adds the possibility to easily

shift from the “virtual” to the “real” and this is particularly important for action: for going to cinema together, for organizing an happening or a political protest

… … as (local) Virtual Communtiesas (local) Virtual Communties

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it is impressive to realize how much knowledge about a town is within the smalltalks of a community of citizens (even though this knowledge is often spread and dispersed within their conversations)

citizens are the real experts the CN provides a communication

environment which allow citizens to share knowledge, experiences, projects


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Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995The Knowledge Creating Company

the Community Network as theThe Knowledge Creating Virtual Town

the talks of the community of citizens create civic intelligence


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the RCM mission today (work in progress)

RCM wants to contribute to guarantee to every body the on-line citizenship right, both in terms of access and in participating to shape the Network Society by developing a local virtual community which encourages the use of the net to enhance communication, sharing of experiences and knowledge among citizens and between citizens and the other components of the local community: schools, no-profit associations, Local Government Bodies, and private companies.


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provide information to their usersand on-line services to their customersbut fail in involving citizens

look like (digital) cities without (digital) inhabitants

citizens cannot be conceived as users of ICT-based applicationsas customers of on-line servicescitizens are owner of a sovereignty right

J.J. Rousseau, Du Contrat Social Les maisons font la ville,mais les citoyens font la cité

““Digital Cities” Digital Cities” (Europe?)(Europe?)

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Digital Citiesprovide information to their usersand on-line services to their customers

Community Networks are Virtual Communities where citizens through conversations create knowledge

a possible cross-fertilizationa possible cross-fertilization

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ComunicaComunicationtion

the “first” Internet

emails,newsgroups,MLs

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InformaInformationtion



ftp the “first” Internet

emails,newsgroups,MLs

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I web-phase: the “shop” sites


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ServicesServicesServicesServices



IntegrationIntegration



II web-phase: “web services”


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back to the futureback to the future




Community control Community control over the quality of over the quality of

servicesservices


EnrichmentEnrichment

UpdatingUpdatingComunicaComunica

tiontion



III web-phase

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Community NetworkingCommunity Networking

from the 3rd Global Congress of Citizens Networks (Montreal, Oct.02) Theme 1 Reference Document

connectivity and access as a right of citizenship for all

civic empowerment throught the possibilities offered by ICTs

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is giving people a chance of playing a role in shaping the Information Society:

the right of pursuing their own economic, social and cultural objectives;

the possibility of using ICT for facing with the enormous problems our society will be called to deal with (energy, environment, etc.)


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extends Community Networks for including

Community Technology Centers Telecenters ..........

inherits from CNs the ‘social’ aptitude

not necessarly a virtual community global / worldwide communties

“a-geographical”, as virtual communities


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Community InformaticsCommunity Informatics

is the application of ICTs to enable community process and the achievement of community objectives (such as

overcoming “digital divides”), and supporting community based ICT enabled initiatives in community economic development, health, environmental and sustainable development, community focused learning and civic engagement and social justice.

cf. the Cfp of this ICIS ‘02 workshop

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is the application of ICTs to enable community process and the achievement of community objectives (such as

overcoming “digital divides”), and supporting community based ICT enabled initiatives in community economic development, health, environmental and sustainable development, community focused learning and civic engagement and social justice.

cf. the Cfp of this ICIS ‘02 workshop

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is the application of ICTs to enable communties - both virtual and real - to pursue their goals

only the application of ICTs ?

any possibility of influencing their development?

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web technologiesweb technologies





servicesservices




tiontion

multi-media publishing, KM

workflow, SingleSignOn, user

profiling,…

web forum

weblogs

community-ware

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web technologiesweb technologies





servicesservices




tiontion

weblogs web forum

community-ware

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is exploiting the know-how incommunity networkscommunity networking virtual communitiescommunties of practices

within ICTs development


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now comes from Communities of Practices

(i.e., from the “professional” side of CI)

is (too) costly and/or (too) complex (cf. E.Wenger, 2001 - Supporting CoP: A Survey of community-oriented technologies )

the “social” side of CI (i.e., CNs & CN) can develop cheap (free/open-source sw) and easy-to-use applications(the AFCN call & award for a CN software)

“ “communityware”communityware”

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this role is fundamental for the success of CI !

once again, “back to future”:“people of ALL ages and walks of life can mold and channel its [of the pc] power to their own need”


should have a chance to

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this role is fundamental for the success of CI !

once again, “back to future”:“people of ALL ages and walks of life can mold and channel its [of the pc] power to their own need”


should have a chance to

(Alan Kay)

from this vision came two major revolutions in ICTs

window interface object-oriented programming

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from individual empowerment (PC)to community empowerment (the Net)

“communities of ALL nature and walks of life can mold and channel its [of the NET] power to their own need”

!! CI may influence ICTs evolution ??a claim and a question


Documents

ICIS 2002