Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 

From: "Albert W. Boss"  

To: madeline  

Subject: re: Evaluating Community Networks--stories MIME-Version: 1.0



Dear Madeline:



This will always be one of my favorite memories from my volunteer work

with Seattle Community Network: 



My new job took me to a meeting of the local "Housing Coalition", one of

those interagency meetings of various social and human services

representatives that convenes monthly or quarterly, as much for mutual

support in their efforts as for collaboration.  I wound up sitting on the

periphery listening to the conversations around me, since I didn't know

anyone.  Nearest me were several members of the homeless community.  I

overheard this exchange:



"They actually can't legally force that.  I looked up the law on the

library computer.  Are you on SCN?"



"Yeah.  Where'd you find that?"



"Give me your e-mail and I'll send you the gopher site.  Not all the

librarians have had time to learn this stuff yet.  I learned a lot of it

off the Internet from some homeless guy back east."



"Okay.  Let's keep in touch on it."



Some of Seattle's homeless had access to better e-mail than our state

legislators or city council, they had taught themselves the skills to

navigate what was still a very convoluted Internet (this was pre-web),

they had reliable communications that transcended their lack of stable

living situations, and they'd done all this via Seattle Community Network.

I really felt like we had made a difference in these folks' lives.



Hope that's a helpful story.  I'll look forward to reading what you're

able to put together.



Best,

Al Boss