The Good, the Bad, and the Internet

A Conference on the Big Issues in Information Technology

October 7 - 8, 1995

Chicago Circle Center, University of Illinois - Chicago
750 S. Halstead, Chicago, Illinois Sponsored by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, the Chicago Coalition for Information Access, and other organizations to be announced.

Register for the conference

Get up-to-date conference information from CPSR's Chicago chapter

Participate in a virtual pre-conference!

Plenary sessions on

• State of the Net 1995: Commercialization, Access, Censorship, and more
• Which way for Privacy and Civil Liberties?
• Technology and Jobs: New jobs? No jobs? Rethinking work
• Local Initiative in Information Access
• Elections 1996: Towards a Technology Platform
• Workshops, hands-on demos, and a virtual conference.

Summary

• Democratizing the Internet - The Internet has come a long way from its beginnings as a network for scientists working on military projects. While the Net is still a vibrant, multi-faceted, and continually evolving new medium, its future shape is far from certain. The rapid growth of commercial activity on the Internet, and recent legislative attempts to control its content will change its shape. The soul of a democratic net is still up for grabs.

• Privacy and civil liberties - New technologies have made possible new and frighteningly efficient means of data collection, surveillance, and control. Is "private life" becoming an anachronism? In the new technological arena, "civil liberties" also is being re-defined. What options lie ahead?

• Technology and jobs - Along with the technology revolution came an economic revolution. The application of new technologies in a climate of competition and cost-cutting is changing the concept of "the job," and challenging profound assumptions about the economy and society.

• Local initiatives in democratizing technology - Far from the corporate board rooms and halls of Congress, hundreds of local projects around the country are pushing the envelop of access to information and computer technology. Out of these efforts, the real potential of the new technologies is being realized.

• Towards a technology platform - The 1996 election promises to be an especially important election year. Representatives of various areas of technology discuss the current state of affairs on their respective fronts, vis-a-vis technology policy, and add a plank or two to an ideal technology platform for 1996 candidates.

The weekend also includes the 1995 CPSR Annual Meeting, workshops, demos, a "CyberCabaret," and more.

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