The Good, the Bad, and the Internet

A Conference on Critical Issues in Information Technology

October 7 & 8, 1995

Chicago Circle Center, University of Illinois - Chicago
750 South Halsted
Chicago, Illinois

http://www.cs.uchicago.edu/discussions/cpsr/annual/index.html

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New technologies have been appearing at a dizzying pace. The use of these technologies affect all of us, and the questions about what technologies get developed and how they are deployed are too important to leave to the government or to the private sector. Periodically we need to step back and take stock of where we are. Are the "right" technologies being developed? Are they achieving what we want? What are we gaining, and what are we losing? And on the eve of a major election year, what issues should be raised in upcoming national and local debates?

These are the questions that will be explored at "The Good, the Bad, and the Internet" in Chicago this fall. The goals of the conference are

• To educate the broad public, especially in the Midwest, about what is at stake today in the major debates around computers and information technology.

• To provide a forum where the people concerned about the impact of computer and information technologies can assess the current state of affairs and discuss strategies for democratizing technology, especially in light of the upcoming 1996 elections.

• To share experiences and skills in making computers and access to digital information available to the broad public, and especially to communities that have historically been blocked from these new technologies.

To accomplish these goals, the first day of the conference will include four panel discussions that highlight what is at stake, what is the current state of affairs, and different ways that people at the community level are taking the initiative to make the technology live up to its potential. The titles of the panels are

• Democratizing the Internet
• Privacy and civil liberties: What's happened? What's next?
• Technology and jobs: What's happened? What's next?
• The good news is: Local initiatives in democratizing technology

Day two of the conference begins with a plenary discussion on election year 1996 and will feature representatives from various technology fields identifying the key technology issues for the 1996 election year. Various workshops, including hands-on demonstrations and how-to discussions will help conference attendees acquire the skills to put the ideas from the panel discussions into practice. The conference will conclude with the CPSR Annual Meeting, at which CPSR members can discuss how Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility can and should move forward on the issues raised at the conference.

The conference combine discussion of national issues with a look especially at efforts in the Midwest to broaden access to new technologies. Anyone with an interest in access to the future -- whether it be access to jobs, access to information, access to audience, or access to community -- is encouraged to attend.

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CONFERENCE PROGRAM

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7th

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8:30a.m. Registration, coffee

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9:00a.m. Welcome

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9:15a.m. - 10:45a.m. Panel I

"Democratizing the Internet"

The Internet has come a long way from its beginnings as a network for scientists working on military projects. Today, with the number of worldwide users estimated at up to 30 million, the Internet has been construed, alternatively, as a means for providing universal access to the world's knowledge, as a powerful new marketing and retailing tool, as pluralistic information commons, and a pipeline for pornography into the playroom. While the net is still a vibrant, multifaceted 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. This panel will survey the state of net, and help us to map out its evolution as we move towards the 21st century.

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10:45a.m. - 11:00a.m. Break

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11:00a.m. - 12:30p.m. Panel II

"Privacy and civil liberties: What's happened? What's next?"

New technologies have made possible new and frighteningly efficient means of data collection, surveillance, and control. More and more interactions in daily life leave a data trail. That data is accumulated in various databases and the information in those databases is passed around. Given this enormous collection of data by both government and corporate marketers, is "private life" becoming an anachronism? In the new technological arena, the concept of "civil liberties" is also being redefined. This panel will bring conference attendees up to date on the state of privacy and civil liberties and offer a look at what options lie ahead.

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12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m. Lunch

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2:00p.m.- 3:30p.m. Panel III

"Technology and jobs: What's happened? What's next?"

Along with technology revolution came an economic revolution. The application of the new technologies of computers, digital communications, biotechnology, and smart materials in an economic climate of competition and cost-cutting has led to "downsizing" and "restructuring" -- euphemisms for eliminating jobs in traditional industries. The full-time worker is being replaced by the part-timer, the temp, and the contractor, and overall wages are falling. At the same time, new industries are emerging. Will they absorb the displaced workers, or are other steps needed. The relationship of computer technologies to jobs is a complex issue that reaches into the heart of our assumptions about society. What are the responsibilities of the people who design these new technologies? This panel will continue this critical discussion, both from the point of view of case studies in particular industries, and an overview of the overall process.

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3:30p.m. - 3:45p.m. Break

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3:45p.m. - 5:15p.m. Panel IV

"The good news is: 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 envelope of access to information and computer technology. These innovative projects are forging new uses for the technology, uses that generally have little or no commercial potential, but meet the special needs of different communities. Out of these efforts, the real potential of the new technologies is being realized. This panel looks at local efforts underway in the Midwest that demonstrate creative, human-scale use of information technology.

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5:15p.m. Announcements and recess

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8:00p.m. The Guild Complex presents CyberCabaret (tentative)

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8th

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8:30a.m. Coffee

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9:00a.m. - 10:30a.m. Panel V

"Election year 1996: Towards a technology platform"

The 1996 election promises to be an especially important election year. This panel assembles representatives of various areas of technology to 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.

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10:30a.m. - 10:45a.m. Break

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10:45a.m. - 11:30a.m. Workshop session I

11:45a.m. - 12:30p.m. Workshop session II

Two workshop periods will allow conference participants to look at how the ideas developed in the preceding plenary sessions can be put into action. These are intended to be hands-on, practical, skills-oriented sessions. Proposed workshop topics include

• Hands-on WWW
• Hands-on PGP
• Grassroots organizing around technology issues
• Community networks
• Follow-up on the local projects
• Legal issues
• How to set up a technology & jobs conference
• Raising money for computer projects
• Participating in the electoral process

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12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m. Lunch

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2:00p.m. - 3:30p.m. CPSR Annual Meeting

This conference is being held in conjunction with the CPSR Annual Meeting. This session will build on the information presented in the plenaries and workshops and help to guide the work of CPSR over the coming year.

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3:30p.m. Closing remarks

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4:00p.m. Adjournment

Conference sponsors: Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, Chicago Coalition for Information Access, Center for Research in Information Management at the University of Illinois - Chicago, ACM Chicago Chapter, ACM - University of Illinois Student Chapter, (others to be announced).

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THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

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The discussion starts early. Participate in the Virtual Conference in the weeks leading up to October 7 and 8 via the World Wide Web. Tune your browser to:

http://www.cs.uchicago.edu/discussions/cpsr/annual/virtual.html

to participate in online discussions of the issues being raised at the conference, and also to find the latest information about the conference. And if you can't make it in person to Chicago, participate virtually -- discussion on the issues surrounding the conference will be accessible from the page before, during and after the conference.

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REGISTRATION FORM

Register Electronically for the Conference

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Please pre-register as soon as possible to ensure a space at this exciting meeting. Registrations at the door will be accepted as space allows. Please send in a separate registration form for each individual attending the meeting. And please note that the Saturday night banquet is not included in the price of the meeting.

Name_______________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________

City_________________________  State ________  Zip _________

Telephone ____________________  E-mail _____________________


CPSR or CCIA member                               $55   _____
Postmarked after September 20th                   $65   _____

Nonmember                                         $75   _____
Postmarked after September 20th                   $85   _____

New CPSR membership ($50 value) + registration    $95   _____
Postmarked after September 20th                  $105   _____

Low income/student                                $25   _____
Postmarked after September 20th                   $35   _____

Additional donation to further CPSR's work              _____

Total enclosed                                          _____

If paying by VISA or MasterCard please include the following
information:

_____ Visa   _____ MasterCard

Card number: ________________________________  Expires _____

Scholarships are available. For more information contact CPSR at (415) 322-3778 or cpsr @ cpsr.org . Send the completed registration form with your check to: CPSR, PO Box 717, Palo Alto, CA 94302.

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OTHER CONFERENCE DETAILS

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Directions to the conference can be found on the conference web page (its URL is at the top of this document). The Chicago Circle Center is easily reached by public transportation, but parking is also available on Halsted, across the street from the center.

HOTELS: The Quality Inn (800-221-2222) at Halsted and Madison is about 5 blocks from the conference. The Inn at University Village (800-662-5233), at 625 South Ashland at Harrison, is on the campus of UIC, and runs a shuttle service between the hotel and other campus facilities (it's about a mile away from the conference). Downtown Chicago is a short cab ride away, and is served by most major hotel chains.

AIRLINE: United Air Lines is the official airline of the conference. When making your plane reservation, mention code 561ZP to get the conference discount.

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