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Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

 

THE INTERNET GOLD RUSH OF '99:
CAN WE PAN FOR GOLD WHILE SERVING THE GOOD?

The Pursuit Of Wealth And Equity In Cyberspace

October 2-3, 1999 (9:00 am to 5:30 pm)
Building 420 (Jordan Hall), Room 40
Stanford University, Stanford, CA

and

NORBERT WIENER AWARD RECEPTION
honoring
THE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE MOVEMENT

October 2, 1999 (6:00 - 8:00 pm)
AT&T Patio (outside of Gates Hall)
Stanford University, Stanford, CA

The Conference

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

9:15 - 10:15 am
KEYNOTE: HISTORICAL AMNESIA IN THE SILICON GOLD RUSH [photo]
The chance to get rich in new communications technology has led many to liken it to the California Gold Rush. A more apt metaphor would be the Comstock Lode and its intimate embrace with the San Francisco Stock Market. Dr. Gray Brechin will examine the forgotten social and environmental costs of the Comstock speculative frenzy and its parallels with Silicon Valley today.

More on Gray Brechin's books Imperial San Francisco and Farewell, Promised Land."

10:30 - 12:30 pm
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FINANCIAL SUCCESS - OXYMORON? [photo]
Panelists discuss their experiences in pursuing financial success while supporting the public good. Topics include socially-responsible venture capital financing, the evolution of public-interest enterprises into commercial firms, and public-interest start-ups that suffered financial failure. Are social responsibility and financial success mutually exclusive, or do new ventures provide models that can be applied elsewhere?

Moderator: Jon Guice
Panelists: Craig Newmark, Pavel Curtis, Eric Sklar, Scott Hassan

1:30 - 3:00 pm
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: IS THE INTERNET AS GREAT EQUALIZER LOSING GROUND? [photo]
Despite dropping computer costs and a wide range of online providers, recent reports show that the digital divide still exists, both for economic and social reasons. These panelists all have experience with trying to bridge the digital divide. Are we really providing enough opportunity to those who are still not connected? To what extent have our efforts been successful? Does the commercial FreePC movement help or hurt these efforts?

Moderator: Coralee Whitcomb
Panelists: Laura Breedan, Seth Fearey, Madeline Stanionis, Ben Politzer

3:15 - 4:45 pm
SOFTWARE AT THE CROSSROADS: OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE AND THE UNIFORM COMPUTER INFORMATION TRANSACTIONS ACT (UCITA) [photo]
Tomorrow's computing may well be determined by its choice of software development methods. The proposed UCITA would enhance the proprietary approach of private industry while reducing the rights of software consumers. The Open Source Movement, recently discovered and highly acclaimed by the public and press, thrives using a very different mode of software development. This panel will explore the potential effects both of these initiatives will have on computing in the future.

Moderator: Karen Coyle
Panelists: Peter Neumann, Eric Raymond, Barbara Simons, Cem Kaner

Cem Kaner's slides and text.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 6:00-8:00PM

RECEPTION AND WIENER AWARD CEREMONY

AT&T Patio (outside of Gates Hall)
Stanford University, Stanford, CA

[photo]

CPSR's prestigious Norbert Wiener Award for Social Responsibility in Computing Technology is being awarded to the Open Source/Free Software Movement. This movement profoundly challenges the belief that market mechanisms are always best-suited for unleashing technological innovation. This voluntary and collaborative model for software development is providing a true alternative to proprietary, closed software.

Recognizing that a successful "movement" includes many, many contributors, the Wiener Award will be given to four components of the Open Source/Free Software Movement.

Accepting on behalf of the FREE SOFTWARE movement is Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU project.

Accepting on behalf of the Open Source VISION is Eric Raymond, author of "The Cathedral and the Bazaar."

Larry Wall, creator of the Perl programming language will accept on behalf of the PROGRAMMING effort.

Brian Behlendorf of O'Reilly and Associates and the Apache Project will accept on behalf of the PROMOTION and DOCUMENTATION efforts.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

CPSR ANNUAL MEETING

9:30 - 2:30
Building 420 (Jordan Hall), Room 40
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
(coffee and donuts will be served)

[photo]

CPSR's Annual Meeting gives the organization's members and friends an annual opportunity to meet and brainstorm over the organization's agenda for the coming year. Program initiatives that are currently on the drawing board are:

1. developing a nationwide campaign against the UCITA,
2. sponsoring a series of privacy forums across the country and challenging the presidential candidates to put the issue of privacy on their platforms
3. developing public awareness around Vote Counting
4. further involving members in CPSR members in CPSR program

We will meet as a group and break off into smaller sessions if needed. Sunday's annual meeting is free and open to everyone.

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Conference Committee Karen Coyle, Paul Czyzewski, Jeff Johnson, Coralee Whitcomb, Susan Evoy