As I may have mentioned once before our world is changing and we get to meet more on-line than off-line nowadays. CPSR still has both ways of communication through chapters and working groups but it looks as if our chapters are giving way more and more to virtual communication. So here is some summary of what prevailed lately in our chapters first:

Midwest

Not much has happened in the Midwest these past few months. In May I finally met the new Michigan chapter. Kurt hosted 20-30 people in his house in Ann Arbor and many of us met each other for the 1st time real time, after communicating on-line for 2 years. We hope to have another real meeting this May 2000. Madison has gotten dormant this year after Robin has left for Europe. We still hope to get a new contact person there. In the meantime Elizabeth Buchanan from Milwaukee is representing Wisconsin. Ohio is getting new members and we finally have a contact person there and should soon declare Ohio a new chapter. So please let us know if you are interested in being more active... We need your participation. Minnesota has had a couple of meetings in conjunction w/ other groups. Thanks Roger for keeping the chapter going! We had a SHARE meeting in Chicago in August where Don Goldhammer and Ron Kizior gave talks. In Nov. Jim Davis and I participated on a panel at the Harold Washington Library titled: Capitalism, Computers & Social Revolution in 3rd Millennium. In May '00 the UN is holding hearings for the Millenium Assembly (taking place in Sept. for heads of State to deliberate about the future of the UN in the 21st century) and Don and I may represent CPSR and testify. Please contact us if you have anything you'd like us to mention. See [ http://www.worldforum.org/sections/upcoming/upcoming.html ] .

West Coast

Palo Alto has hosted the annual meeting in October, thanks again!. Also Jon Guice [ jguice@concentric.net ] has held an industry roundtable there. Kyle Eischen [ keischen@cats.ucsc.edu ] has started a new student chapter in Santa Cruz. Please contact him if you'd like to contribute in any way. So now we have 3 student chapters altogether, one at NEIU in Chicago, one in Santa Cruz, and one about to be born at Bentley. I'd like to encourage all of you professors and students to start a chapter on your campus. Usually there is a student activity fee to support such an endeavor and students look forward to such a stimulating extra-curricular activity.

Seattle is getting ready for DIAC 2000 in May under Doug Schuler's leadership, and we're pretty excited. The program committee and call for participation has already been distributed. Submit your papers early and join us there for another great conference. The local arrangements committees are being formed -- we already have a volunteer chair, Ti Locke. Ti did an excellent job with PDC'98 and DIAC'97. For more information go to [ http://www.scn.org/cpsr/diac-00/ ]

Washington DC

Here we come! The board is having its next meeting at George Washington on Feb. 26-27. We are organizing a get-together on Fri. the 25th at the Alamo Grill of Georgetown and hope to see as many of you and your friends there or at the meeting itself.

Georgia

Georgia had a successful meeting back in April with Phil Zimmerman talking. If I've forgotten a few details, they will appear at our next newsletter to appear in about 3 months.

CPSR Working Groups

As to working groups: They are multiplying. We have 2 new ones: Cyber law and Weapons and peace. Please write to me at [ n-caftori@neiu.edu ] if you'd like to join one, or Susan, or one of the following groups/people:

• Andy Oram -- Cyberrights [ andyo@ora.com ]
• Bob Pesner -- Last-mile [ bpesner@pcdialogs.com ]
• community networks wg [ cpsr-cn-wg@cpsr.org ]
• cpsr-ethics@egroups.com
• cpsr-peace@cpsr.org
• cpsr-y2k@cpsr.org
• Environment [ cpsr-wgce-l@egroups.com ]
• Julie -- women [ albright@scf.usc.edu ]
• Law [ cpsrlawgroup@egroups.com ]
• wg-education-core@cpsr.org
• Workplace [ trigg@parc.xerox.com ]
• stop-ucita@egroups.com

Thanks to everyone who has put efforts and keep our mission alive... Netiva

CPSR Working Group on Computing and the Environment

The CPSR Working Group on Computing and the Environment is a relatively new working group with a focus on the environmental impacts of computing, including the manufacture, disposal, and application of computers. A more complete statement is available at the group web site, www.cpsr.org/program/environment. In its first year, the group has grown to include 19 members, though the group has been relatively quiet so far, with only a small amount of discussion and no real action outside of organizing and building a mission statement. Currently, however, several members of the group are involved in producing a position paper on the conflict between the European Union and the US over EU plans to require reduced waste and increased recycling in the production of electronic equipment. Our goal is to increase support and awareness of the EU plans and to counter the opposition coming from US electronics manufacturers. There are many ways to support clean computing at home as well, and if you have an interest in this area, your participation will be welcomed.

Weapons and Peace CPSR Working Group

Dear CPSR Members,

10 CPSR members have expressed an interest in being involved in a Weapons and Peace CPSR Working Group. Would you like to join us ?

We are most interested in working on:

1. Adding CPSR's voice to the discussions about the newly revived son-of-Star Wars program

2. Researching the role of information technology in peace making, and helping peace and human-rights groups such as Witness, which seeks to put recording and communication technology into the hands of human rights activists.

3. Looking at the role of computers in contemporary military activities which range from Kosovo and the Columbian Drug War to the new Infowar doctrine.

But we'd be very happy to support other related projects as well.

CPSR members may subscribe to CPSR-Peace or contact me directly.

To subscribe, send mail to [ cpsr-peace-subscribe@cpsr.org ], or [ cpsr-peace-digest-subscribe@cpsr.org ] for a digest version. General help can be retrieved by sending mail to [ cpsr-peace-help@cpsr.org ]

What's inside...