Community Publishing on Boulder Community Network

INTRODUCTION

The following paper is intended to be a source of information for community network developers. The authors of this paper have crafted it in order to provide a glimpse into the organization of the community network with special attention to elements that have contributed to its overall success. Each section of the paper is broken into sub-sections that will help the reader understand elements of the process that BCN has established. The paper begins by offering a bit of background information in order to provide a well rounded understanding of what BCN is composed of. For the purpose of the Ties That Bind Conference, readers may want to skip several sections and focus on sections 8 through 10. Sections 8-10 focus on BCN's experience with publishing, and elaborate on two specific examples in order to demonstrate the complexity involved in the process of maintaining an accurate and timely World Wide Web presence. Each section is followed up with a brief summary of the lessons BCN has learned.

There are no formulas for instant success when developing and maintaining a community network. There are, however, examples of community networks that have been successful in assisting organizations become involved in the information revolution that is affecting the way the communities interact and remain informed. The effects of BCN's involvement in the County of Boulder are evident: community groups are learning that they can contribute to the Web, City departments are coming forth to share sought after public information, and individuals are getting involved in the process of providing new and innovative services throughout the county.


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Comments: Catherine Weldon or Madeline Gonzales