VANCOUVER REGIONAL FREENET ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES OF MEETINGS APRIL 26, 1994 Vancouver Public Library Present: Phil Lyons, Eric Yung, Jacqueline Van Dyk, Steven Chan, Guy Thomas, Boodie Arnott, Susan Pendakur, Ann Doyle, Sharon Zaluski, Margaret Coates, Mike Hrybyk. Absent: Tom Hansen, Fritz Radandt, Brian Campbell Meeting was called to order at 7:20pm 1.0 Agenda * Addition under Policy Issues - Community Economic Project for FreeNet Terminal and a display at Greening our Cities conference both by Steven * Addition under Policy Issues - Accounts for non-members (eg volunteers) by Susan * Addition under Policy Issues - BC Net by Mike Motion: (Phil/Guy) To accept the agenda with the above noted changes. PASSED. 2.0 Minutes of April 26 * To change the previous minutes to read as ratification for April 12th minutes Motion: (Eric/Phil) To accept the minutes of April 12th. PASSED. 3.0 Policy Issues: 3.1 Timetable: * Mike: intent to resign from the Board due to his recent promotion to General Manager of BC Net. Mike Patterson effectively resignes next Monday. Mike feels he can continue his responsibilities until we go live (end of May/early June). He will also be responsibility for the operating agreement with UBC and the agreement will include a technical contact acceptable to both parties. * Mike also pointed out the problems with our modems at the moment is with non-standard cabling with the terminal servers and that special cables are on order. * Phil: is replacement of terminal servers a priority? * discussion around terminal servers and possible options. Motion by Phil to address this at next meeting, but no seconder. * A taskforce of Steven and Guy setup to investigate on terminal server options to report back to the Board at the next board meeting. * it was unanimously agreed to continue discussions of the time table after other issues were dealt with. 3.2 User's Guide: Ann * it's a good idea to have a user's guide and Ann has looked at the Victoria guide. * Priorities are: 1) online documentation, 2) libraries and training docs 3) user's guide. * critical issue is the ability to get online and play with the system for the writers. 3.3 Industry Canada: Jacqueline: * advisory board of 30 names published * very little community representation * meet in secret, no reports * we would like it more public like a Royal Commission. Motion: (Guy/Boodie) That Jacqueline draft a letter to the Industry Canada Commission, suggesting public access to the Advisory Board from the VRFA. PASSED. * Jacqueline also recently was on a radio show and was interviewed by a magazine. 3.4 Greening our Cities conference: Steven * Steven attending conference and wanted permission to have a FreeNet display made available. Motion: (Jacqueline/Guy) To allow Steven to have a FreeNet display at the conference. PASSED> 3.5 Vancouver Community Economic Development Centre: Steven * Handout - of goals etc. of the Centre * Steven suggested FreeNet send a letter supporting the Centre. * discussion centred around the lack of an identifiable structure, or business plan, and the obvious commercial bent of the venture. Motion: (Steven/Guy) That a letter be drafted to the Vancouver Community Economic Development Centre by Steven for supporting the organizing process and offering technical assistance for the terminal(s) contingent on review of the business plan when available. PASSED. * Susan: will we have a site? - not determined yet. 3.6 Non-member accounts: Susan * some volunteers etc. want accounts to the FreeNet now and should have them but current policy only allows accounts to Members. Motion: (Mike/Phil) That any Board member can forward registration information (signed user agreement etc.) to Susan for volunteers and others who are working on the system. PASSED. Motion: (Phil/Jacqueline) To review draft of marketing plan at next meeting. Timetable discussion included as part of the committee reports following: 4.0 Committee Reports: 4.1 Hardware/Software: Mike * dealt with earlier 4.2 System Design: Steven * meeting on May 11th of System Design committee. * May 15th - system design issues sorted out - to be changed on timetable * menu design meeting on May 3rd at Neil Guy's place. 4.3 Fundraising: Margaret * Jacqueline/Brian/Margaret met with senior VP at VanCity * $50,000 was deemed "a fair chunk" of money by the VP * proposal to Industry Canada for $193,000 for staff, rent, office supplies etc. * Warren Gill and Doug Soo @ Britannia contacted about office space (for training). * United Way contacted for office furniture * HK Bank information being distributed - Phil suggested Al Comings is the person we need to contact. * Susan indicated she deposited $1,465.00 into the FreeNet coffers from memberships * we need an agreement in principle with BC Net * Phil: Co-Op radio - funding arm meeting. Phil talking about using their model etc. for fundraising - it's okay if it's done informally and is quite feasible on an education grounding. * decided to put Bill Andrews in touch with Co-Op Radio * response from Bill Andrews about our tax number appeal in a letter to Brian - sent to Phil and to be returned. * Mike mentioned that there are usage-based charges on BCNet and thus we should be expected to pay up fairly soon once we're online. 4.4 Public Relations: Fritz absent * Boodie to contact Fritz about the presentation 4.5 Community Content: Guy * last night, there was a meeting - moving forward to put IPs online and get accounts for liaisons (dealt with earlier in Policy Issues) * training identified as being important. * coordinators for areas of freenet and coordinating liaisons - decentralizing procedures in the long-run. * conent guide to IP agreement was discussed and David Conn and Bill Andrews to be contacted via Guy to discuss this. 5.0 Membership: Susan * 31 new members for a total of 290 members. * of this 115 members are processed with accounts on FreeNet. * directory of users? - question addressed to Vic. * lots of phone calls: 1) password doesn't work - need numbers in password * office space is getting crucial. 6.0 Endorsements: Phil * 82 endorsers - 47 to be checked for contributions - Phil suggested this was a task for fundraising, but Margaret stated that it wasn't. * Sharon asked to find a volunteer to check for these contributions. 7.0 Volunteer Report: Sharon * draft of volunteer manual published - feedback needed. * May 7th is orientation of new volutneers at UBC - Ann to follow up. * clear list of volunteers and contact info needed from all chairs. * Eric to work on a draft of About Freenet menu and VRFA IP stuff - also to be mentioned at menu design meeting. 8.0 User Support/Training: Ann * spent time reviving technical writers etc. Motion: (Ann/Phil) To deal with User Support at the next Board meeting. PASSED. * Mike has 16 free modems and approval was given to have one given to Susan for registration work, and two to Eric for Board training. * Ann, Phil, Margaret, Boodie, Susan, and Sharon want training by Eric. Jacqueline wants to learn how to get information online. 9.0 Libraries: Jacqueline * Board presentations (involving Jacqueline) * libraries need "guest" access by middle May - Vic? * considered as IPs - ONE for each library. * interLINK - proposal for Internet connectivity by libraries * content - what is our position on kid's access and how do we handle it? * to be handled 4 weeks for now at the Board meeting. 10.0 Social Services: Boodie * waiting for access * presentations being made 11.0 Other business: * Board mailing list for Phil needed. Meeting was adjourned at 9:22pm.