From News & Features: Connect: The Web: Oct. 26, 1997 from the Orange County Register http://www.ocregister.com/news/connect/1997/1097/102697/web.html The Web [INLINE] ONLINE RIGHTS: Michael and Ronda Hauben argue for equal, free Internet access for all in their book, Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet.' Oct. 26, 1996 SHOULD NET ACCESS BE A RIGHT? By LESLIE GORNSTEIN The Orange County Register If we let it, the Internet could help re-engineer our laws, our politics, our society -- a virtual renaissance. But first, it ought to be free. So say Michael Hauben and his mother, Ronda, a New York-based team whose new book calls for Internet access for all. The book, "Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet," even goes so far as to suggest a bill of rights for online dwellers, including: Equal Internet access time for all. Equal quality of connections for all. Banishment of official "spokespeople" on the Net. Discussions in chat groups or newsgroups should be free-flowing, instead of being censored by newsgroup moderators. Banishment of personal profit resulting from what others contribute online. More than anything, Internet dwellers must stop thinking of the Net as a place for personal gain, instead realizing that they must contribute as much as they benefit, the Haubens say. "The Net is not a service," the book says. "It is a right." Their book -- both a history of the Internet and a theory on its role in society -- was issued through the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' publications office (http://www.ieee.org) in Los Alamitos. Ronda Hauben teaches middle school in New York City. Michael Hauben is a student at Teachers College of Columbia University. The two also publish the Amateur Computerist newsletter online, at http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/acn/index.html While the book is long on the history of the Net, and on ideals about how it could be used for general betterment, it falls short on suggesting practical ways to turn us all into Netizens. In a telephone question-and-answer session last week, the Haubens expanded on their views of how the Internet could be used as a tool to craft a better society. Q: In the book, you talk about the role the Net will play in the future. What are the biggest changes the Net will bring about? Michael: People have a chance to air their voices in a forum that is both available and open. In the past, even open, public forums were much more controlled in terms of editors, etc. I see that leading to a more democratic atmosphere overall -- whether it be in politics, or whatever social structure. Ronda: Geography is becoming much less of an issue. It is possible to know much more about what is going on in other areas around the world. So it is possible to have a much more accurate view, and that can be the basis for making laws that are much more appropriate to a situation. It leads to a scientific re-engineering -- a renaissance, almost. Q: So you don't subscribe to beliefs that the Net is becoming a wasteland of babble? Michael: No. Any signal outweighs any noise. And that is what should be encouraged and sought out, vs. what is being called trash. Ronda: And as this is happening, there needs to be a broader government policy to make the Net available to everyone. Q: So you see the Internet as a utility? Ronda: I thought that that was how the early pioneers saw it. It is like electricity or a telephone. Michael: If you have ideas out there, where anyone can run into them, there is a greater influence than something just sent to, say, a representative. Ronda: One of the big challenges we will see is, will the Internet be made available to a broad set of people in the United States? The issue is not being adequately taken up by public officials, and there is a great hunger among people to have it taken up. We are in a real battle right now. Q: So what's the problem with our government? Michael: This country, as opposed to Canada and others, is much more focused on looking at how to make money off of the Internet. Top of page QUICK HITS: ISN'T IT ROMANTIC? THE ULTIMATE INTERNET ROMANCE BOOK SITE If titles such as "McKnight in Shining Armor" or "Christmas Stranger" make you swoon, pay a visit. Here you can locate that hard-to-find Harlequin in a database of thousands of novels for sale, cast your vote for your favorite saga, learn about the hobby of collecting romance novels, or, best of all, browse the gallery of cover art. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PICTURES Dazzling pictures of everything from Planetary Nebula NGC 6543 to good old Saturn. This site provides pictures organized by subject and year, and even offers a "Greatest Hits" gallery. HIP MAMA An online mag for the hip parental set. Hip Mama publishes reviews, editorials, recipes and community listings, all aimed at moms and dads who are cooler than yours. Got something to say about fertility, welfare or feminist parenting? Visitors can let off steam in the Hip Talk discussion area. _________________________________________________________________ This week inConnect Oct. 26, 1997 Caught in the Net: Companies that connect you to the Internet are struggling to survive ruthless competition NEW WORLDS BEYOND MYST: Fans eagerly await this week's release of Riven, successor to the most popular CD-ROM game of all time. OFF THE HOOK: AOL's JAZZY NEW LOOK IS FINE, BUT WHAT IF YOU CAN'T SEE? Read Leslie Gornstein. THE WEB: SHOULD NET ACCESS BE A RIGHT? 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