eik@icd.ab.com (Ed I. Kizys) (05/30/90)
Posted by request:
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Baltic Networking
Is anyone interested in forming an electronic action group on networking with
the Baltic Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia?
I am using networking in two senses here: the technical e_mail/conferencing one
of establishing the basic links to permit electronic communications; and the
softer definition of a network of people building up contacts and working
together.
Participants in this action group could include:
1. People with origins in the Baltic Republics, or who have other connections
with those countries.
2. People with technical skills in electronic networking, setting up ethernets,
running host systems who may want to contribute to developing links to the
Baltic Republics..
3. People with academic interests in developments in the Baltics.
4. People who want to contact and work with academics in the Baltics.
As someone of Lithuanian origin with some knowledge of conferencing systems and
international e_mail, with academic interests in networking and management of
organizations and with an interest in contacting economists, management
scientists and environmental scientists in Lithuania, I fall under all four
headings.
I think the first step is to ask people on existing listserves and conferences
whether they are interested in this kind of initiative. A lot of discussion
could be done in existing nets on matters of common interest.
A further step would be encouraging people not on the nets to sign on - by,
for instance, using personal contacts to persuade Lithuanian students at
colleges in the US and Europe to get BITNET IDs and join the action network.
Another possible strategy would be to identify senior academics who have known
interests in the Baltics and find volunteers at their colleges to contact those
academics. The aim here lould be to establish chains of communication -if the
professors weren't willing or able to come online themselves, perhaps some of
their research students might be interested.
Another step would be to identify areas of excellence in Baltic Universities
and build up networking groups linking people working in the same areas in the
Americas or in Europe or Australasia. The aim here wold be to prepare the way
for really productive collaborations either electronically or by more
conventional means.
Is anyone out there interested in trying this idea out? I am willing to act as
preliminary mailbox and facilitator...
Perhaps we could also start looking for a friendly LIstserver to act as a host.
My local mainframe wont run LISTSERV....
Notes.
Under present conditions, if this gets off the ground we must expect some
attention at some stage from various security services. I will do my best to
keep people, adresses private and general mailing lists will *not* be
publicised. If you do not mind your name being mentioned to others, please
explicitly say so when joining this group.
If you send a message for onward distribution to the group of course that is a
different matter.
Under UK law (the Data Protewction Act) your permission is required before any
personal details can be held in computer readable form. Please include a line
allowing such storage if you send details of yourself to me.
Edis Bevan
Open University School of Management
Open University
Milton Keynes
MK17 6AA
United Kingdom
Telex UK 825061
FAX UK (0908) 655898
JANET aeb_bevan@UK.AC.OPEN.ACS.VAX
BITNET/EARN aeb_bevan@VAX.ACS.OPEN.AC.UK
INTERNET NSFNET-RELAY"AEB_BEVAN@VAX.ACS.OPEN.AC.UK"
UUCP UUCP-RELAY"AEB_BEVAN@VAX.ACS.OPEN.AC.UK"
Please don't try phoning. I am very deaf! That is another interest: developing
services and movements by and for people with disabilities in the Baltic
republics....