SSRBH@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Steve Robinson) (05/27/89)
The Fourth New York City Conference on
COMPUTERS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
New Tools for Political & Community Organizing
Friday & Saturday, June 9-10, 1989
Hunter College
For Registration information, please call:
Terry Mizrahi @ (212) 452-7112
or
Patricia Friedland @ (212) 614-5322
Conference fees: $45 for both days (includes Friday lunch)
$35 for Friday only (includes lunch)
$25 for Saturday only
This Conference have become something of an institution among community
organizers, political activists, progressive computer users and
professionals. Computer and communications technology has increasingly
penetrated work, organizations and life in general, and activists and
organizers have grown to perceive it as a potential source of helpful
tools. And the way in which computers have streamlined the power of
corporations and the government has challenged us to bring computer power
to the people. Like its predecessors, the Fourth New York Conference on
Computers for Social Change provides information and practical experience
with computers and their applications for progressive groups through
workshops led by community organizers and computer activists themselves.
All of them are committed not only to making computers practical and
understandable but to the roader goal of a democratic information society.
The Conference is organized into a number of workshop groupings:
introductory and advanced workshops, for exposure to practical computer
skills from turning on a computer to advanced desktop publishing;
organizational workshops for leaders and managers concerned with issues of
computerizing organizations and organizing information; application
workshops on some of the main areas in which computers are being used for
empowerment and political work; and issue workshops for consideration of
some of the main political issues raised for progressives by computer and
communications technology. This year's keynote event focuses on grass-
roots political computing.
The Conferences have grown out of ongoing discussions and
meetings of the New York Computer Activists, a group concerned with
progressive social change in the direction of economic and social
justice, democracy and peace; the use of technology to meet human needs
and promote empowerment, rather than for profit, efficiency and
exploitation; and public access to information.
This year's Conference is sponsored by the New York Computer Activists
and the Education Center for Community Organizing (ECCO) at Hunter
College School of Social Work.
The Computers for Social Change Conference aims to provide:
*** ideas on the role of computers in progressive social change
*** information on both organizational and social-change computer uses
*** demonstrations of applications and innovative technologies
*** introductions to basic computer skills
*** networking among groups using or planning to use the new technologies
*** help in determining groups' needs and in choosing hardware and software
*** access to computer services and consultants
*** tips about free and inexpensive software
*** awareness of the limits of computers and when they may not be useful
SOME CLARIFYING NOTES
This conference is intended to be a genuine service to community
and political organizers and to provide information free from hype and
commercial interest. Although the individual workshop leaders, presenters
and consultants present at the conference may have preferences and
recommendations regarding computer hardware and software, the conference
and its organizers endorses no particular brands of commercial products.
Likewise, it should not automatically be assumed that a computer is
necessary to solve the problems of the people and organizations attending
the conference.
A recent national survey found that the main problem businesses
have with respect to computers is that personnel are inadequately trained
to make effective use of the machines, which often sit idle or don't do
what they are purchased to do. This problem is much greater for small,
non-profit, social change organizations that have limited of no budgets
for training. Computer training, like all education, is a gradual
process occurring over time, not an instantaneous achievement that can
occur in an hour or two. Although the sponsors and organizers of the
conference believe that participants will learn a lot from the
workshops, our goal is not to provide training, but rather initial
exposure to computer knowledge and skills -- exposure that would give
participants a jumping-off point for further skill acquisition as well
as information that would aid decisions about future training and
computer system development or acquisitions. Participants should expect
to obtain from the rkshops and labs useful information and orientation
rather than any particular sort of computer proficiency.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
There are two locations for the Conference workshops: the 5th floor of
the West Building, and in the Academic Computing labs on the 10th floor
of the North Building. The easiest way to reach the labs from the West
Building is to take the escalator down to the 3rd floor, cross through
the walkway above the street to the North Building, and then take the
elevators to the 10th floor. Please note that eating, drinking and
smoking are strictly prohibited by Hunter College in the labs and
classrooms.
Friday Luncheon Keynote Address
11:15 AM - 1:15 PM
"Grassroots Political Computing"
Richard Perez, Director of Organizational Development & Voter
Participation, Community Service Society
Marc Rotenberg, Director, Washington Office,
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Richard Perez will trace the history of the Voter Participation Project
and the role that computers have played in this successful community
organizing operation. He will discuss some of the unmistakable dangers
of computers he has seen in social change projects. Marc Rotenberg will
talk about the impact that nonprofit community organizations using
computers are having on the political process in Washington.
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Saturday Luncheon Plenary
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Faculty Dining Room, 8th Floor, West Building
The lunch period will be devoted to an open discussion of such topics as:
*how will computers ease the workload and open new opportunities for us?
*how can activists use computers to empower themselves and their
communities?
*how can this or other conference help?
Bring a bag lunch and come ready for a lively exchange of ideas.
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RESOURCE ROOM
The Resource Room will be the central gathering place during the
conference. It will contain:
* consultants to answer questions
* freeware disks and shareware catalogs
* software demonstrations
* video presentations
People are invited to display and distribute their own materials.
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AFFINITY GROUPS
There will be a place for people with similar concerns to gather into
affinity groups. We are making a special effort this year to encourage
this type of networking. These groups can be oriented around a specific
community, e.g. women in computing; or a specific question, e.g. how to
handle mailing lists, or anything else you can think of. There will be a
blackboard where participants can issue a call for other interested people.
We will try to make space available to any group which wants to go off and
talk by itself.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Friday 9:30-11:00 AM
S-1 Introduction to Computer Concepts: The beginner will be introduced to
the basic computer jargon & the do's & don'ts of microcomputing. Some
Terminology: software; hardware; operating system; backup; restore;
program; word processing; database; spreadsheet; communications;
hard/floppy disk; monitor; input devices; CPU; memory; bit; byte; port;
cursor. Tom Sahagian
S-2 Introduction to DOS (Hands-on): Your computer's disk operating system
(DOS) is the master program enabling you to do everything else: run
programs; format disks; copy & erase files; create directories; etc.
For the hacker in all of us, explore the abyss behind even the most
friendly software. Some Terminology: copy; backup; hard disk; format;
file naming conventions. Jeremy Raw
A-1 Managing and Expanding your System: Keeping it Going: Hardware &
software maintenance; troubleshooting & repair; viruses; information
management & housekeeping; getting help; knowing when, how & why to
upgrade. Peter Brooks, Ross Greenberg
A-2 Databases in Action (Demo): Activist applications of database
management systems will be demonstrated; advice on how to manage large
database information & programming projects. Bob Hagan, Jim Plunkett,
Len Rodberg
ORG-1 Computerizing Your Organization: So you want to buy a computer for
your organization. Will it help you? What hardware & software should
you get? What type of training is needed & how will it affect staff?
What safety measures should you take? Margaret Barclay, Skip Ferry
APP-1 Out-Of-School Education and Computers (Demo): Computers and adult and
teen literacy; how to incorporate any database, word processing or
spreadsheet program into adult literacy instruction; NY Youth
Network's on-line peer support and employment information network.
Seth Chaiklin, Antonia Stone
ISS-1 Public Data Access: The City of New York: The City collects and
organizes enormous amounts of information. Specifically what do they
collect? Who has access? What is NYC's policy regarding "public"
information? Carolyn Maloney. Salvatore Salamone, Philip Wallick,
Philip Weitzman Pat Friedland (moderator)
Friday 1:30-3:00 PM
S-3 First Time on the Machine (Hands-on): Primarily a hands on adjunct to
Introduction to Computer Concepts. A survey of the general business
uses of computers and how they can enhance our work. Some Terminology:
word processing; database management; spreadsheets. Mel Holder
S-4 Introduction to Spreadsheets (Hands-on): Spreadsheets make numeric
calculations easier. They are used to make budget proposals, expense
reports, cash flow projections, etc. This class will show you what
spreadsheets are and how to create them. Some Terminology: Lotus;
Excel; cell; cell pointer; labels; values; formulas; functions; macros;
cell formatting. John Mangione
S-5 Introduction to Database Concepts (Demo): Databases can help manage
virtually any sort of information including mailing and donor lists,
time sheets, etc. This class will demonstrate some methods of storing
and retrieving data. Some Terminology: fields; records; indexing; data
types. Robert Saunders
A-3 Advanced Spreadsheets (Demo): Advanced uses of spreadsheets for
non-profits, including: organizational budgeting; importing & exporting
information; macros. Len Rodberg
A-4 Electronic Bulletin Boards: What's available out there in the
electronic aether: commercial & local boards; sources of information;
costs. How to set up your own board. Seth Chaiklin, Stan Pokras
ORG-2 Getting the Right Help: When and how to use computer consultants and
in-house staff for system design, hardware & software purchasing,
training & problem-solving. Skip Ferry
ORG-3 Organizing Your Computerization: After buying a computer, how to
organize its use: training & motivating staff; using menus to make
access easier; setting back-up procedures. David Bahn, Arthur Paris
APP-2 Computers and Fund Raising: Analyzing fund raising practices; moving
toward computerizing donor information; analyzing direct mail
campaigns; fund raising for office automation; the Foundation
Center's on-line databases and how to do on-line funding research.
Margaret Barclay, Lydia Motyka
APP-3 Community Organizing Skills & Strategies: From Technician to
Organizer: For those new to community organizing. Methods for
reaching and involving people in collective problem-solving. How to
analyze issues, set goals, mobilize constituencies and neutralize
opposition! Mario Drummonds, Terry Mizrahi
ISS-2 Public Data Access: Federal Government: Government information,
collected and organized with tax payers' dollars, is in danger of
becoming "privatized". Each federal agency is putting its
information into databases. In the near future, any citizen with a
modem could have access to the information they paid for. What
forces are working against this possibility? What can activists do to
insure low-cost access to public information? Tom Blanton, Nancy
Kranich, Pat Friedland (moderator)
Friday 4:00-5:30 PM
S-6 Introduction to Word Processing (Hands-on): Designed for the novice,
this session will offer a taste of what a word processing program can
do. Some Terminology: Typeover vs. insert mode; word wrap; status
line; format line; cursor; cursor movement keys; page break; right
justification; tabs & margins; copy & move. Steve Andrus
S-7 Telecommunications: No Computer is an Island (Demo): Bridge the gap
between your machine and others. What are the problems with
sending/receiving information and what are the costs? Some Terminology:
protocols; modems; telecommunications software. Marc Schnapp
A-5 Basic Desktop Publishing (Demo): Professional looking camera-ready
words & graphics from your PC or Macintosh -- flyers; newsletters;
conference programs; menus. See the software in action and find out
about hardware & software requirements & costs. Joel Landy
A-6 Advanced Desktop Publishing (Demo): Third generation software;
book-sized projects; scanners & graphics; professional quality output;
tips to improve productivity. Larry Kramer
ORG-4 Accounting for Non-Profits (Demo): A discussion and demonstration of
accounting software. How fund accounting and other special
requirements are handled by standard software and programs designed
for non-profits. Robert Saunders
ORG-5 Organizing and Managing Information: How to create and use databases
tailored to the special needs of social change organizations. How to
select software based on organizational needs, and keep databases
manageable and accurate. David Bahn, Len Rodberg
APP-4 Computers and Community Development: How community-based groups are
using computers to fight tenant displacement & harassment, support
progressive planning & housing development, and promote local
economic development. Alison Cordero, Rita Frazer, Ann McClellan, Ray
Normandeau
ISS-3 Computer-based Information Systems for Citizens: An overview of
several computer systems - both here & abroad - created to enable
citizens to utilize technology for political and organizing purposes.
Including: MINITEL from France; Greenlight Shareware Publishing; HMDA
Mortgage (Anti-Redlining) Database. Hana Janiurek, Steve Johnston,
Michael McCullough, Bill Milczarski
Saturday 10:00-11:30 AM
S-8 Introduction to Computer Concepts: same as S-1 (Fri. 9:30) Carl
Messineo
S-9 Introduction to Word Processing (hands-on): same as S-6 (FRI. 4:00)
Steve Andrus, Lisa Hallman, Eugene Peterson
A-7 Connecting Computers: Local-Area-Networks (LANs) & non-LAN mechanisms
of sharing data & programs between machines which are in the same
physical area. Costs, capabilities & headaches of connection schemes.
Howard Marks
A-8 Advanced Word Processing (Demo): Learn about advanced uses of word
processing programs; mail-merge; macros; spelling checkers; thesaurus;
footnotes; virtually camera-ready copy. Cathy O'Toole, Christine Rivera
ORG-6 Organizing and Managing Information: same as ORG-5 (FRI. 4:00) John
O'Brien, Robert Saunders
APP-5 Computers and Political Campaigns: Techniques for analyzing "raw"
voter registration data and targeting "prime voters"; advances in
political technology; computer use in a local voter registration
campaign. Bruce Bernstein, Peter Bynum
APP-6 Computers for Peace and Social Justice (Demo): IBM's role in
supporting Apartheid in South Africa; an international children's
rights database; how to get the most out of the PeaceNet bulletin
board. Kay Castelle, James Marc Leas, Dennis Nurkse
ISS-4 Computers and Capitalism -- The Organization of Work: Computers have
had a vast impact on the organization of our society and the world
economy. Information management with computers is now ubiqitous, but
the information itself has more and more become private and hidden.
The world has been tied together more tightly than ever, but people
have never felt more alienated. In this workshop, we'll look in some
detail at the role of the computer as a tool in organizing a vast
social restructuring. We'll start with a discussion of some concrete
experiences with computers in the workplace. On that basis, we will
then involve workshop participants in a discussion of strategies we
can use to counter the negative effects of computerization, to gain
control of the enormous power of computers, and to put that power to
work on a truly liberating social agenda. Barbara Garson, Joan
Giummo, Jeremy Raw
Saturday 1:30-3:00 PM
S-10 First Time on the Machine: same as S-3 (FRI. 1:30) Robert Saunders
S-11 Introduction to Spreadsheets: same as S-4 (FRI. 1:30) John Mangione
A-9 Putting it Back Together: Hardware from the Inside: One or more
machines will be taken apart and possibly reassembled. How to
distinguish between hardware & software errors; how to isolate the
problem; how to explain the problem over the phone. Peter Brooks, Dave
Burstein
ORG-7 Organizing your Computerization: same as ORG-3 (FRI. 1:30) Steve
Andrus, John Ernst
APP-7 Computers and the Environment: The EPA on-line database of toxic
chemicals and radioactive waste & the Community Planning and Right to
Know Act of 1986; toxic waste & minorities in the U.S.; the Remote
Access Chemical Hazards Electronic Library (RACHEL). Ben Goldman,
Charles Lee, Peter Montague
APP-8 Computers and the Disabled: How computers can increase the
participation and autonomy of the physically disabled in
organizations and in society at large. John Halko, Jr., Barbara
Kollodge, Anthony Maggio, Jim E. Sherwin, Amy Spaulding
ISS-5 Information Politics: Philip Mattera from Corporate Campaign Inc.,
will discuss how commercial databases can be used for power structure
research to assist labor unions in disputes with employers. In 1985,
Public Data Access, Inc. acquired computer tapes from the Federal
Elections Commission on campaign contributors to the 1983-84 federal
elections. Michael Tanzer will discuss the content of the tapes and
current FEC attempts to restrain PDA's dissemination of the data.
Philip Thompson from the CUNY Graduate Center is using databases to
analyze electoral campaigns from the 1982 New York gubernatorial
campaign up to and including the 1989 mayoral campaign. Philip
Mattera, Philip Thompson, Michael Tanzer, Michael McCullough
(moderator)