US/ND-5: Re: us-nd-digest V5 #2
Re: us-nd-digest V5 #2
Travis Thompson (etechojt@juno.com)
Wed, 25 Sep 1996 13:27:50 EDT
>
>From: "John D. Gravelle" <gravelle@dwave.net>
>Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 21:43:00 +0000
>Subject: The Power to Change
<snip>
>
>In the summer of 94, before the Wisconsin Telecom bill was passed, a
>major Milwaukee paper had a headline that stated Kids would be the
>FIRST on the SuperHighway. I called the reporter and asked him who
>supplied him with the facts. His source was a telecommunication
company.
>I lobbied for the Wisconsin bill and worked with a regional president of
>one of the telecommunication companies. After passage, he would no
>longer accept calls from me about education issues.
>
It is refreshing to read frank and realistic commentary on the list.
Obviously, you are among those without a hidden personal agenda. While
the commentary has been of a high level and authoritative it seems
doubtful that what is being discussed will translate into much more than
a few freebie's for the schools; that teachers, staff, and administrators
will receive the most benefit from implementation.
>I do not believe our efforts here or efforts from many other sources
>will balance out the many who will oppose us. They have the expertise,
>the money, and the personnel to interact with the FCC in ways we would
>not and could not consider.
>
>Simple put, Mr. Hunt and the Commissioners of the FCC have the power
>to change education profoundly. Do they want to see education changed?
>
The current status quo is profitable and pays CEO's and officials 100s of
thousands, if not millions in the case of the telcos to maintain the
status quo. Who among them wants to rock that boat? Now that commercial
interests see the viability and power of the Internet, which was
developed primarily by individual effort and contribution their prime
objective is to stage a hostile 'take-over' and the public is virtually
unaware.
At the same time educators seem to be gullibly led (pardon the inference)
into supporting the macro-plan to take control of the Internet from the
public, even though most may be well intentioned. Amazingly, on top of
that we have seen educators accept and/or come to the table on this list
with criticism about the way in which Juno provides a major level of free
public access to the Internet. Ironically, many of these same educators
enjoy full free access to the Internet and also advertiser supported free
software such as Netscape Navigator, that is provided to the schools and
not the public or the students. If those of us in the real world are not
supposed to benefit from advertiser supported free products and services,
then educators should not be using Netscape Navigator or Internet
services provided by telco and other advertising $$$.
>
>John D. Gravelle
>Merrill Senior High
>106 Polk Street
>
>Merrill, WI 54452
>
>715-536-4594
>
>gravelle@dwave.net finger gravelle@dwave.net
>
Travis