Hi Ellis, Glad to oblige (this is from a forthcoming piece in the Community Technology Review)... "What is Community Informatics? Community Informatics (CI) is the application of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to enable community processes and the achievement of community objectives including overcoming digital divides both within and among communities. But CI also goes beyond discussions of the Digital Divide to examine how and under what conditions, ICT access can be made usable and useful to the range of users and particularly excluded populations and communities, for example to support local economic development, local cultural retention and creation, and civic empowerment. CI is emerging as the framework for systematically approaching Information Systems from a community perspective and parallels Management Information Systems (MIS) in the development of strategies and techniques for managing community use and application of information systems. As well, it is closely linked with the variety of Community Networking research and applications. CI is based on the assumption that geographically-based communities (also known as physical or geo-local communities) have characteristics, requirements and opportunities that require different strategies for ICT intervention and development from the widely accepted implied models of individual or in-home computer/Internet access and use. Because of cost factors of course, much of the world is unlikely to have in-home Internet access in the near future. Also, CI addresses the questions of those with a concern for ICT use in Developing Countries as well as among the poor, the marginalized, the elderly, or those living in remote locations in Developed Countries. CI represents an area of interest both to ICT practitioners and academic researchers and to all those with an interest in community-based information technologies. CI addresses the connections between the academic theory and research, and the policy and pragmatic issues arising from the tens of thousands of "Community Networks", "Community Technology Centres", Telecentres, Community Communications Centres, and Telecottages currently in place globally. As an academic discipline CI draws resources and participants from a wide range of backgrounds including Computer Science, Management, Information and Library Science, Planning, Sociology, Education, Social Policy and Rural, Regional, and Development Studies. As a practice, CI is of interest to those concerned with Community and Local Economic Development both in Developing and Developed Countries and has close connections with those working in such areas as Community Development, Community Economic Development, Community Based Health Informatics, Adult and Continuing Education, and Agricultural Extension." (I'd be pleased to send the full article to anyone with an interest). To summarize, CI is about the practice of applying ICT's to the concerns and objectives of communities. If a difference could be identified, A(o)IR would seem to approach the Internet from the perspective of "area" or "topical" studies (think Women's Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Black Studies), while Community Informatics approaches the Internet from the perspective of practice, applications, and policy (think Management Information Systems, Health Informatics, E-Government). (Interestingly in some work I'm currently involved in we are finding a very considerable overlap between the concerns and strategies of Virtual Communities and ICT enabled Geo-Communities and there is a considerable interest and involvement from Virtual Communities researchers and practitioners in CI activities.) For the elist discussing substantive Community Informatics issues send an email to: Majordomo@vcn.bc.ca message: subscribe communityinformatics For the elist discussing issues of concern to Community Informatics researchers send an email to: Majordomo@vcn.bc.ca message: subscribe ciresearchers (Hope this helps,) regs, Mike Gurstein Michael Gurstein, Ph.D. (Visiting) Professor: School of Management New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ -----Original Message----- From: Ellis Godard [mailto:ellisgodard@starband.net] Sent: January 20, 2002 5:17 PM To: air-l@aoir.org Cc: mgurst@vcn.bc.ca Subject: RE: [Air-l] CI Researchers Network Could you say something about what "community informatics" means, and how the content of this list will differ from the many others previously noted on AIR-L?
-----Original Message----- From: air-l-admin@aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin@aoir.org]On Behalf Of Michael Gurstein Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2002 1:56 PM To: community informatics; Air-L@Aoir. Org; DIGITALDIVIDE discussion group; COMMUNET@LIST.UVM.EDU; ISWORLD@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE Cc: Wal Taylor; lleiva@ar.inter.net; loquay@regards.cnrs.fr Subject: [Air-l] CI Researchers Network
At the recent Global Community Networking Congress in Buenos Aires, an international group of Community Informatics (CI) researchers met and agreed to establish an informal network linked to an email list and a website.
Wal Taylor <w.taylor@cqu.edu.au> of Central Queensland University volunteered to establish a website, Annie Chéneau-Loquay [loquay@regards.cnrs.fr] volunteered to establish a database of CI Researchers, I volunteered to establish an e-list for CI Researchers with Spanish language assistance from Luciano Leiva [lleiva@ar.inter.net]of Argentina.
You are welcome to subscribe to the elist or communicate to any of the above concerning their activities.
The CIResearchers elist is expected to be a low volume list primarily concerned with matters related to CI Research and particularly professional/academic issues--conferences, publications, courses and so on.
to subscribe send an email
to: majordomo@vcn.bc.ca
message:
subscribe CIResearchers
Archive: http://www.vcn.bc.ca/lists/ciresearchers
(Feel free to forward this message to other lists or individuals as appropriate.)
Mike Gurstein
Michael Gurstein, Ph.D. (Visiting) Professor: School of Management New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ
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