Description
Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV) has been hailed by Yahoo! Magazine as the premier community network projectù in North America, this second edition brings you up-to-date on all of the developments of the world's most successful community network. You learn how the community got connected - the ground-breaking venture that has linked the citizens of Blacksburg, Virginia to each other and to the rest of the world, based on 100% Internet technology. Written in clear, nontechnical language by the people who made it happen, Community Networks: Lesson from Blacksburg, Virginia, Second Edition Edition has been updated to explain how the Blacksburg Community Network has developed, from its original concept in 1991 to how it is managed today. It addresses the social, economic, technical, and educational impact of living in a connected town,ù and includes key factors for success, new network technologies, fiber on Main Street efforts, and the latest in local government initiatives. If you're a community leader, planner, or teacher curious about starting a community network in your area, you'll save time and make fewer mistakes by learning from experts who have already done everything that you'll need to do. You'll also benefit from the in-depth discussions of how to: Develop an understanding of the basic network concepts you'll need to make better technology purchases for your community; Bring your community closer together, solve problems more effectively, and increase participation in civic activitie; Use technology effectively in the K-12 school environment.
Table Of Contents
Preface. Welcome to Blacksburg. A Brief History of the Project. The Architecture of a Community Network. Evaluating the Blacksburg Electronic Village. Town Government in Cyberspace. The Virtual School. Teaching Young Children Using the Internet. Conducting Business in a Community Network. Community Network Technology. Community Network Technology. Managing Information in a Community Network. Building an Online History Database. Success Factors for Community Networks. List of Figure Captions. Brief Editors Biography. Index.
Author
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Andrew Cohill
Andrew Cohill is the director of the Blacksburg Electronic Village and an adjunct professor in the department of architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he also received his Ph.D. in architecture and environmental design.
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Andrea L. Kavanaugh
Andrea L. Kavanaugh is the director of research for the Blacksburg Electronic Village and a research fellow with the department of communication studies at Virginia Tech. She earned her Ph.D. in environmental design and planning from Virginia Tech.