From: ae547@yfn.ysu.edu (Ronda Hauben)
Subject: Uncensored Labor Press and Usenet News:Review in Democratic Communique
Reply-To: ae547@yfn.ysu.edu (Ronda Hauben)
Organization: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, OH
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 17:52:05 GMT


The Winter 1992 (vol X(3)) issue of the Democratique Communique was a 
special issue called "International Labor Communication by Computer"

on page 9 appears the following review of the Amateur Computerist:

THE AMATEUR COMPUTERIST...aims to help workers understand and use
computers, discussing ways in which the technology has been kept out
of the hands of working people, potential uses for democratizing 
work and society, and practical tips on using IBM and Commodore computers.
The current issue (vol 4,no 2-3-ed) argues that computers could play 
a role similar to that once played by the labor press, and that 
automation could benefit auto workers:

  "From the Great Wall to the Great Pyramid, from the hieroglyphics to
the screen of the computer, mankind is still progressing. So make the new
born science, that has given us the computer for the amateur and not as
a prerogative of the professional to be shrouded in secrecy from 
humanity, the choice of the individual, not an election of a minority."
  
  "But what has happened in the past 4 years? Has automation in the 
auto industry made any headway? Has the use of computers and computer
education gone forward?...At the computer classes at the Ford Rouge
Plant, before the programming classes were cancelled to make way for the 
labor relations experiments that replaced them, one auto worker wrote:
"Welcome to the Wonderful World of the Computer." The cancelling of those 
classes in 1987 has made clear that that wonderful world cannot be
gained by going backwrard to ever more labor intensive production, (i.e. speed
up), less and less manufacturing capacity (i.e. shortages), and ever increasing
prices. This is economic program that U.S. corporations and the U.S.
government are promoting in Eastern Europe and the result is massive human
hardship and dislocation. This economic program will result in the same
econoic dislocations in the U.S. economy as are currently plaguing 
Eastern Europe.

  "Thus once again...there is a need to have auto workers and others,
particularly those who work in large scale industry, consider and debate
the economic problems of our times. History has shown that this is the 
only way that solutions which lead the society forward can be found.
Prohibitions against workers writing in their local union newspapers
to prevent public criticisms of trade union officials or policies,
as exist in the UAW, need to be overturned.

  "...This uncensored labor press no longer exists, but computer
bulletin boards across the U.S. and the world are providing access
to uncensored discussion so the momentous problems of our times can
be debated and analyzed. On computer bulletin boards like Usenet News...
such discussion is now taking place...To this end the Amateur Computerist
is dedicated and we need and welcome your participation in helping to
create this independent voice so as to be able to gain the fruits
of the computer revolution for those who do the work of this society."

(The Democratic Communique is published by Union for Democratic 
Communications [Dept. of Communication, 585 Manoogian Hall, Wayne
State University, Detroit, MI 48202 USA])

The Editor of the Democratic Communique is Jon Bekken. He can be 
reached via email via peace net: jbekken; Bitnet: bekkenj@snycorva

The above is a review of the Winter/Spring 1992 issue of the Amateur
Computerist (vol 4, no 2-3). This issue of the Amateur Coputerist
is available via anonymous ftp: wuarchive.wustl.edu
It is stored in the directory: /doc/misc/acn


-- 
Ronda Hauben                    email address:ae547@yfn.ysu.edu
Amateur Computerist Newsletter              or
P.O. Box 4344                   rhauben@heartland.bradley.edu
Dearborn, MI 48126
Newsgroups: alt.amateur-comp,soc.culture.usa,alt.activism