A User's Guide Imagine a local community center where everyone could communicate with each other without ever having to leave their homes or offices. Electronic community networks enable everyone with access to a computer and modem to exchange information without waiting on the phone, without waiting for the mail, and without spending time, gas, and energy driving around to receive or distribute information. Electronic community networks are a powerful resource because they can be easier, faster, less expensive, more informative, and more convenient than our current methods of communication. Nonetheless, some of the references provided in this guide require use of the Internet to obtain the information listed.
People use paper and thumbtacks to post and read messages on actual bulletin boards.
People use computers and phone lines to post and read messages on electronic community networks, which are sometimes called electronic bulletin boards. Because electronic bulletin boards run on a computer, items posted to the bulletin board can be of any size, may stay on the electronic bulletin board for an indefinite time, may be electronically addressed to selected individuals or groups, and may offer layers and layers of detailed information, far beyond what an ordinary bulletin board could offer. For example, parents who send messages to their child s teacher may use email, and then send copies of that message to the principal of the school. For example, the organizers of the League of Women Voters might create a mailing list including the name of each person interested in League activities. When someone wants to alert the League members to the next candidate s debate, the message writer may electronically mail the message to a single address.