Get Illinois Online

September 22 is One Web Day, celebrate the changes in our world and the positive dimensions of the Internet in our lives!

http://onewebday.org

CTCNET CHICAGO INVITES ALL CTCs, CBOs, FBOs,
Community Development Corporations and other NPOs

to learn about
TOOLS/SERVICES FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
and
get the latest from the
CHICAGO DIGITAL ACCESS ALLIANCE’s
CAMPAIGN FOR A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT
and the
CHICAGO WIRELESS INITIATIVE

Weds. Jan. 24, 10 AM
Allison United Foundation for Better Living
4540 W. Washington Blvd.

RSVP: 312- 212-3623

Join Angela Stuber of Grassroots.org and Joseph Mouzon of Network for Good for a discussion of free and low-cost online services for nonprofits. Learn how your organization can apply for free web hosting, free first year domain registration, free volunteer web design, and an affordable online donation system. We’ll discuss how to best utilize these tools and others.

Friday, September 22 is One Web Day - the Internet Analog of Earth Day.

The Internet and technology has penetrated so many facets of our lives, and yet there are many who remain left behind a digital divide.

We've taken a moment to talk to people around Chicago and ask them what their understanding of the Internet is, and how they make use of it if they do.

We now have a collection of Chicago "Faces and Voices" as our contribution to One Web Day

It's not too late to say you were a part of the first One Web Day.
Do something simple - upload a picture - make a note in your blog ... or start a blog! Connect your offline world to the online world in a new way for a moment.

Chicagoans are organizing a response to the Request For Comments on the draft Chicago Wireless RFP.

A link to the Draft RFP: http://egov.cityofchicago.org/wirelessrfp/

More to come, soon. We want you involved! We're setting up a mailing list for that purpose.

As most of you are aware, the COPE Act (HR 5252) emerged from committee without the hoped for Network Neutrality language proposed by Rep. Markey.

I highly recommend that you review materials at Save Access, and take the actions requested on their top node, today. Please also reach out through your networks, asking others to take action. Unless the legislation is significantly modified, fundamental Internet principles such as Anti-Discrimination or Network Neutrality will be cast aside. Community Access networks are likewise at stake. Local governments, where the public has the greatest hope for accountability will no longer be able assure full service coverage in their communities. Read up on the materials at Save Access Readings and other sources such as the Benton Foundation, Common Cause or Save the Internet Coalition.

Chicago & Springfield: Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee (Open to Public)
Monday, May 15th 1:00-3:00 PM. DCEO Illinois conference room (3rd Floor of Thompson Center)
The meeting is also accessible via video-conference link in Springfield. For more information, contact John Barr of DCEO: 312-814-2259.

Be advised that public comment is restricted to the second half of the meeting.
The Digital Divide Advisory Committee has had two recent appointees and the new legislation opens the committee to two further appointments. Our presence at these meetings is our opportunity to provide input into coordinated inter-governmental efforts on behalf of Digital Literacy and Access.

The next meeting of the Illinois Broadband Deployment Council is on Wednesday, May 10 at 10:00 am.

We will have three attendance options. The primary location will be in Springfield in the Capitol Development Board Room - 349 C, on the 3rd floor of the Stratton Building. (The Stratton is directly west of the
Capitol.) Attendance by videoconference will be available in Chicago in the Lieutenant Governor's Office at the James R. Thompson Center, Floor 15
. A third site that will also offer videoconfereincing to make it more
convenient for folks west of Chicago--it will be at the DuPage Airport Flight Center, 2700 International Drive, Suite 305, West Chicago. Ask for Gail Tate or call her cell with any problems - 630.578.4214

Much is going on, and we need to be organized if the cause of Getting Illinois Online is to gain traction.

The Digital Literacy Act of 2006, with prospects of funding the program at $8 Million for 2007 fell far short of this goal.

Many localities are deploying networks, and the City of Chicago is set to issue a WiFi RFP, soon.

The Congress is debating Network Neutrality and Inter-Modal competition.

We need to voice our perspectives on each front, as each front is part of the puzzle of Getting Illinois Online.

What do we need to get organized? We need some assistance in site development and formation of policy statement. We also need your voice to be heard, and to share in a common discussion.

COPE comes out of committee without the Network Neutrality language that we wanted. (Markey Amendment)

We should register our displeasure with Representatives Rush & Shimkus and thank Jan Schakowsky for her vote in favor of the Markey Ammendment.

It's time to set the right tone for the entire Illinois delegation.

We're going to keep score, but we won't write any of our legislators off for having taken this position, provided they see the light before it is too late.

Rep. Bobby Rush: No to Markey and Yes to the COPE Act. Call to opinion: 202-225-4372
Rep. John Shimkus: No to Markey and Yes to the COPE Act. Call to offer your opinion: 202-225-5271

Today Rep's Rush and Shimkus voted no on the Markey ammendment in committee. This is a disastrous position. Rush and Shimkus should get on the right side of these issues, and make public statement in support of having real teeth in Network Neutrality and Anti-Discrimination provisions.

Someone with guts and credibility needs to oppose Barton in the name of Illinois, the birthplace of the World Wide Web. COPE must now be stopped. It is a disgrace that Barton has advanced a Bill with the input of more than 100 person over the course of a year and did not hear the term Network Neutrality until the recent past few months.