TABLE OF CONTENTS

        Preface      i

        EXECUTIVE SUMMARY      ii

        INTRODUCTION      1

        NETWORKING AND COMPUTER NETWORKING      2
            Networking      2
            Computer Networking      4

        YORK/HABITAT NETWORKING INITIATIVE (Y/HNI)      6
            Background      6
            Activities      7
                Official Opening of the Habitat Office      7
                Mass Mailout of Survey Questionnaire      8
                IYSH Conference      9
                Constituency Meetings      11
                    FES students      12
                    Local academics      13
                    FES faculty      15
                    Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)      16
                    Private sector and government      18
                    Other      18
                Contacts Database      18
                Graduate Assistant Projects      19
            Lessons Learned From Y/HNI      20
                Co-ordination Resources      20
                Participant Commitments      20
                Motivations      20

        THE NATIVE COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK (NCCN) PROJECT      22
            Background      22
            Project Phases      22
                Development Phase      23
                    Conceptualization      23
                    Features of the NCCN      23
                    Users contacted      24
                    Hardware acquired      24
                    Software acquired      25
                    Database established      27
                    Conference 'priming' information gathered      27
                Pilot Phase      28
                    Installation of equipment      28
                    Promotion      28
                    Manual      30
                    Training of users      31
                    Online Interaction      32
                    Skills transfer      32
            Lessons Learned From The NCCN      34
                Technical Development      34
                Establish A 'Critical Mass'      34
                Dialup Access      35
                Network Development Strategy      36

        COMPARISON OF THE Y/HNI AND THE NCCN      37

        HABNET      39
            Conceptualization      39
                Objectives      39
            Equipment and Access to Web      40
            Contacts Database      41
            Training      42
            Promotion      42
                Constituency Meetings      42
                Newsletter Articles      43
                Personal Interviews      43
                Presentation at York University      44
            Online Interaction      44
                Habnet Conferences on Web      44
                    'habnet'      44
                    'humset'      47
                E-mail      47
                'Chat' Feature      48
                File Transfer      48
            Demise of Habnet      49
             Lessons Learned From Habnet     51
                Getting Organizations Online      51
                Expectations      52
                Network Interconnections      52
                Miscellaneous Lessons      53

        DISCUSSION      55
            Promoting System Usage      55
            Online Interactions      56
            Creating Bonds      56
            'Bandwagon' Effect      57

        CONCLUSION      58

        BIBLIOGRAPHY      59


        APPENDICES      63

            COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS      64
                Types of Computer-mediated Communications      65
                Important Items in an Online Environment      67
                The Benefits of Computer Conferencing      69
                Managing Computer Conferencing      72
                Online Conference Moderation      76
                Netiquette      79

            NATIVE COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK PROJECT      83
                Recommendations Regarding NCCN      84

            HABNET      89
                A Proposal To Create Habnet      90
                Web Overview      91
                Work Done For Habnet      95

            OTHER      97
                Historical Overview of Major Networks      98
                Personal Networking     104
                Business Aspects of Computer Networking     106
                Factors In Use of Computer Communications     108

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