Subject: *New Mailing List* Internet Constituent Assembly

From: Bob Allisat <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 07:20:36 -0500 (EST)

Ladies and Gentlemen -

 Respectfully I ask for a moment of your time to consider
 a proposal of some import. I have been asked by several
 members of these various forums to ask that a new Mailing
 list be created to form what will amount to an Internet
 Constituent Assembly. Many of you dislike discussions of
 a non-technical nature. However no forum exists for the
 discussions we must engage upon for this medium to mature
 and evolve beyond it's current, prototype phase.

 The purpose of this list would be to discuss the serious
 ethical, political and social issues and implications of
 various developments on the Internet. It would be open to
 all people and, I suspect, will become very large, very
 quickly. It will also be extremely contentious and highly
 controversial from time to time, though rules of order
 will have to be respected and enforced (as in any assebly
 of citizens). This will be, in effect, a legislature for
 the net potentially composed of thousands of representatives
 world wide.

 In the past I have had people volunteer to take on this
 task. The job is, however, very difficult and not directly
 rewarding. The machines involved would have to be highly
 capable and technical support staff would have to entirely
 keep their hands off of the list and anything and everything
 on it. Understanding that their will be respect for rules
 and order the discussion will be free. Few entities have the
 both the technical capabilities and the Democratic discipline
 to handle such a task.

 I am making an appeal to the people on these lists for
 some individual or group to step forward and volunteer. I'll
 take on the administration of the list with a small group of
 trustees if someone out there will simply host it. Though
 simple or easy it will *not* be. Thank you for this moment
 of your time and I return you, hopefully permanently, to
 your regular programming.

 Sincerely,

 Bob Allisat

 Free Community Network _ [email-masked] . http://fcn.net
 http://fcn.net/allisat _ http://fcn.net/draft