Agenda - 11-19-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2* PINPUBLIC INFORMATION NETWORK, inc. November b, 1991 To the County Commissioners Orange County, North Carolina When last we addressed you during the final days of last spring's budget cycle, you requested that we return later to describe our progress and to renew our request for support.. As you recall, Public Information Network, inc. is a 501(C)(3) non - profit corporation which local residents have set up for the purpose of establishing computer -based public information facilities in North Carolina. We have selected Orange County for our initial prototype system. This would be the first system of this type in the South. We would provide a wide range of facilities to anyone, using a personal computer and modem, who calls our local phone number: - Public data of all sorts which is currently stored in a variety of places and difficult to locate. This would include everything from county and town records to school athletic events; from local business directories to bus schedules. - Conferences moderated by volunteers on topics chosen by vote of users. Any registered user may participate in these discussions; they may be read by anyone who calls in to the system. - Bulletins and messages, akin to physical bulletin board messages. These postings on any topic may include items for sale, lost and found, or announcements. - Electronic mail (E -mail) to individuals on the system, and as facilities expand, to anyone on connected systems. E -mail messages may be open, to be read by anyone, or private, seen only by the addressee. - Question and Answer facilities may be tied to any of the above, or may be on separate topics, such as questions to doctors, lawyers, mechanics, or public officials. - Polls may be taken on any subject, with the results automatically tabulated and analyzed. Thus informal votes on local issues are simple to conduct and essentially cost -free. We also will provide private circuits with all of the above capabilities, which would allow government or non - profit groups to have their own systems, using the same computer and phone -line facilities. These private circuits would be invisible to the public users. At this time the support we are seeking is not financial. Instead, we need something to show poten- tial givers that we have the county's backing. During the past few months we have been making application to foundations for grant funding. PIN is currently embarking on a campaign to locate sponsors among local businesses. We feel certain that indication of interest on the part of the local governments will be of great assistance in this endeavor. Enclosed is a draft resolution. Your support will be of great help in bringing this important new extension of participatory democracy to the people of Orange county. Sincerely, William R. Hutchins, President 5605 Brisbane Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 968 - 4292