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From: taylor@hplabsc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Computers and Open Meetings laws
Message-ID: <1890@hplabsc.HP.COM>
Date: Wed, 27-May-87 00:48:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabsc.1890
Posted: Wed May 27 00:48:31 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 28-May-87 06:09:21 EDT
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[In response to the article from The Oregonian about the Gresham [Oregon] City 
Council and the decision to supply its members with computer terminals in 
their homes... ]

  After reading this report I am left with lots of questions, mostly what 
is it they are doing in Gresham?  From what I can tell from the article 
they are installing a small VAX system that will only give them the tools 
to send Mail and maybe do spreadsheets.  Unless this system is going to 
be connected to other city computers, if any, without conferenceing 
software there is not much else they can do.

  If this is the case then the system is truly an affront to the citizens
of Gresham as all that would be going on is the 'private' communications
of the City Council (which seems to be against Oregonian laws).

  Even if the system is a 'conferenceing' system, as well as a mail system,
I wonder how 'just' it would be without general public access.  Having a 
city run such an open system is still no protection against misuse, as most 
of us reading this list are sure to understand it's all to easy to hide 
information in a closed or even partly open system.

  I support the creation of systems that expand the understanding of people
about their government.  In contrast I will question any system that our
government wishes to install that I as a Citizen cannot look into and explore.

  I would be interested in more detail of what the goverment of Gresham
plans on doing.

		||ugh Daniel