Cohousing-L Mailing List: Computer-mediated communication in a CoHousing community

[NEVETS2 (NEVETS2]

Responding to the discussion of using the elements of a BBS system to help a
community function.  These elements are
Email
Conferencing
Archiving materials in a "library"
Chatting

Unless a community wanted to "hardwire" itself into a network (probably not a
bad idea to do at the construction statge even if it went unused for years)
they could use a cheap commercial BBS system to achieve the same
technological objective.  The BBS system would have to work off someone's
personal computer.  Others would have to check regularly to "see" (online,
not physical) that all was well.  Access could be by calling from any house
to the line with the BBS for the minute or two it took to exchange info and
hang up.  The phone line that the host Computer was on would probably have to
be installed and paid for by the community.

But I'm sure that even as close as CoHousing communities are, they DO
sometimes communicate using that impersonal tool - the telephone.  Well,
using a BBS is just an extension of calling a community member and
picking-up/leaving a message, only much more functional and convenient.

Am I making sense to anyone?

I know at least one Kibbutz that's soon to install a system like this.

Steve Weinberg