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,ŲĀĀlüŌ€€€€Editor-in-Chief:€€€€€€€Barry€Kapkeą Œ ą€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€or€€€Š J Ę Š€€€€Copy€Editor:€€€€€€€€€€€John€Bullittą Œ ą€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Š Ļ K Š€€€€Production€Staff:€€€€€€David€Savage€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ģ€€€€Board€of€Advisors:€€€Robert€Aitken€Roshi€€€€€€€€€€€Amaro€Bhikkhu€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Carl€Bielefeldtą  ąŠ Ł U  Š€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Bhikkhu€Bodhi€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Thubten€Chodron€€€€€€€€€€€€€T.€Matthew€CiolekĢ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Roger€Corless€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Rev.€Karuna€Dharma€ńQń€ńQń€€€€€€€Christina€Feldman€€€€€€€Ģ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Gangcen€Tulku€Rinpoche€€€€€Maha€Ghosananda€€€€€ńRń€ńRń€€€€€€Joseph€GoldsteinĢ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joan€Halifax€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ayya€Khema€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ńSń€ńSń€€€€€Anne€C.€KleinĢ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Jack€Kornfield€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Jacqueline€Mandell€€€€€€ńTń€€ńTń€€€€Ken€McLeodĢ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ńZń€ńZń€€€€€Andrew€Olendzki€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Charles€S.€Prebish€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Alan€Senauke€€€€€€€€€€€€Ģ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ń[ń€ń[ń€€€€€Thanissaro€Bhikkhu€€€€€€€€€€€€€Christopher€Titmuss€€€€€€€€€€others€to€be€announcedĢĢß>€' °°xd>ߊ †  ŠĢŌ€lü S,,lüŌą@#3ąņņņ ņGasshš„šó óóó€is€a€Buddhist€newsletter,€published€by€ņ ņDharmaNet€Internationaló ó,€ˆŠ —  ŠÓĶLÓą@¶3ąP.O.€Box€4951,€Berkeley,€CA€94704-4951,€a€not-for-profit€organization.ˆĢß>€' °°xd>ßÓĶLÓŠ ™ ŠŌ€ĀlüĀΐlüŌĢńbńą@| MąńbńTable€of€Contents:ˆĢŌ€lü ŲĀĀlüŌĢ{1}€€EDITORIAL:€Message€from€the€EditorŠ ½9 Š{2}€€NEWS€BRIEFS:€Nobel€Peace€Prize€Nominees;€Dalai€Lama€to€ReceiveĢ€€€€€€Freedom€Medal;€Pali€Tipitaka€CD-ROMĢ{3}€€DHARMANET€NEWS:€How€to€Access€DEFA;€Internet€<=>€DharmaNetĢ€€€€€Wormhole;€INSIGHT€Mailing€List;€DharmaBaseĢ{4}€€NEW€RESOURCES:€BUDSIR;€Dialing€for€Dharma;€alt.*€Newcomers;Ģ€€€€€€DharmaDebateHall€MOOĢ{5}€€CONFERENCE€NEWS:€Envisioning€Tibet€(Australia)Ģ{6}€€LETTERS:€Say€NO!;€Bring€Out€the€Best;€ņņGasshš„šóó€FormatŠ ķi" Š{7}€€DIALOGUE:€The€Second€Precept:€Generosity€(Thich€Nhat€Hanh)Ģ{8}€€ARTICLE:€A€Slice€of€Life€in€My€Virtual€Community€(Howard€Rheingold)Ģ{9}€€ARTICLE:€Computer€Networks€and€the€Emergence€of€Global€Civil€SocietyĢ€€€€€(Howard€H.€Frederick)Ģ{10}€PRACTICE:€Questions€and€Answers€(Ajahn€Chah)Ģ{11}€CALENDAR:€March€-€May€1994Ģ{12}€REVIEWS:€Buddhism€After€PatriarchyĢ{13}€RESOURCES:€ANU€Social€Sciences€Information€Services€(T.M.€Ciolek)Ģ{14}€SANGHA:€FPMT€Centers€(World)Ģ{15}€ANNOUNCEMENTSĢ{16}€A€PARTING€THOUGHTĢ{17}€ABOUT€ņņGasshš„šóóŠ ¶ 2. ŠĢĢŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌ[Ed.:€ņņGasshš„šóó€is€currently€being€published€in€fwo€formats,€in€two€different€mediums.€The€print€versionŠ ©"%1 Šmay€be€abridged,€due€to€the€constraints€of€space.€The€electronic€version€has€no€space€limitations.]ĢŠ ³#/ 3 ЇŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd>ߊ „ ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹ÓņŻą@Õ PąŻ  Ż{1}€EDITORIALŻƒ¹Óņ€݌ˆŠ • ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd>ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ UŃ ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  fŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  fŃ݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  ŻMy€apologies€for€the€delayed€release€of€this€issue.€I'm€discovering€what€a€big€job€producing€and€editingŠ  ‡ Šan€electronic€journal€is.ĢĢThis€issue€was€originally€intended€to€be€focussed€on€"Women€in€Buddhism."€Surprisingly€(or,€perhaps,Ļtellingly)€I€discovered€that€very€little€material€was€being€submitted.€Consequently,€I€decided€to€postponeĻthe€"Women€in€Buddhism"€issue€until€later€in€the€year.ĢĢThis€issue,€then,€presents€itself€as€a€potpourri.€Two€of€the€feature€articles,€by€Howard€Rheingold€andĻHoward€Frederick,€are€not€about€Buddhism€š"š€yet€I€feel€these€are€important€musings€upon€issues€thatĻare€very€relevant€to€Buddhists,€particularly€as€we€are€exploring€and€trying€to€develop€our€own€€virtualĻcommunities€and€our€own€engagement€in€an€emerging€global€civil€€society.€The€WELL,€the€APCĻnetworks,€and€DharmaNet€are€three€very€€different€approaches€to€this€electronic€environment€and€it€isĻproductive,€I€think,€to€see€these€approaches€side€by€side.€This€forms€a€fitting€backdrop€for€Thich€NhatĻHanh's€discussion€of€the€Second€Precept,€which€traditionally€is€phrased€in€terms€of€vowing€to€abstainĻfrom€taking€what€is€not€given,€but€which€Nhat€Hanh€illuminates€in€the€proactive€light€of€"generosity."ĻAnd€the€humor€and€impeccable€heart-wisdom€of€the€late€Ajahn€Chah€brings€us€back€€continually€to€whatĻis€essential.ĢĢEnjoy!ĢĢĢĢŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd>ߊ yõ  ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹Ó­Żą@ƒ OąŻ  Ż{2}€NEWS€BRIEFSŻƒ¹Ó­;݌ˆŠ Š ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd>ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ JĘ  ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  fĻŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  fĻŽ݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  Ż€€€€€Sulak€Sivaraksa€and€Samdech€Preah€Maha€Gosananda,€two€Asian€Buddhist€teachers€and€activists,Š |" Šhave€been€nominated€for€the€1994€Nobel€Peace€Prize.Ģ€€€€€Sulak,€who€was€nominated€for€the€prize€last€year€by€Nobel€Laureate€Mairead€Maquire€last€year€asĻwell,€was€nominated€by€the€American€Friends€Service€Committee€for€his€commitment€to€peace€andĻnonviolence€in€the€fullest€sense,€and€for€building€the€institutions€and€structures€which€will€create€anĻenvironment€in€which€peace€and€justice€can€flourish.Ģ€€€€€Samdech€Preah€Maha€Gosananda€was€nominated€by€U.S.€Senator€Clairborne€Pell,€Chair€of€theĻForeign€Relations€Committee€for€his€dedication€to€peace€and€the€war€time€protection€of€the€culture€andĻpeople€of€Cambodia.€Ven.€Gosananda€has€established€numerous€temples€in€the€Cambodian€diaspora€andĻco-founded€the€Inter-religious€Mission€for€Peace€in€Cambodia.€He€also€has€lead€two€walks€for€peaceĻ(Dhammayietra)€and€will€be€leading€a€third€one€to€the€Khmer€Rouge€headquarters€at€Pailin€in€May€1994.ĻVen.€Gosananda€received€the€prestigious€Norwegian€Rafto€Foundation€Prize€for€Human€Rights€in€1992,Ļand€he€has€also€received€an€honorary€doctorate€of€humanitarian€service€from€Providence€College.Ģ€€€€€We€congratulate€these€exemplars€of€compassionate€activity€on€receiving€much€deserved€recognitionĻfor€their€work.€May€their€efforts€on€behalf€of€all€beings€prosper.€ņ ņ[Source:€Alan€Senauke]ó óŠ FĀ0 ŠĢą@A Rą*€*€*€*€*ˆĢĢ€€€€The€Dalai€Lama,€the€exiled€spiritual€leader€of€Tibet€and€recipient€of€the€1989€Nobel€Peace€Prize,€hasĻbeen€named€the€recipient€of€the€1994€Franklin€Delano€Roosevelt€Freedom€Medal€by€the€Franklin€andĻEleanor€Roosevelt€Institute.€The€theme€of€this€year's€awards€is€"human€rights€and€resistance€to€theĻtyrannical€forces€of€oppression."Ģ€€€€€William€J.€Vanden€Heuvel,€president€of€the€Roosevelt€Institute,€remarked:€"He€[the€Dalai€Lama]€isĻsuch€a€universal€symbol€of€human€rights...€All€of€us€recognize€the€importance€of€our€relationship€toĻChina,€but€we€shouldn't€lessen€our€commitment€to€him€and€to€what€he€represents."€The€award€will€beĻpresented€at€ceremonies€in€Middelburg,€the€Netherlands,€on€June€4.€ņ ņ[Source:€Nadine€Brozan]ó óŠ ż y; ŠĢą@A Rą*€*€*€*€*ˆĢĢ€€€€€The€American€Academy€of€Religion€has€announced€that€two€CD€ROM€will€be€distributed€as€part€ofĻthe€program€of€electronic€publication.€The€first€will€be€the€Tipitaka€portion€of€the€Siam€Edition€of€the€PaliŠ –# @ Šcanon€(vols€1-45)€with€full€search€software€(ņņBUDSIR€€IVóó).€This€CD€ROM€is€the€product€of€work€done€atŠ „ ŠMahidol€University€and€is€the€first€complete€set€of€a€Buddhist€canon€to€be€made€available.€TheĻpreliminary€price€is€$500.00€for€institutions€and€$250.00€for€individuals.€It€is€expected€that€shipment€ofĻthe€CD€ROM€will€occur€in€April.€Orders€can€be€sent€to€Scholar's€Press€in€Atlanta€Georgia.Ģ€€€€€A€second€CD€ROM€will€be€the€Shinto€Encyclopedia€prepared€by€Mr.€Handa€in€Nagoya,€Japan.ĻContaining€some€600€technical€words,€this€data€base€contains€text,€moving€images€and€sound€for€mostĻwords.€The€preliminary€price€is€$100.00.€There€will€be€discounts€for€those€who€order€both€CDs€at€once.Ģ€€€€€AAR€invites€individuals€and€groups€to€submit€proposals€for€publications€or€distribution€of€electronicĻdata€bases.€The€electronic€publication€editor€is€Lewis€Lancaster,€University€of€California,€Department€ofĻEast€Asian€Languages,€Berkeley,€CA€94720.€Email€address€is€buddhst@garnet.berkeley.edu€€ņ ņ[Source:€LewŠ 1­  ŠLancaster]ó óŠ ¶2  ŠĢ[See€also:€BUDDHIST€SCRIPTURES€INFORMATION€RETRIEVAL,€in€Section€4]ĢĢŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd>ߊ Ź F ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹ÓL)Żą@{ MąŻ  Żą@@Ÿ Mą{3}€DHARMANET€NEWSŻƒ¹ÓL)Ś)݌ˆŠ _ Ū ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd >ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ ›   ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  f*ŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  f*>+݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  ŻĢą@šDąONLINE€LIBRARIES:€HOW€TO€ACCESS€THEMˆĢĢĢDharmaNet€is€working€to€bridge€the€technological€borders€between€Internet€and€DharmaNet,€so€thatĻdenizens€of€the€respective€"virtual€communities"€may€seamlessly€visit€and€communicate€with€one€another,Ļand€share€joint€resources.€It€is€now€possible€to€access€DharmaNet's€repository€of€Buddhist€texts€viaĻvarious€avenues:ĢĢņ ņ€€€*€DIRECT€DIAL-UP:€ó óMany€DharmaNet€BBS€sites€participate€in€a€Dharma€File€Distribution€NetworkŠ žz Šthat€relays€these€files€in€a€manner€very€similar€to€the€way€"echomail"€is€distributed.€BODY€DHARMAĻONLINE€in€Berkeley,€California,€is€the€central€hub€for€this€manner€of€distribution;€other€participatingĻsites€are€listed€in€the€DharmaNet€nodelist€(updated€weekly),€with€the€notation€"DFN"€or€"DFL."€TheĻDharmaNet€nodelist€is€available€at€all€DharmaNet€BBS€sites€and€from€the€Dharmanet-info€directory€atĻDEFA€(see€below).€Participant€sites€agree€to€make€these€files€available€to€callers€at€no€cost€(other€thanĻwhatever€phone€costs€are€incurred€by€the€caller).ĢĢņ ņ€€€*€FILE€REQUEST€(F'REQ):€ó óMany€BBS€mailers€allow€files€to€be€requested€and€retrieved€withoutŠ &¢% Šactually€logging€on€to€the€BBS.€This€still€involves€making€a€direct€dial€connection€to€a€BBS€but€it€is€fasterĻand€more€efficient€(hence,€less€expensive€for€non-local€callers).€All€DharmaNet€files€are€available€viaĻmailer€file€request€from€BODY€DHARMA€ONLINE€or€any€DharmaNet€site€with€a€DFL€notation€in€theĻnodelist;€other€sites€may€allow€this€option€as€well.€A€file€request€for€the€"magic€name"€FILES€will€usuallyĻretrieve€a€BBS'€complete€listing€of€files.ĢĢņ ņ€€€*€FTPMAIL:€ó óFiles€may€also€be€retrieved€via€ftpmail.€To€receive€uuencoded€files€via€e-mail,€send€anŠ ÉE, Še-mail€message€to€"ftpmail@metta.ci.net"€with€the€message€"Get€filename.ext"€in€the€body€of€the€textĻ(minus€the€quotes,€of€course).€For€example,€"Get€Allfiles.lst"€would€retrieve€the€listing€of€all€files€availableĻthrough€ACCESS€TO€INSIGHT€BBS€in€Barre,€Massachusetts.€The€file€will€be€sent€as€uuencoded€e-mailĻand€will€need€to€be€unencoded€with€the€utility,€uudecode,€or€a€similar€utility.€Additionally,€most€filesĻwill€be€compressed€and€so€other€utilities€may€be€required€as€well;€most€files€are€compressed€with€PKZIPĻver.€2.04g.ĢĢņ ņ€€€*€ANONYMOUS€FTP:€ó óThe€Dharma€Electronic€Files€Archive€(D.E.F.A.)€has€been€created€as€an€InternetŠ ńm4 Šrepository€for€electronic€Buddhist€texts,€images,€and€other€materials.€To€access€DEFA€directly,€at€the€UnixĻshell€prompt,€type€"ftp€ftp.netcom.com".€When€prompted€for€ņņloginóó,€enter€"anonymous."€When€promptedŠ ūw6 Šfor€ņņpasswordóó,€enter€your€e-mail€address€(example:€john.bullitt@metta.ci.net).€[Note:€if€your€site€has€ņņncftpóóŠ €ü7 Šavailable€to€you,€it€has€several€advantages€over€ņņftpóó.]€€Once€logged€in,€change€directory€("cd")€toŠ  8 Š/pub/dharma.€"ls"€allows€you€to€list€the€contents€of€the€directory€(subdirectories€below€/pub/dharmaĻare€capitalized;€filenames€are€not).€With€ncftp,€you€can€use€the€//page//€command,€to€read€a€text€file,Ļsuch€as€"INDEX",€which€is€a€list€describing€the€various€files€in€a€given€directory.€"get€Ģfilename.ext"€will€allow€you€to€retrieve€the€file€to€your€own€home€directory;€"mget"€allows€you€to€retrieveĻmultiple€files.€You€can€also€use€"put"€to€deposit,€or€upload,€files€to€DEFA;€these€uploads€should€go€intoĻthe€subdirectory€/pub/dharma/Inbound€and€please€leave€me€an€e-mail€message€(dharma@netcom.com)Ļto€let€me€know€that€you've€left€something.€€€Š Ø#$ ? Ї€€€MIRRORS:€DEFA€is€also€mirrored€at€other€Internet€sites,€such€as:Ģ€€€€€€ftp.nectec.or.thą  ąą 4 ąą ` ą/pub/mirrors/dharmaŠ  … Š€€€€€€etext.archive.umich.eduą ` ą/Religious.Texts/DharmaNetŠ Ž  ŠĢņ ņ€€€*€GOPHER:€ó óGopher€is€an€interactive€menu-driven€document€server€that€allows€you€to€view€andŠ ˜ Šretrieve€text€files€(and€retrieve€binary€files)€from€various€sites.€Currently,€DEFA€may€be€accessed€viaĻInternet€Gopher€at:ĢĢgopher.cic.netą  ąTo€arrive€at€the€DEFA€areas,€follow€this€path:Š ¬( Š€€€Electronic€Serials€=>€Other€Journal€Archives€=>€E-Text€Archive€=>€Religious.Texts€=>€DharmaNet.€ĢĢcoombs.anu.edu.auą  ąTo€arrive€at€the€DEFA€areas,€follow€this€path:Š ; ·  Š€€€Coombsquest€Networked€Facilities€=>€Buddhist€Studies€Facility€=>€DharmaNet€ArchivesĢĢņ ņ€€€*€WWW:€ó óThe€"World€Wide€Web"€is€an€information€service€based€upon€ņņhypermediaóó.€The€Web€is€accessedŠ Ź F Švia€either€terminal-based€"browsers",€such€as€Lynx,€perlWWW,€etc.,€or€GUI-based€browsers,€such€asĻMosaic,€Cello,€Viola,€and€others.€Hypertext€"documents"€allow€resources€to€be€linked€via€intertextualĻ"pointers"€to€other€documents€(or€other€media).€For€example,€I€could€be€reading€about€the€life€ofĻShakyamuni€Buddha,€and€any€number€of€highlighted€"pointers"€could€be€"tunnels"€through€which€I€couldĻexplore€other€aspects€of€the€subject;€clicking€on€"Bodhi€tree"€might€transport€me€seamlessly€to€anotherĻdocument€about€Bodh-gaya€complete€with€a€high-resolution€image€of€the€Mahabodhi€Temple,€or€even€anĻMPEG€movie€clip,€or€to€a€discussion€about€enlightenment€taking€place€in€a€DharmaNet€newsgroup,€andĻthen€hop€back€to€the€original€text.€In€this€way,€resources€in€many€media€and€at€various€locationsĻthroughout€the€world€can€be€seamlessly€interconnected.€DharmaNet€is€very€much€interested€inĻdeveloping€a€hypermedia€encyclopedia€of€Buddhism,€called€ņņDharmapediaóó,€using€these€tools.€In€theŠ üx  Šmeantime,€resources€that€are€currently€accessible€via€ftp,€gopher,€WAIS,€NNTP,€or€other€methods,€can€beĻretrieved€via€WWW.€Presently,€DEFA€can€be€accessed€via€WWW€at:ĢĢ€€€http://www.nectec.or.th/nectec.htmlĢ€€€http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVL-SocSci.htmlĢ€€€http://coombs.anu.edu.au/CoombsHome.htmlĢ€€€ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/dharma/defa-home.htmlĢĢĢIt€is€hoped€that€people€around€the€world€will€find€these€online€libraries€of€value.€We€also€encourageĻauthors€and€publishers€to€contribute€materials€to€these€archives.€Some€people€have€raised€the€question€asĻto€whether€promoting€"free"€access€to€information€such€as€this€is€to€detract€from€an€author's€livelihood€orĻa€publisher's€ability€to€market€such€"products"€or€"intellectual€property."€Electronic€libraries€are€in€manyĻways€similar€to€the€public€library€systems€and€I€am€convinced€that€globalizing€the€availability€of€suchĻinformation€is€one€of€the€best€advertisements€for€author€or€publisher€that€one€could€ask€for€(and€at€noĻcost),€in€addition€to€being€a€wonderful€support€and€educational€facility€at€the€local€community€level.ĻMoreover,€for€those€of€us€who€are€Buddhists,€it€is€an€extraordinary€opportunity€to€cultivate€our€field€ofĻmerit€and€to€keep€alive€the€centuries-old€tradition,€and€practice,€of€ņņdš]šnaóó.Š VŅ* ŠĢą@a3ą----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢĢą@„FąINTERNET€<=>€DHARMANET€"WORMHOLE"ˆĢĢĢThere€has€been€considerable€interest€expressed€in€accessing€DharmaNet€via€the€Internet.€We€are€currentlyĻlooking€into€establishing€a€direct€TC/IP€link€to€the€Internet€that€will€allow€seamless€access€betweenĻDharmaNet€and€Internet,€enabling€the€full€complement€of€Internet€tools€--€telnet,€ftp,€gopher,€wais,€www,Ļirc,€archie,€etc.€This€will€greatly€contribute€to€the€flow€of€information€between€users€at€academic€andĻgovernmental€sites,€commercial€providers,€and€DharmaNet€BBS€sites€throughout€the€world.€It€will€alsoĻallow€the€propagation€of€a€DharmaNet€newsgroup€hierarchy,€corresponding€to€and€gatewayed€with,€theĻDharmaNet€echomail€conferences.€It€is€largely€a€matter€of€funding€that€is€delaying€these€developments.ĻAnyone€interested€in€contributing€towards€this€project,€please€contact€Barry€KapkeĻ(dharma@netcom.com).ĢĢIn€the€meantime,€John€Bullitt€has€created€a€mailing€list€to€allow€Internet€users€to€participate€inĻdiscussions€related€to€Buddhism€or€to€DharmaNet€or€to€ACCESS€TO€INSIGHT€BBS.ĢŠ ŗ#6 > Šą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢĢą@ż GąAbout€the€INSIGHT€Mailing€ListˆĢĢą@ QąWhat€It€IsˆĢą@š Rą~~~~~~~~ˆĢThis€mailing€list€was€begun€in€January,€1994€to€serve€as€a€bridge€between€Internet€users€and€the€ACCESSĻTO€INSIGHT€BBS€in€Barre,€Massachusetts,€USA.€You€are€welcome€here,€whether€you€call€yourselfĻ"Buddhist"€or€not.€It's€an€experiment,€meant€to€serve€two€simultaneous€purposes:ĢĢ1.€To€keep€Internet€users€up-to-date€with€events€affecting€the€BBS€in€particular€and€DharmaNet€inĻgeneral.€This€will€include€announcements€of€new€books€available€from€DharmaNet€via€Internet,€newĻDharma-related€Internet€resources,€and€other€stuff.€If€you€find€something€interesting€on€the€Internet€thatĻyou€think€might€interest€other€Dharma€students,€please€feel€free€to€post€it€here.ĢĢ2.€To€give€Internet€users€a€chance€to€participate€in€informal€discussions€of€Dharma.€DharmaNet€offersĻmany€"echoes,"€in€which€people€may€discuss€Dharma-related€themes,€ranging€from€Ahimsa€to€Zen.€ForĻnow,€however,€you€can€only€join€in€those€discussions€by€dialing€a€DharmaNet€BBS.€For€many€people€thisĻrequires€making€a€long-distance€telephone€call.€This€mailing€list€thus€gives€people€a€chance€to€discuss€theĻDharma€with€others€without€having€to€pay€for€that€long-distance€call.ĢĢThe€idea€is€simple:€when€you€send€a€message€to€the€mailing€list,€a€copy€of€your€message€is€"reflected"€toĻeveryone€else€on€the€mailing€list.ĢĢą@ RąThe€RulesˆĢą@š Rą~~~~~~~~ˆĢ1.€Keep€discussions€friendly.€View€this€mailing€list€as€an€opportunity€to€practice€both€ņņahimsš]šóóŠ ‹ Š(harmlessness)€and€ņņsatióó€(mindfulness).€Š Œ ŠĢ2.€If€you€quote€from€other€sources,€please€attribute€your€sources€fully.ĢĢ3.€Please€be€aware€that€this€mailing€list€is€served€by€a€small€PC,€with€finite€disk€space.€Therefore,€pleaseĻkeep€your€messages€of€reasonable€length.€This€is€NOT€the€place€to€send€large€text€files,€copies€of€yourĻfavorite€GIF€file,€or€anything€other€than€a€simple€plain€ASCII€message.€If€you€want€to€share€a€large€fileĻwith€others,€you€can€always€send€it€directly€to€them€via€private€e-mail.ĢĢą@Å PąTo€SubscribeˆĢą@³ Qą~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢSend€a€message€to€"insight-request@metta.ci.net".€In€the€body€of€the€message,€put€the€word€"SUBSCRIBE."ĢĢą@9 MąTo€Get€Off€the€ListˆĢą@ Oą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢSend€a€message€to€"insight-request@metta.ci.net".€In€the€body€of€the€message,€put€the€wordĻ"UNSUBSCRIBE."ĢĢą@> HąTo€Send€a€Message€to€the€ListˆĢą@ Ją~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢSend€it€to€"insight@metta.ci.net".€Your€message€will€be€"reflected"€to€everyone€else€on€the€mailing€list.ĢĢą@ö LąFor€More€InformationˆĢą@æ Mą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢAbout€ACCESS€TO€INSIGHT€BBS:€€Send€a€message€to€"info@metta.ci.net"€ĢAbout€DharmaNet:€Send€a€message€to€"dharma@metta.ci.net"€ĢIn€each€case,€an€information€file€will€be€sent€to€you€by€our€info-server.ĢĢHow€would€YOU€like€to€see€this€mailing€list€used?€If€you€have€any€comments€or€suggestions,€please€feelĻfree€to€post€them€in€the€mailing€list€itself.€Or,€if€you'd€rather,€you€can€send€them€to€me€privately.€ĢĢĢą@W GąņņSabbe€sattš]š€bhavantu€sukhitattš]šóóˆŠ °",< Šą@Ø JąMay€all€beings€be€happy!ˆĢŠ ŗ#6 > ŠJohn€Bullitt€(moderator)Ģjohn.bullitt@metta.ci.netĢĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢĢą@ķBąDHARMABASE€--€A€BUDDHIST€DATABASE€PROJECTˆĢĢĢI€am€constantly€being€asked€for€referrals€to€Dharma€teaching€centers€in€metropolitan€areas,€or€how€toĻlocate€a€particular€teacher,€or€what€organizations€exist€to€support€a€certain€concern,€and€so€on.€There€is€aĻwealth€of€Buddhist€resources€available€to€us€but€often€times€the€difficulty€is€in€finding€them,€or€inĻknowing€where€to€look.€Some€type€of€informational€clearinghouse€is€needed€and€databases€offer€aĻversatile€and€flexible€tool€for€meeting€this€need.ĢĢDharmaNet€is€building€and€maintaining€a€database€project€called€ņņDharmaBaseóó€that€is€presently€serving€theŠ O Ė ŠBBS€and€home€computer€communities.€It€is€my€hope€that€electronic€data€can€be€easily€shared€andĻcoordinated€between€DharmaBase,€the€Australian€National€University€WAIS€servers,€and€other€BuddhistĻdata-gathering€repositories.ĢĢDharmaBase€utilizes€a€DOS€ņņDBaseIIIóó-compatible€program€to€compile€data€"magazines."€The€magazines€areŠ č d  Šgeographic€(ie,€California,€SF€Bay€Area,€United€States,€etc)€and€will€soon€be€available€for€downloadingĻfrom€DharmaNet€BBSs€(as€well€as€the€Dharma€Electronic€Files€Archive€and€its€mirrors)€in€the€same€wayĻthat€other€binary€files€are.€These€can€then€be€used€by€individuals€for€their€own€projects,€importing€theĻdata€into€any€DBase-compatible€program.€At€participating€DharmaNet€BBSs,€a€DharmaBase€"door"€isĻonline€allowing€users€to€update€data€themselves,€so€that€it€is€hopefully€a€largely€self-maintainingĻdatabase.€DharmaBase€will€also€allow€users€to€query€the€database€by€email€(and€eventually€via€WWWĻbrowsers).ĢĢThe€primary€DharmaBase€focus€is€Buddhist€monasteries,€Dharma€centers,€and€organizations,€but€we€areĻalso€compiling€databases€of€journals;€publishers;€Buddhist€BBSs;€etc.€€CAVEAT:€we€are€more€or€less€inĻbeginning€stages€with€this€project,€so€the€actual€compiled€data€as€of€this€moment€is€small€but€the€systemĻis€in€place€and€the€data€is€beginning€to€flow€in.€I€think€it€will€be€an€enormously€valuable€resource.ĢĢI€have€revised€the€DharmaBase€record€format€to:€ĢĢName:ĢAddress:ĢCity:ĢState:ĢZip:ĢCountry:ĢContact:ĢVoice#:ĢFAX#:ĢBBS#:ĢE-mail:ĢLineage:ĢAffiliation:ĢResident€Director:ĢSpiritual€Director:ĢTeachers:ĢDescription:ĢNewsletter:ĢUpdated:ĢSources€Used:ĢRecord€Compiled€By:ĢĢPlease€submit€listings€of€Dharma€resources€in€your€area,€updates,€or€corrections,€to€DharmaBase,€P.O.€BoxĻ4951,€Berkeley€CA€94704-4951;€by€e-mail€to€dharma@netcom.com;€or€by€netmail€to€Barry€Kapke€atĻ1:125/33€(fidonet)€or€96:96/475€(dharmanet).€Please€use€the€format€above.€ĢĢŠ ŗ#6 > ŠŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd >ߊ „ ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹ÓcŻą@ź NąŻ  Ż{4}€NEW€RESOURCESŻƒ¹Óc“c݌ˆŠ • ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd >ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ UŃ ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  f)dŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  f)dčd݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  Żņ ņ[Source:€Mahidol€University€gopher]ó óŠ  ‡ ŠĢĢą@x@ąTHE€BUDDHIST€SCRIPTURES€INFORMATION€RETRIEVALˆĢĢą@Ó RąOVERVIEWˆĢą@Ņ Rą~~~~~~~~~ˆĢĢMany€people€said€"This€software€would€be€another€brave€new€world."€It€is€the€first€of€its€kind€in€theĻuniverse€of€international€Buddhism€perusal.ĢĢMahidol€University€Computing€Center€is€very€proud€to€present€the€world's€FIRST€complete€DIGITALĻEDITION€of€The€Buddhist€Scripture,€ņņTipitakaóó,€which€is€a€collection€of€scriptures€representing€the€collectedŠ G Ć Šteachings€and€sayings€of€Buddha€and€the€scripture's€commentary,€the€ņņAtthakathaóó.€The€Tipitaka'sŠ Ģ H  Šimportance€is€in€being€the€root€and€basic€reference€for€all€teachings€and€explanations€of€Buddhism,€theĻstandard€for€measuring€the€teachings€presented€as€Buddhism,€a€record€of€beliefs,€religions,€traditions€andĻevents€of€times€many€centuries€past,€an€invaluable€source€of€reference€material€relating€to€other€fields€ofĻknowledge.ĢĢThis€digital€edition€has€its€name€ņņBUDSIRóó€and€the€version€to€date€is€ņņBUDSIR€release€4.0óó.€This€latest€versionŠ źf  Šis€suitable€for€international€use.€It€is€because€the€whole€Pali€passages'€approximately€78€million€charactersĻin€both€manuscripts€have€been€completely€transliterated€into€"digitally€Romanized€form."€This€will€noĻdoubt€be€a€provision€of€another€channel€through€which€Buddha's€teachings€are€made€accessible€to€theĻinternational€community.ĢĢBUDSIR's€internal€structure€is€elaborately€developed€using€mature€and€efficient€information€retrievalĻtechniques€usually€used€in€large€databases€and€specially€designed€with€the€ease€of€use€for€users€of€allĻlevels€of€competence€in€mind.ĢĢą@æ QąOBJECTIVESˆĢą@• Qą~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢĢIn€the€endeavor€to€pursue€a€particular€subject€in€Tipitaka€and€Atthakatha€that€contain€tremendousĻamounts€of€information,€not€only€does€one€have€to€overcome€the€barrier€of€the€Pali€language,€but€alsoĻoverwhelming€amounts€of€information€so€widely€scattered€under€a€variety€of€headings€within€a€volume.ĻHence€it€is€extremely€difficult€to€retrieve€the€information€in€question,€accurately€and€exhaustively.€ĢĢAn€attempt€has€been€made€to€store€the€entire€Tipitaka€and€Atthakatha€in€digital€form€so€that€anyĻresearch€that€needs€to€gain€access€to€this€huge€database€will€be€greatly€facilitated.€ĢĢBUDSIR€is€unique€in€its€accuracy,€speed€and€exhaustivity.€It€can€retrieve€any€word€(includingĻcompounds),€phrase€or€stretch€of€text€that€can€be€found€in€the€Buddhist€Scriptures.€Moreover,€this€digitalĻedition€is€also€capable€of€searching€both€the€Tipitaka€and€Atthakatha€simultaneously,€showing€the€resultsĻin€two€separate€windows€so€that€they€can€be€studied€and€compared.ĢĢą@µ KąThe€BUDSIR's€BeginningˆĢą@‚ Lą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢĢThe€difficulties€in€studying€of€Tipitaka€and€Atthakatha€due€to€the€vast€size€of€the€volumes€cited€aboveĻbrought€to€the€attention€of€the€Council€of€Mahidol€University€in€one€of€its€meetings€in€1987,€it€was€feltĻthat€the€University€should€undertake€a€project€to€develop€a€computerized€version€of€the€Tipitaka€inĻhonour€on€His€Majesty€the€King's€Ratchamangklaphisek€Ceremony€(The€Celebration€of€the€Longest€RoyalĻEnthronement€Anniversary)€and€the€Celebration€of€His€Majesty€the€King's€60th€birthday.ĢĢThe€decision€of€the€Council€of€Mahidol€University€gave€birth€to€the€Royal€Project€for€the€use€of€computerĻtechnology€in€the€study€and€research€of€the€Tipitaka€with€Prof.€Dr.€Nath€Phamornparvat,€the€ChancellorĻof€the€University€Chairman,€Venerable€Phra€Thepvedi€as€advisor€and€Mahidol€University€ComputingĻCenter€headed€by€Dr.€Supachai€Tangwongsan€as€the€task€force.Š Ø#$ ? ЇThe€data€contained€in€the€BUDSIR€database€can€be€divided€into€2€categories.€Firstly,€the€Pali€Tipitaka€inĻRomanized€form€that€was€thoroughly€transliterated€and€utterly€verified€from€the€45€volumes€of€TipitakaĻThai€script€by€a€Pali€expert.€Secondly,€the€55-volume€Atthakatha,€texts€used€in€Thai-Pali€examinationsĻand€two€essential€scriptures:€ņņMilindapanhaóó€and€ņņBhikkhu€Patimokkhapalióó.Š  ŠĢĢą@ż HąBUDSIR€IV€--€Features€SummaryˆĢą@Ė Ią~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢĢą@z CąSeveral€Efficient€Search€MethodologiesˆĢą@p Hą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢBUDSIR€features€2€efficient€search€methods.€Users€are€able€to€launch€a€search€using€word/phraseĻkeyword€or€using€volume/page/item€indicator.ĢĢą@Ö LąDual€Windows€DisplayˆĢą@æ Mą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢBUDSIR€independently€displays€Tipitaka€and€Atthakatha€in€separate€windows.€Users€are€able€toĻfreehandedly€select€which€window€to€display€which€manuscript.ĢĢą@é@ąWorking€brilliantly€in€graphical€environmentˆĢą@¹Eą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢBUDSIR€completely€runs€in€graphics€mode€display;€definitely€no€need€to€modify€the€video€graphicĻadapter€to€display€the€characters.ĢĢą@z FąPull-Down€Menus€and€Mouse€SupportˆĢą@Q Gą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢAny€features€can€be€accessed€using€hot-key,€pull-down€menus€or€a€mouse.ĢĢą@/ RąPrintingˆĢą@š Rą~~~~~~~~ˆĢBUDSIR€supports€every€de€facto€standard€9-pin€and€24-pin€dot-matrix€printer€and€also€Canon€LBP-8IIĻlaser€printer.ĢĢĢą@° PąRequirementsˆĢą@• Qą~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢĢBUDSIR€essentially€needs€equipment€with€the€following€specification.ĢĢ€€€1.€BUDSIR€runs€on€the€IBM€PC,€AT,€PS/2€computers,€and€trueĢ€€€€€€compatibles€using€Intel-based€80386,€80486€microprocessors.Ģ€€€2.€At€least€2€MB€of€RAMsĢ€€€3.€A€super-VGA€color€graphic€adapter€and€a€matching€monitorĢ€€€4.€A€hard€drive€or€optical€disk€with€capacity€not€less€than€250€MBĢ€€€5.€A€keyboard€and€a€Microsoft€compatible€mouse.Ģ€€€6.€A€floppy€disk€driveĢ€€€7.€MS-DOS€version€4€or€higherĢĢĢą@ AąWhat€will€be€included€in€the€next€version€?ˆĢą@×Eą~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ˆĢĢSeveral€enhancements€are€planned€to€be€included€in€the€next€version€of€BUDSIR.ĢĢ€€€1.€BUDSIR€database€using€CD-ROM€technology€with€on-the-fly€dataĢ€€€€€€compression€and€encryption.Ģ€€€2.€BUDSIR€on€WINDOWS€3.1€platform.Ģ€€€3.€VOICE€support€for€Pali€pronunciation.ĢĢĢQuestions€and€comments€are€very€welcome€and€can€be€forwarded€to:ĢĢDr.€Supachai€TangwongsanŠ ŗ#6 > ŠDirector€of€Mahidol€University€Computing€CenterĢMahidol€UniversityĢBangkok,€ThailandĢĢEmail€:€ccstw@mucc.mahidol.ac.thĢĢĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ńcńˆĢńcńĢņ ņ[Source:€Snow€Lion€Newsletter,€Winter€1994,€p.9]ó óŠ 1­  ŠĢĢą@%CąDIALING€FOR€DHARMA€IN€THE€COMPUTER€AGEˆĢĢĢThe€Bodhi-Line,€a€new€telephone€information€service€for€the€computer€age,€went€on-line€in€October,Ļproviding€the€general€public€with€a€means€to€find€out€about€New€York€area€Buddhist€centers.€The€tapedĻmessage€includes€the€centers'€locations,€schedules€of€classes€and€meditation€sessions,€and€a€list€of€books,Ļtapes€and€other€materials€available.€In€addition,€Bodhi-Line€will€refer€callers€to€bookshops€and€mail-orderĻpublishers€of€Dharma€material.ĢĢAll€that€is€required€to€use€the€service€is€a€touch-tone€phone.€ĢĢ"Our€aim€is€to€give€a€person€every€opportunity€to€find€out€about€the€wealth€of€Buddhist€learningĻavailable€in€New€York,"€says€Michael€Wick,€founder€and€operator€of€Bodhi-Line.€"We're€using€some€ofĻthe€most€up-to-date€technology€available€for€information€services."ĢĢHe€said€that€an€additional€feature€of€the€Bodhi-Line€is€to€provide€information€via€fax.€It€will€also€beĻredirecting€useful€information€such€as€notable€articles€being€carried€on€electronic€bulletin€boards€andĻe-mail€services€and€other€sources.€People€who€don't€have€a€fax€machine€can€receive€printouts€by€mail.ĢĢBodhi-Line€has€permission€from€publishers,€including€Wisdom,€Snow€Lion,€and€Dharma€Publishing,€toĻreproduce€parts€of€books,€including€covers,€tables€of€contents€and€introductions.€In€addition,€there€areĻalso€taped€lectures€and€computer€clip€art€available.€Actual€excerpts€of€lectures€can€be€heard€on€theĻBodhi-Line€by€pressing€the€appropriate€number.ĢĢAll€services€offered€by€the€Bodhi-Line€are€free€of€charge.ĢĢThe€Bodhi-Line€number€is€(212)€677-9354.ĢĢFor€more€information€about€Bodhi-Line,€contact€Michael€Wick€at€Buddhist€Information€Service€of€NewĻYork,€331€E€5th€Street,€New€York,€NY€10003.€Tel:€(212)€777-3745.€Fax€&€voice€mail:€(212)€677-9354.ĢĢĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢ€ą@ęBąBUDDHIST€NEWCOMERS€IN€THE€ALT.*€HIERARCHYˆŠ ję. ŠĢalt.zenĢalt.philosophy.zenĢĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢą@ KąBUDDHIST€DISCUSSION€MUDˆĢĢA€MUD€(Multi-User€Domain)€is€an€online€Role€Playing€game€that€allows€multiple€players€to€interact€inĻthe€same€game€in€more-or-less€"real€time."€€Each€player€constructs€an€online€character€and€uses€EnglishĻcommands€("go€right",€"pick€up€book",€etc)€to€interact€with€other€players.€MOOs€are€object-orientedĻMUDs.ĢĢMichael€Moriarty€reported€in€ņņsoc.religion.easternóó€that€he€had€created€his€own€virtual€space€with€a€BuddhistŠ °",< Štheme€in€LambdaMOO.€He€calls€it€"DharmaDebateHall":€€"This€is€a€tranquil€setting€where€all€MOO€isĻwelcome€to€meditate€or€join€in€mindful€conversation."€DharmaDebateHall€is€not€open€at€all€times,€butŠ ŗ#6 > ŠMr.€Moriarty€says€that€he€is€often€there€during€evenings,€Central€Standard€time,€and€would€welcomeĻdeveloping€group€discussions.ĢĢTo€access€DharmaDebateHall,€telnet€to€'lambda.parc.xerox.com'€at€port€8888.€On€most€systems,€theĻcommand€would€be:Ģ€€€telnet€lambda.parc.xerox.com€8888ĢĢFor€further€information,€e-mail:€€Moriarty@vm1.nodak.eduĢĢĢŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd >ߊ ¶2  ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹ÓP‹Żą@t MąŻ  Ż{5}€CONFERENCE€NEWSŻƒ¹ÓP‹Ž‹݌ˆŠ K Ē  ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd >ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ ‡  ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  fvŒŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  fvŒ5݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  ŻĢĢą@b?ąENVISIONING€TIBET:€A€Conference€of€TibetanistsˆĢą@ūAąHeld€in€Melbourne€Australia,€February€1994ˆĢĢĢTibetan€studies€in€Australia€has€come€of€age.ĢĢAustralian€scholars€of€Tibetan€culture€convened€a€conference€in€February,€where€they€made€the€welcomeĻdiscovery€that€there€is€more€research€underway€than€most€people€realized.€Of€the€40€scholars€attendingĻthe€two€day€"Envisioning€Tibet"€conference€in€Melbourne,€17€presented€papers.ĢĢTopics€of€original€research€were€broad,€embracing€history,€philosophy,€art,€music,€linguistics€andĻcontemporary€issues.€Karma€Phuntsok,€a€Master's€graduate€from€Jawarhalal€Nehru€University,€presentedĻa€paper€on€the€linguistics€of€evidentiality€in€Tibetan.€The€Tibetanist€accompanying€the€two€officialĻAustralian€Parliamentary€Human€Rights€delegations€to€China€and€Tibet,€Kevin€Garrett,€presented€aĻcareful€analysis€of€human€rights€in€the€Dharamsala€magazine€ņņShes-byaóó€and€the€Beijing€magazine€ņņKrung-goŠ    Š'i€bod-ljongsóó.Š Ž! ŠĢThe€impact€of€modernity€on€Tibetan€communities€was€examined€in€several€papers,€including€ElizabethĻStutchbury,€whose€anthropological€field€work€in€Karzha€will€soon€be€published;€Keith€Richmond'sĻhistory€of€Bon€in€exile;€Mark€Stevenson's€fieldwork€among€Amdo€artists,€Gabriel€Lafitte€on€theĻTibetanness€of€Sikkim,€and€a€group€presentation€on€the€problems€of€Australian€aid€projects€in€Tibet.ĢĢProfessor€William€Newell€compared€pastoralism€amongst€Western€Tibetans€and€Gaddi€shepherds€inĻIndia.€Span€Henna€depicted€the€Nakhi,€close€neighbors€of€the€Tibetans.ĢĢDiana€Cousens€recovered€the€religious€significance€of€Phagpa's€conversion€of€Kubilai€Khan,€rescuing€itĻfrom€those€western€historians€who€seek€only€political€explanations€for€religious€events.€ContemporaryĻwork€songs€were€presented€by€Elaine€Dobson,€a€composer€sensitive€to€the€wider€sound€environment€inĻwhich€the€songs€are€sung,€and€their€uses€in€sharing€workload.ĢĢAncient€ņņtog€chaóó€and€their€uses€were€vividly€presented€by€David€Templeman.€The€places€of€the€Potala€inŠ ŻY0 Šwestern€fantasy€over€two€centuries€was€Peter€Bishop's€subject,€while€McComas€Taylor€offered€a€spiritedĻreading€of€traditional€popular€Tibetan€histories,€as€a€way€of€appreciating€the€shrewdness,€intelligence€andĻhumor€so€valued€in€Tibetan€culture.ĢĢMajor€philosophical€traditions€which€are€as€yet€little€known€in€the€west€were€discussed€by€DeidreĻCollings€in€her€paper€on€Mahamudra,€Jon€Mason€on€Buddhism€and€cognitive€science,€and€Peter€FennerĻon€adapting€Madhyamika€logic€to€practical€programs€for€people€suffering€from€conflicting€beliefs.€A€fewĻscholars€were€unable€to€attend.ĢĢThe€number€of€Australians€doing€useful€research€in€Tibet,€and€the€number€able€to€read€and€write€TibetanĻis€growing€steadily.€Tibetan€studies€is€thriving€in€Australia,€despite€limited€institutional€support.ĢĢFurther€conferences€are€to€be€held€every€two€years,€and€conference€papers€will€be€published€in€oneĻvolume.ĢŠ Ø#$ ? ŠThe€conference€was€collaborative,€supportive€and€constructive,€without€the€competitiveness€whichĻbedevils€large€academic€conferences.€ĢĢFor€further€details€of€Tibetan€studies€in€Australia,€please€contact€Gabriel€Lafitte,€Box€1091,€Collingwood,ĻVictoria€3066,€Australia.€Phone€(+613)€417-5953.ĢĢĢĢŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd>ߊ ¬( ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹Ó”šŻą@4 QąŻ  Ż{6}€LETTERSŻƒ¹Ó”š/›݌ˆŠ A½  ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd>ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ } ł  ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  fæ›ŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  fæ›~œ݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  Żņ ņ[Source:€CanTibNet€Newsletter,€94/03/06€15:30€GMT]ó óŠ 3 Æ ŠĢĢą@ JąSAY€NO!€TO€CHINESE€GOODSˆĢĢĢFor€more€than€forty€years,€the€formerly€sovereign€country€of€Tibet€has€been€controlled€and€occupied€byĻthe€Chinese€communist€government.€Tibetans€have€been€starved,€imprisoned,€tortured,€and€executed;Ļmore€than€1.2€million€Tibetans€have€died€as€a€result€of€Chinese€oppression.€Six€thousand€TibetanĻmonasteries,€nunneries,€and€centers€of€learning€have€been€devastated,€and€60€percent€of€Tibet's€literatureĻhas€been€destroyed€by€the€Chinese€communists.€Tibetans€are€being€arrested€and€thrown€into€jail€merelyĻfor€displaying€their€flag.€Now€China's€leaders€have€set€out€to€eliminate€the€Tibetan€national€and€culturalĻidentity€by€a€policy€of€population€transfer€designed€to€make€Tibetans€a€minority€in€their€own€country.ĢĢAs€this€policy€of€repression€has€continued,€China€has€become€a€major€exporter€of€goods€to€the€U.S.€HaveĻyou€looked€at€the€labels€of€items€you€purchased€recently?€Many€billions€of€dollars€worth€of€goods€comeĻfrom€China,€whose€communist€government€denies€fundamental€human€rights€to€both€Tibetans€and€itsĻown€people.€When€you€buy€holiday€decorations,€look€at€where€they€are€made€ńgńš"šńgń€do€you€want€such€aĻrepressive€regime€represented€in€your€home?€Do€you€want€toys€and€other€holiday€presents€for€yourĻchildren€to€bear€the€stigma€of€this€regime?€€Do€you€want€to€wear€clothing€and€use€sporting€goods€thatĻproclaim€on€their€ņņMade€In€Chinaóó€labels€their€identification€with€such€source?€Š —" ŠĢWe€believe€that€the€time€has€come€to€NO!€to€Chinese€goods,€until€the€Chinese€leaders€grant€freedom€andĻindependence€to€the€Tibetans.€Just€as€in€South€Africa,€it€will€take€economic€pressure€to€get€the€messageĻacross€to€greedy€political€leaders€that€their€policies€of€aggression€and€repression€are€unacceptable€andĻmust€be€changed.€Just€as€Mandela€and€de€Klerk€have€received€the€Nobel€Peace€Prize€for€their€work€inĻimproving€the€South€African€situation,€we€want€a€leader€of€China€to€receive€a€Nobel€prize€for€grantingĻfreedom€to€Tibet€and€the€Tibetans.€The€Dalai€Lama€of€Tibet€already€has€received€this€prize€for€his€workĻtoward€world€peace;€now€it's€time€for€the€Chinese€to€have€an€enlightened€leader.ĢĢTo€help€the€cause€of€Tibetan€independence,€we€request€that€you€send€a€copy€of€this€letter€to€ten€of€yourĻfriends.€The€Chinese€communist€government€has€poured€millions€of€dollars€into€a€theme€park€in€FloridaĻdesigned€to€deceive€the€American€people€about€its€role€in€Tibet.€We€do€not€have€the€resources€to€launchĻa€mass€media€campaign€in€support€of€the€Tibetan€cause.€But€just€ten€rounds€of€this€letter€will€bring€thisĻmessage€to€millions€of€people€in€the€U.S.€and€elsewhere.€Please€participate€in€keeping€the€chain€unbrokenĻš"š€this€act€of€compassion€is€sure€to€bring€great€merit€to€you.ĢĢą@U7ąT.I.B.E.T.€Alliance,€P.O.€Box€3474€Santa€Monica,€CA€90408-3474ˆĢĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢą@ś LąBringing€Out€the€BestˆĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢ[...]€this€just€happens€to€be€one€of€those€times€when€I'm€filled€with€great€gratitude€for€all€you've€done€forĻthe€sake€of€bringing€the€Dharma€to€the€electronic€world.€I'm€constantly€amazed€by€the€level€of€respectĻand€care€that's€been€manifest€in€many€of€the€e-mail€messages€I've€been€getting€lately€from€new€users,€oldĻusers,€Internet€folks...€The€Dharma€truly€brings€out€the€best€in€people,€and€it's€a€great€joy€to€taste€that€joyĻwhen€sitting€at€the€dumb€ol'€video€screen!€So€thank€you!ĢĢą€vnąJohn€Bullitt€ˆŠ Ø#$ ? Їą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢą@H HąDistribution€Format€of€ņņGasshš„šóóˆŠ  … Šą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢGreetings€from€Finland!ĢĢI€am€wondering€if€Dharmanet€could€distribute€ņņGasshš„šóó€in€postscript€format,€with€magazine-like€layout.€IŠ ¢ Šhave€understood€you€already€now€distribute€ņņGasshš„šóó€in€printed€form,€so€it€might€not€be€much€more€effortŠ '£ Što€print€it€just€as€plain€PS-file.€ĢĢThe€benefits€would€be€clear.€The€magazine€would€more€readable€and€more€easily€accepted.€More€peopleĻwould€read€it€and€the€temptation€to€throw€it€away€after€reading€once€would€be€less.€With€suitableĻcover-page€and€two-sided€printing,€people€would€immediately€understand€immediately€what€it€is€allĻabout!ĢĢI€understand€that€one€cannot€want€too€much€from€non-profit€distribution.€But€page€numbering,€contentsĻlist,€big€title€in€cover€page,€magazine-like€narrow€columns,€article€titles€and€subtitles€with€clearlyĻseparable€bigger€fonts€would€make€a€tremendous€difference.ĢĢ€ą€ÖrąJarkko€Lavinen€ˆŠ c ß  ŠĢą@Q3ą-----------------------------------------------------------------------ˆĢĢ[Ed.:€Thank€you€for€the€suggestions!€There€may€well€be€a€PS€version€of€ņņGasshš„šóó€in€the€future€(IŠ wó  Šexperimented€with€making€a€WordPerfect€5.1€version€of€ņņGasshš„šóó€available€with€the€last€issue).€I€amŠ üx  Šconstantly€experimenting€with€and€re-evaluating€the€format€of€ņņGasshš„šóó,€and€I€am€very€much€concernedŠ ż  Šwith€finding€a€readable€and€aesthetic€balance€that€is€suitable€to€this€medium.€And€at€the€same€time,€I€feelĻa€commitment€to€working€with€*this*€medium€š"š€ņņGasshš„šóó€is€an€electronic€journal,€not€a€print€journal€thatŠ ‹ Šis€distributed€electronically.€The€hardcopy€version€that€we€distribute€is€produced€as€a€courtesy€to€thoseĻwho€do€not€have€access€to€these€computer€resources€š"š€YET€š"š€but€our€(that€is,€DharmaNet's)€primaryĻaim€is€the€development€of€electronic€resources€to€serve€the€Buddhist€community.]ĢĢĢĢŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd>ߊ .Ŗ" ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹Ó6“Żą@Ū PąŻ  Ż{7}€DIALOGUEŻƒ¹Ó6“Ä“݌ˆŠ Ć?$ ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd>ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ ’{& ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  fUµŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  fUµ¶݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  ŻĢą@N GąTHE€SECOND€PRECEPT:€GENEROSITYˆĢą@ Mąby€Thich€Nhat€HanhˆĢĢĢą8 ° ąņņAware€of€the€suffering€caused€by€exploitation,€social€injustice,€stealing,€and€oppression,€I€vow€toŠ NŹ- Šcultivate€loving€kindness€and€learn€ways€to€work€for€the€well-being€of€people,€animals,€plants,€andĻminerals.€I€vow€to€practice€generosity€by€sharing€my€time,€energy,€and€material€resources€with€thoseĻwho€are€in€real€need.€I€am€determined€not€to€steal€and€not€to€possess€anything€that€should€belong€toĻothers.€I€will€respect€the€property€of€others,€but€I€will€prevent€others€from€profiting€from€humanĻsuffering€or€the€suffering€of€other€species€on€Earth.óóŠēc2°° ŠĢExploitation,€social€injustice,€and€stealing€come€in€many€forms.€Oppression€is€one€form€of€stealing€thatĻcauses€much€suffering€both€here€and€in€the€Third€World.€The€moment€we€vow€to€cultivate€lovingĻkindness,€loving€kindness€is€born€in€us,€and€we€make€every€effort€to€stop€exploitation,€social€injustice,Ļstealing,€and€oppression.ĢĢIn€the€First€Precept,€we€found€the€word€"compassion."€Here,€we€find€the€words€"loving€kindness."ĻCompassion€and€loving€kindness€are€the€two€aspects€of€love€taught€by€the€Buddha.€Compassion,€ņņkarunš]šóóŠ !‹: Šin€Sanskrit€and€Pali,€is€the€intention€and€capacity€to€relieve€the€suffering€of€another€person€or€livingĻbeing.€Loving€kindness,€ņņmaitrš…šóó€in€Sanskrit,€ņņmettš]šóó€in€Pali,€is€the€intention€and€capacity€to€bring€joy€andŠ "•< Šhappiness€to€another€person€or€living€being.€It€was€predicted€by€Shakyamuni€Buddha€that€the€nextĻBuddha€will€bear€the€name€Maitreya,€the€Buddha€of€Love.ĢŠ Ø#$ ? Šņņ"Aware€of€the€suffering€caused€by€exploitation,€social€injustice,€stealing,€and€oppression,€I€vow€to€cultivate€lovingŠ „ Škindness€and€learn€ways€to€work€for€the€well-being€of€people,€animals,€plants€and€minerals."óó€Even€with€maitri€asŠ  … Ša€source€of€energy€in€ourselves,€we€still€need€to€learn€to€look€deeply€in€order€to€find€ways€to€express€it.ĻWe€do€it€as€individuals,€and€we€learn€ways€to€do€it€as€a€nation.€To€promote€the€well-being€of€people,Ļanimals,€plants,€and€minerals,€we€have€to€come€together€as€a€community€and€examine€our€situation,Ļexercising€our€intelligence€and€our€ability€to€look€deeply€so€that€we€can€discover€appropriate€ways€toĻexpress€our€maitri€in€the€midst€of€real€problems.ĢĢSuppose€you€want€to€help€those€who€are€suffering€under€a€dictatorship.€In€the€past€you€may€have€triedĻsending€in€troops€to€overthrow€their€government,€but€you€have€learned€that€when€doing€that,€you€causeĻthe€deaths€of€many€innocent€people,€and€even€then,€you€might€not€overthrow€the€dictator.€If€you€practiceĻlooking€more€deeply,€with€loving€kindness,€to€find€a€better€way€to€help€these€people€without€causingĻsuffering,€you€may€realize€that€the€best€time€to€help€is€before€the€country€falls€into€the€hands€of€aĻdictator.€If€you€offer€the€young€people€of€that€country€the€opportunity€to€learn€your€democratic€ways€ofĻgoverning€by€giving€them€scholarships€to€come€to€your€country,€that€would€be€a€good€investment€forĻpeace€in€the€future.€If€you€had€done€that€thirty€years€ago,€the€other€country€might€be€democratic€now,Ļand€you€would€not€have€to€bomb€them€or€send€in€troops€to€"liberate"€them.€This€is€just€one€example€ofĻhow€looking€deeply€and€learning€can€help€us€find€ways€to€do€things€that€are€more€in€line€with€lovingĻkindness.€If€we€wait€until€the€situation€gets€bad,€it€may€be€too€late.€If€we€practice€the€precepts€togetherĻwith€politicians,€soldiers,€businessmen,€lawyers,€legislators,€artists,€writers,€and€teachers,€we€can€find€theĻbest€ways€to€practice€compassion,€loving€kindness,€and€understanding.ĢĢIt€requires€time€to€practice€generosity.€We€may€want€to€help€those€who€are€hungry,€but€we€are€caught€inĻthe€problems€of€our€own€daily€lives.€Sometimes,€one€pill€or€a€little€rice€could€save€the€life€of€a€child,€butĻwe€do€not€take€the€time€to€help,€because€we€think€we€do€not€have€the€time.€In€Ho€Chi€Minh€City,€forĻexample,€there€are€street€children€who€call€themselves€"the€dust€of€life."€They€are€homeless,€and€theyĻwander€the€streets€by€day€and€sleep€under€trees€at€night.€They€scavenge€in€garbage€heaps€to€find€thingsĻlike€plastic€bags€they€can€sell€for€one€or€two€cents€per€pound.€The€nuns€and€monks€in€Ho€Chi€MinhĢCity€have€opened€their€temples€to€these€children,€and€if€the€children€agree€to€stay€four€hours€in€theĻmorning€š"š€learning€to€read€and€write€and€playing€with€the€monks€and€nuns€š"š€they€are€offered€aĻvegetarian€lunch.€Then€they€can€go€to€the€Buddha€hall€for€a€nap.€(In€Vietnam,€we€always€take€naps€afterĻlunch;€it€is€so€hot.€When€the€Americans€came,€they€brought€their€practice€of€working€eight€hours,€fromĻnine€to€five.€Many€of€us€tried,€but€we€could€not€do€it.€We€desperately€need€our€naps€after€lunch.)ĢĢThen€at€two€o'clock,€there€is€more€teaching€and€playing€with€the€children,€and€the€children€who€stay€forĻthe€afternoon€receive€dinner.€The€temple€does€not€have€a€place€for€them€to€sleep€overnight.€In€ourĻcommunity€in€France,€we€have€been€supporting€these€nuns€and€monks.€It€costs€only€twenty€cents€for€aĻchild€to€have€both€lunch€and€dinner,€and€it€will€keep€him€from€being€out€on€the€streets,€where€he€mightĻsteal€cigarettes,€smoke,€use€delinquent€language,€and€learn€the€worst€behavior.€By€encouraging€theĻchildren€to€go€to€the€temple,€we€help€prevent€them€from€becoming€delinquent€and€entering€prison€laterĻon.€It€takes€time€to€help€these€children,€not€much€money.€There€are€so€many€simple€things€like€this€weĻcan€do€to€help€people,€but€because€we€cannot€free€ourselves€from€our€situation€and€our€lifestyle,€we€doĻnothing€at€all.€We€need€to€come€together€as€a€community,€and,€looking€deeply,€find€ways€to€freeĻourselves€so€we€can€practice€the€Second€Precept.ĢĢņņ"I€vow€to€practice€generosity€by€sharing€my€time,€energy,€and€material€resources€with€those€who€are€in€real€need."óóŠ åa- ŠThis€sentence€is€clear.€The€feeling€of€generosity€and€the€capacity€for€being€generous€are€not€enough.€WeĻalso€need€to€express€our€generosity.€We€may€feel€that€we€don't€have€the€time€to€make€people€happy€š"šĻwe€say,€"Time€is€money,"€but€time€is€more€than€money.€Life€is€for€more€than€using€time€to€make€money.ĻTime€is€for€being€alive,€for€sharing€joy€and€happiness€with€others.€The€wealthy€are€often€the€least€able€toĻmake€others€happy.€Only€those€with€time€can€do€so.ĢĢI€know€a€man€named€Bac€Siu€in€Thua€Thin€Province€in€Vietnam,€who€has€been€practicing€generosityĻfor€fifty€years;€he€is€a€living€ņņbodhisattvaóó.€With€only€a€bicycle,€he€visits€villages€of€thirteen€provinces,Š  ‰5 Šbringing€something€for€this€family€and€something€for€that€family.€When€I€met€him€in€1965,€I€was€a€littleĻtoo€proud€of€our€School€of€Youth€for€Social€Service.€We€had€begun€to€train€three€hundred€workers,Ļincluding€monks€and€nuns,€to€go€out€to€rural€villages€to€help€people€rebuild€homes€and€modernize€localĻeconomies,€health-care€systems,€and€education.€Eventually€we€had€ten€thousand€workersĢthroughout€the€country.€As€I€was€telling€Bac€Siu€about€our€projects,€I€was€looking€at€his€bicycle€andĻthinking€that€with€a€bicycle€he€could€help€only€a€few€people.€But€when€the€communists€took€over€andĻclosed€our€School,€Bac€Siu€continued,€because€his€way€of€working€was€formless.€Our€orphanages,Ļdispensaries,€schools,€and€resettlement€centers€were€all€shut€down€or€taken€by€the€government.ĻThousands€of€our€workers€had€to€stop€their€work€and€hide.€But€Bac€Siu€had€nothing€to€take.€He€was€aŠ ŗ#6 > Štruly€a€bodhisattva,€working€for€the€well-being€of€others.€I€feel€more€humble€now€concerning€the€ways€ofĻpracticing€generosity.ĢĢThe€war€created€many€thousands€of€orphans.€Instead€of€raising€money€to€build€orphanages,€we€soughtĻpeople€in€the€West€to€sponsor€a€child.€We€found€families€in€the€villages€to€each€take€care€of€one€orphan,Ļthen€we€sent€$6€every€month€to€that€family€to€feed€the€child€and€send€him€or€her€to€school.€WheneverĻpossible,€we€tried€to€place€the€child€in€the€family€of€an€aunt,€an€uncle,€or€a€grandparent.€With€just€$6,€theĻchild€was€fed€and€sent€to€school,€and€the€rest€of€the€children€in€the€family€were€also€helped.€ChildrenĻbenefit€from€growing€up€in€a€family.€Being€in€an€orphanage€can€be€like€being€in€the€army€š"š€children€doĻnot€grow€up€naturally.€If€we€look€for€and€learn€ways€to€practice€generosity,€we€will€improve€all€the€time.ĢĢņņ"I€am€determined€not€to€steal€and€not€to€possess€anything€that€should€belong€to€others.€I€will€respect€the€propertyŠ ; ·  Šof€others,€but€I€will€prevent€others€from€profiting€from€human€suffering€or€the€suffering€of€other€species€on€Earth."óóŠ Ą <  ŠWhen€you€practice€one€precept€deeply,€you€will€discover€that€you€are€practicing€all€five.€The€FirstĻPrecept€is€about€taking€life,€which€is€a€form€of€stealing€š"š€stealing€the€most€precious€thing€someone€has,Ļhis€or€her€life.€When€we€meditate€on€the€Second€Precept,€we€see€that€stealing,€in€the€forms€ofĻexploitation,€social€injustice,€and€oppression,€are€acts€of€killing€š"š€killing€slowly€by€exploitation,€byĻmaintaining€social€injustice,€and€by€political€and€economic€oppression.€Therefore,€the€Second€Precept€hasĻmuch€to€do€with€the€precept€of€not€killing.€We€see€the€"interbeing"€nature€of€the€first€two€precepts.€ThisĻis€true€of€all€Five€Precepts.€Some€people€formally€receive€just€one€or€two€precepts.€I€didn't€mind,€becauseĻif€you€practice€one€or€two€precepts€deeply,€all€Five€Precepts€will€be€observed.ĢĢThe€Second€Precept€is€not€to€steal.€Instead€of€stealing,€exploiting,€or€oppressing,€we€practice€generosity.ĻIn€Buddhism,€we€say€there€are€three€kinds€of€gifts.€The€first€is€the€gift€of€material€resources.€The€secondĻis€to€help€people€rely€on€themselves,€to€offer€them€the€technology€and€know-how€to€stand€on€their€ownĻfeet.€Helping€people€with€the€Dharma€so€they€can€transform€their€fear,€anger,€and€depression€belongs€toĻthe€second€kind€of€gift.€The€third€is€the€gift€of€non-fear.€We€are€afraid€of€many€things.€We€feel€insecure,Ļafraid€of€being€alone,€afraid€of€sickness€and€dying.€To€help€people€not€be€destroyed€by€their€fears,€weĻpractice€the€third€kind€of€gift-giving.€ĢĢThe€Bodhisattva€Avalokitesvara€is€someone€who€practices€this€extremely€well.€In€the€ņņHeart€Sutraóó,€heŠ – Šteaches€us€the€way€to€transform€and€transcend€fear€and€ride€on€the€waves€of€birth€and€death,€smiling.€HeĻsays€that€there€is€no€production,€no€destruction,€no€being,€no€nonbeing,€no€increasing,€and€no€decreasing.ĻHearing€this€helps€us€look€deeply€into€the€nature€of€reality€to€see€that€birth€and€death,€being€andĻnonbeing,€coming€and€going,€increasing€and€decreasing€are€all€just€ideas€that€we€ascribe€to€reality,€whileĻreality€transcends€all€concepts.€When€we€realize€the€interbeing€nature€of€all€things€š"š€that€even€birth€andĻdeath€are€just€concepts€š"š€we€transcend€fear.€ĢĢIn€1991,€I€visited€a€friend€in€New€York€who€was€dying,€Alfred€Hassler.€We€had€worked€together€in€theĻpeace€movement€for€almost€thirty€years.€Alfred€looked€as€though€he€had€been€waiting€for€me€to€comeĻbefore€dying,€and€he€died€only€a€few€hours€after€our€visit.€I€went€with€my€closest€colleague,€Sister€Ch nĻKhš=šng€(True€Emptiness).ĢĢAlfred€was€not€awake€when€we€arrived.€His€daughter€Laura€tried€to€wake€him€up,€but€she€couldn't.€So€IĻasked€Sister€Ch n€Khš=šng€to€sing€Alfred€the€ņņSong€of€No€Coming€and€No€Goingóó:€"These€eyes€are€not€me,€IŠ `Ü, Šam€not€caught€by€these€eyes.€This€body€is€not€me,€I€am€not€caught€by€this€body.€I€am€life€withoutĻboundaries.€I€have€never€been€born,€I€will€never€die."€The€idea€is€taken€from€the€ņņSamyutta€Nikayaóó.€SheŠ ję. Šsang€so€beautifully,€and€I€saw€streams€of€tears€running€down€the€faces€of€Alfred's€wife€and€children.ĻThey€were€tears€of€understanding,€and€they€were€very€healing.ĢĢSuddenly,€Alfred€came€back€to€himself.€Sister€Ch n€Khš=šng€began€to€practice€what€she€had€learned€fromĻstudying€the€sutra€ņņThe€Teaching€Given€to€the€Sickóó.€She€said,€"Alfred,€do€you€remember€the€times€weŠ 3 Šworked€together?"€She€evoked€many€happy€memories€we€had€shared€together,€and€Alfred€was€able€toĻremember€each€of€them.€Although€he€was€obviously€in€pain,€he€smiled.€This€practice€brought€resultsĻright€away.€When€a€person€is€suffering€from€so€much€physical€pain,€we€sometimes€can€alleviate€hisĻsuffering€by€watering€the€seeds€of€happiness€that€are€in€him.€A€kind€of€balance€is€restored,€and€he€willĢfeel€less€pain.ĢĢAll€the€while,€I€was€practicing€massage€on€his€feet,€and€I€asked€him€whether€he€felt€my€hand€on€hisĻbody.€When€you€are€dying,€areas€of€your€body€become€numb,€and€you€feel€as€if€you€have€lost€thoseĻparts€of€your€body.€Doing€massage€in€mindfulness,€gently,€gives€the€dying€person€the€feeling€that€he€isĻalive€and€being€cared€for.€He€knows€that€love€is€there.€Alfred€nodded,€and€his€eyes€seemed€to€say,€"Yes,€IĻfeel€your€hands.€I€know€my€foot€is€there."Š ŗ#6 > ЇSister€Ch n€Khš=šng€asked,€"Do€you€know€we€learned€a€lot€from€you€when€we€lived€and€worked€together?ĻThe€work€you€began,€many€of€us€are€continuing€to€do.€Please€don't€worry€about€anything."€She€told€himĻmany€things€like€that,€and€he€seemed€to€suffer€less.€At€one€point,€he€opened€his€mouth€and€said,Ļ"Wonderful,€wonderful."€Then,€he€sank€back€to€sleep.ĢĢBefore€we€left,€we€encouraged€the€family€to€continue€these€practices.€The€next€day€I€learned€that€AlfredĻpassed€away€just€five€hours€after€our€visit.€This€was€a€kind€of€gift€that€belongs€to€the€third€category.€IfĻyou€can€help€people€feel€safe,€less€afraid€of€life,€people,€and€death,€you€are€practicing€the€third€kind€ofĻgift.ĢĢDuring€my€meditation,€I€had€a€wonderful€image€š"š€the€shape€of€a€wave,€its€beginning€and€its€end.€WhenĻconditions€are€sufficient,€we€perceive€the€wave,€and€when€conditions€are€no€longer€sufficient,€we€do€notĻperceive€the€wave.€Waves€are€only€made€of€water.€We€cannot€label€the€wave€as€existing€or€nonexisting.ĻAfter€what€we€call€the€death€of€the€wave,€nothing€is€gone,€nothing€is€lost.€The€wave€has€been€absorbedĻinto€other€waves,€and€somehow,€time€will€bring€the€wave€back€again.€There€is€no€increasing,€decreasing,Ļbirth,€or€death.€When€we€are€dying,€if€we€think€that€everyone€else€is€alive€and€we€are€the€onlyĢperson€dying,€our€feeling€of€loneliness€may€be€unbearable.€But€if€we€are€able€to€visualize€hundreds€ofĻthousands€of€people€dying€with€us,€our€dying€may€become€serene€and€even€joyful.€"I€am€dying€inĻcommunity.€Millions€of€living€beings€are€also€dying€in€this€very€moment.€I€see€myself€together€withĻmillions€of€other€living€beings;€we€die€in€the€Sangha.€At€the€same€time,€millions€of€beings€are€coming€toĻlife.€All€of€us€are€doing€this€together.€I€have€been€born,€I€am€dying.€We€participate€in€the€whole€event€asĻa€Sangha."€That€is€what€I€saw€in€my€meditation.€In€the€ņņHeart€Sutraóó,€Avalokitesvara€shares€this€kind€ofŠ mé  Šinsight€and€helps€us€transcend€fear,€sorrow,€and€pain.€The€gift€of€non-fear€brings€about€a€transformationĻin€us.ĢĢThe€Second€Precept€is€a€deep€practice.€We€speak€of€time,€energy,€and€material€resources,€but€time€is€notĻonly€for€energy€and€material€resources.€Time€is€for€being€with€others€š"š€being€with€a€dying€person€orĻwith€someone€who€is€suffering.€Being€really€present€for€even€five€minutes€can€be€a€very€important€gift.ĻTime€is€not€just€to€make€money.€It€is€to€produce€the€gift€of€Dharma€and€the€gift€of€non-fear.ĢĢą@A Rą*€*€*€*€*ˆĢĢņ ņTHICH€NHAT€HANHó ó€is€a€Zen€Buddhist€monk,€peace€activist,€scholar,€and€poet.€He€is€the€founder€ofŠ $   Šthe€Van€Hanh€Buddhist€University€in€Saigon,€has€taught€at€Columbia€University€and€the€Sorbonne,€andĻnow€lives€in€southern€France,€where€he€gardens,€works€to€help€those€in€need,€and€travels€internationallyĻteaching€"the€art€of€mindful€living."€Martin€Luther€King,€Jr.,€nominated€him€for€the€Nobel€Peace€Prize€inĻ1967,€saying,€"I€do€not€personally€know€of€anyone€more€worthy€of€the€Nobel€Peace€Prize€than€this€gentleĻmonk€from€Vietnam."ĢĢThis€article€was€excerpted€from€ņņFor€A€Future€To€Be€Possible:€Commentaries€on€the€Five€Wonderful€Precepts€óóbyŠ ĒC' ŠThich€Nhat€Hanh,€and€others,€with€the€kind€permission€of€Parallax€Press,€Berkeley,€CA,€1993.€TheĻchapters€on€the€remaining€three€precepts€will€appear€in€subsequent€issues€of€ņņGasshš„šóó.Š ŃM) ŠThe€preceding€two€issues€of€ņņGasshš„š€óóincluded€the€first€chapters€of€this€series.Š VŅ* ŠĢŻ‚¹Ó’Żß>€' °°xd>ߊ `Ü, ŠĢŌ€ĀlüĀS,,lüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚¹Ó÷Żą@/ QąŻ  Ż{8}€ARTICLEŻƒ¹Ó÷ž÷݌ˆŠ õq. ЌŌ€,lü ,ŲĀĀlüŌŻ  ŻŻ‚  f’ŻĢß>€' °°hd>ßŌ€,lü ,S,,lüŌŌ€lü S,,lüŌÓÓŠ 1­0 ŠŻ  ŻŻ‚  f.ųŻŻ  ŻŻƒ  f.ųķų݌̌Ō€lü ĪlüŌŌ€,lü ,ΐlüŌÓÓŻ  Żņ ņCopyright€1992,€Howard€Rheingoldó óŠ ēc2 ŠĢĢĢą@XCąA€SLICE€OF€LIFE€IN€MY€VIRTUAL€COMMUNITYˆĢą@ė Mąby€Howard€RheingoldˆĢĢĢĢI'm€a€writer,€so€I€spend€a€lot€of€time€alone€in€a€room€with€my€words€and€my€thoughts.€On€occasion,€IĻventure€outside€to€interview€people€or€to€find€information.€After€work,€I€reenter€the€human€community,Ļvia€my€family,€my€neighborhood,€my€circle€of€acquaintances.€But€that€regime€left€me€feeling€isolated€andĻlonely€during€the€working€day,€with€few€opportunities€to€expand€my€circle€of€friends.€For€the€past€sevenĻyears,€however,€I€have€participated€in€a€wide-ranging,€intellectually€stimulating,€professionallyŠ Ø#$ ? Šrewarding,€sometimes€painful,€and€often€intensely€emotional€ongoing€interchange€with€dozens€of€newĻfriends,€hundreds€of€colleagues,€thousands€of€acquaintances.€And€I€still€spend€many€of€my€days€in€aĻroom,€physically€isolated.€My€mind,€however,€is€linked€with€a€worldwide€collection€of€like-minded€(andĻnot€so€like-minded)€souls:€My€virtual€community.ĢĢVirtual€communities€emerged€from€a€surprising€intersection€of€humanity€and€technology.€When€theĻubiquity€of€the€world€telecommunications€network€is€combined€with€the€information-structuring€andĻstoring€capabilities€of€computers,€a€new€communication€medium€becomes€possible.€As€we've€learnedĻfrom€the€history€of€the€telephone,€radio,€television,€people€can€adopt€new€communication€media€andĻredesign€their€way€of€life€with€surprising€rapidity.€Computers,€modems,€and€communication€networksĻfurnish€the€technological€infrastructure€of€computer-mediated€communication€(CMC);€cyberspace€is€theĻconceptual€space€where€words€and€human€relationships,€data€and€wealth€and€power€are€manifested€byĻpeople€using€CMC€technology;€virtual€communities€are€cultural€aggregations€that€emerge€when€enoughĻpeople€bump€into€each€other€often€enough€in€cyberspace.ĢĢA€virtual€community€as€they€exist€today€is€a€group€of€people€who€may€or€may€not€meet€one€another€faceĻto€face,€and€who€exchange€words€and€ideas€through€the€mediation€of€computer€bulletin€boards€andĻnetworks.€In€cyberspace,€we€chat€and€argue,€engage€in€intellectual€intercourse,€perform€acts€of€commerce,Ļexchange€knowledge,€share€emotional€support,€make€plans,€brainstorm,€gossip,€feud,€fall€in€love,€findĻfriends€and€lose€them,€play€games€and€metagames,€flirt,€create€a€little€high€art€and€a€lot€of€idle€talk.€WeĻdo€everything€people€do€when€people€get€together,€but€we€do€it€with€words€on€computer€screens,Ļleaving€our€bodies€behind.€Millions€of€us€have€already€built€communities€where€our€identities€commingleĻand€interact€electronically,€independent€of€local€time€or€location.€The€way€a€few€of€us€live€now€might€beĻthe€way€a€larger€population€will€live,€decades€hence.ĢĢThe€pioneers€are€still€out€there€exploring€the€frontier,€the€borders€of€the€domain€have€yet€to€beĻdetermined,€or€even€the€shape€of€it,€or€the€best€way€to€find€one's€way€in€it.€But€people€are€using€theĻtechnology€of€computer-mediated€communications€(CMC€technology)€to€do€things€with€each€other€thatĻweren't€possible€before.€Human€behavior€in€cyberspace,€as€we€can€observe€it€and€participate€in€it€today,Ļis€going€to€be€a€crucially€important€factor.€The€ways€in€which€people€use€CMC€always€will€be€rooted€inĻhuman€needs,€not€hardware€or€software.€ĢĢIf€the€use€of€virtual€communities€turns€out€to€answer€a€deep€and€compelling€need€in€people,€and€not€justĻsnag€onto€a€human€foible€like€pinball€or€pac-man,€today's€small€online€enclaves€may€grow€into€muchĻlarger€networks€over€the€next€twenty€years.€The€potential€for€social€change€is€a€side-effect€of€theĻtrajectory€of€telecommunications€and€computer€industries,€as€it€can€be€forecast€for€the€next€ten€years.€ThisĻodd€social€revolution€š"š€communities€of€people€who€may€never€or€rarely€meet€face€to€face€š"š€mightĻpiggyback€on€the€technologies€that€the€biggest€telecommunication€companies€already€are€planning€toĢinstall€over€the€next€ten€years.€ĢĢIt€is€possible€that€the€hardware€and€software€of€a€new€global€telecommunications€infrastructure,€orders€ofĻmagnitude€more€powerful€than€today's€state€of€the€art,€now€moving€from€the€laboratories€to€the€market,Ļwill€expand€the€reach€of€this€spaceless€place€throughout€the€1990s€to€a€much€wider€population€thanĻtoday's€hackers,€technologists,€scholars,€students,€and€enthusiasts.€The€age€of€the€online€pioneers€will€endĻsoon,€and€the€cyberspace€settlers€will€come€en-masse.€Telecommuters€who€might€have€thought€they€wereĻjust€working€from€home€and€avoiding€one€day€of€gridlock€on€the€freeway€will€find€themselves€drawnĻinto€a€whole€new€society.€Students€and€scientists€are€already€there,€artists€have€made€significant€inroads,Ļlibrarians€and€educators€have€their€own€pioneers€as€well,€and€political€activists€of€allĢstripes€have€just€begun€to€discover€the€power€of€plugging€a€computer€into€a€telephone.€When€today'sĻmillions€become€tens€and€hundreds€of€millions,€perhaps€billions,€what€kind€of€place,€and€what€kind€ofĻmodel€for€human€behavior€will€they€find?€ĢĢToday's€bedroom€electronic€bulletin€boards,€regional€computer€conferencing€systems,€global€computerĻnetworks€offer€clues€to€what€might€happen€when€more€powerful€enabling€technology€comes€along.€TheĻhardware€for€amplifying€the€computing€and€communication€capacity€of€every€home€on€the€world-grid€isĻin€the€pipeline,€although€the€ultimate€€applications€are€not€yet€clear.€We'll€be€able€to€transfer€the€LibraryĻof€Congress€from€any€point€on€the€globe€to€any€another€point€in€seconds,€upload€and€downloadĻfull-motion€digital€video€at€will.€But€is€that€really€what€people€are€likely€to€do€with€all€that€bandwidthĻand€computing€power?€Some€of€the€answers€have€to€come€from€the€behavioral€rather€than€theĻtechnological€part€of€the€system.€How€will€people€actually€use€the€desktop€supercomputers€andĻmultimedia€telephones€that€the€engineers€tell€us€we'll€have€in€the€near€future.€Ģā āŠ 5#±= ŠOne€possibility€is€that€people€are€going€to€do€what€people€always€do€with€a€new€communicationĻā ātechnology:€use€it€in€ways€never€intended€or€foreseen€by€its€inventors,€to€turn€old€social€codes€inside€outĻand€make€new€kinds€of€communities€possible.€CMC€will€change€us,€and€change€our€culture,€the€wayĻtelephones€and€televisions€and€cheap€video€cameras€changed€us€š"š€by€altering€the€way€we€perceive€andĻcommunicate.€€Virtual€communities€transformed€my€life€profoundly,€years€ago,€and€continue€to€do€so.ĢĢą@ŗ KąA€Cybernaut's€Eye€ViewˆĢĢThe€most€important€clues€to€the€shape€of€the€future€at€this€point€might€not€be€found€in€looking€moreĻclosely€at€the€properties€of€silicon,€but€in€paying€attention€to€the€ways€people€need€to,€fail€to,€and€try€toĻcommunicate€with€one€another.€Right€now,€some€people€are€convinced€that€spending€hours€a€day€inĻfront€of€a€screen,€typing€on€a€keyboard,€fulfills€in€some€way€our€need€for€a€community€of€peers.€WhetherĻwe€have€discovered€something€wonderful€or€stumbled€into€something€insidiously€unwonderful,€or€both,Ļthe€fact€that€people€want€to€use€CMC€to€meet€other€people€and€experiment€with€identity€are€valuableĻsignposts€to€possible€futures.€Human€behavior€in€cyberspace,€as€we€can€observe€it€today€on€the€nets€andĻin€the€BBSs,€gives€rise€to€important€questions€about€the€effects€of€communication€technology€on€humanĻvalues.€What€kinds€of€humans€are€we€becoming€in€an€increasingly€computer-mediated€world,€and€do€weĻhave€any€control€over€that€transformation?€How€have€our€definitions€of€"human"€and€"community"€beenĻunder€pressure€to€change€to€fit€the€specifications€of€a€technology-guided€civilization?ĢĢFortunately,€questions€about€the€nature€of€virtual€communities€are€not€purely€theoretical,€for€there€is€aĻreadily€accessible€example€of€the€phenomenon€at€hand€to€study.€Millions€of€people€now€inhabit€the€socialĻspaces€that€have€grown€up€on€the€world's€computer€networks,€and€this€previously€invisible€globalĻsubculture€has€been€growing€at€a€monstrous€rate€recently€(e.g.,€the€Internet€growing€by€25%€per€month).ĢĢI've€lived€here€myself€for€seven€years;€the€WELL€and€the€net€have€been€a€regular€part€of€my€routine,€likeĻgardening€on€Sunday,€for€one€sixth€of€my€life€thus€far.€My€wife€and€daughter€long€ago€grew€accustomedĻto€the€fact€that€I€sit€in€front€of€my€computer€early€in€the€morning€and€late€at€night,€chuckling€andĻcursing,€sometimes€crying,€about€something€I€am€reading€on€the€computer€screen.€The€questions€I€raiseĻhere€are€not€those€of€a€scientist,€or€of€a€polemicist€who€has€found€an€answer€to€something,€but€as€a€userĻš"š€a€nearly€obsessive€user€š"š€of€CMC€and€a€deep€mucker-about€in€virtual€communities.€What€kind€ofĢpeople€are€my€friends€and€I€becoming?€What€does€that€portend€for€others?ĢĢIf€CMC€has€a€potential,€it€is€in€the€way€people€in€so€many€parts€of€the€net€fiercely€defend€the€use€of€theĻterm€"community"€to€describe€the€relationships€we€have€built€online.€But€fierceness€of€belief€is€notĻsufficient€evidence€that€the€belief€is€sound.€Is€the€aura€of€community€an€illusion?€The€question€has€notĻbeen€answered,€and€is€worth€asking.€I've€seen€people€hurt€by€interactions€in€virtual€communities.€IsĻtelecommunication€culture€capable€of€becoming€something€more€than€what€Scott€Peck€calls€aĻ"pseudo-community,"€where€people€lack€the€genuine€personal€commitments€to€one€another€that€form€theĻbedrock€of€genuine€community?€Or€is€our€notion€of€"genuine"€changing€in€an€age€where€more€peopleĻevery€day€live€their€lives€in€increasingly€artificial€environments?€New€technologies€tend€to€change€oldĻways€of€doing€things.€Is€the€human€need€for€community€going€to€be€the€next€technology€commodity?ĢĢI€can€attest€that€I€and€thousands€of€other€cybernauts€know€that€what€we€are€looking€for,€and€finding€inĻsome€surprising€ways,€is€not€just€information,€but€instant€access€to€ongoing€relationships€with€a€largeĻnumber€of€other€people.€Individuals€find€friends€and€groups€find€shared€identities€online,€through€theĻaggregated€networks€of€relationships€and€commitments€that€make€any€community€possible.€But€areĻrelationships€and€commitments€as€we€know€them€even€possible€in€a€place€where€identities€are€fluid?€TheĻphysical€world,€known€variously€as€"IRL"€("In€Real€Life"),€or€"offline,"€is€a€place€where€the€identityĢand€position€of€the€people€you€communicate€with€are€well€known,€fixed,€and€highly€visual.€InĻcyberspace,€everybody€is€in€the€dark.€We€can€only€exchange€words€with€each€other€--€no€glances€orĻshrugs€or€ironic€smiles.€Even€the€nuances€of€voice€and€intonation€are€stripped€away.€On€top€of€theĻtechnology-imposed€constraints,€we€who€populate€cyberspace€deliberately€experiment€with€fracturingĻtraditional€notions€of€identity€by€living€as€multiple€simultaneous€personae€in€different€virtualĻneighborhoods.ĢĢWe€reduce€and€encode€our€identities€as€words€on€a€screen,€decode€and€unpack€the€identities€of€others.ĻThe€way€we€use€these€words,€the€stories€(true€and€false)€we€tell€about€ourselves€(or€about€the€identity€weĻwant€people€to€believe€us€to€be)€is€what€determines€our€identities€in€cyberspace.€The€aggregation€ofĻpersonae,€interacting€with€each€other,€determines€the€nature€of€the€collective€culture.€Our€personae,Ļconstructed€from€our€stories€of€who€we€are,€use€the€overt€topics€of€discussion€in€a€BBS€or€network€for€aĻā āmore€fundamental€purpose,€as€means€of€interacting€with€each€other.€And€all€this€takes€place€on€bothŠ 5#±= Špublic€and€private€levels,€in€many-to-many€open€discussions€and€one-to-one€private€electronic€mail,€frontĻstage€role-playing€and€backstage€behavior.Ģā āĢWhen€I'm€online,€I€cruise€through€my€conferences,€reading€and€replying€in€topics€that€I've€beenĻfollowing,€starting€my€own€topics€when€the€inspiration€or€need€strikes€me.€Every€few€minutes,€I€get€aĻnotice€on€my€screen€that€I€have€incoming€mail.€I€might€decide€to€wait€to€read€the€mail€until€I'm€finishedĻdoing€something€else,€or€drop€from€the€conference€into€the€mailer,€to€see€who€it€is€from.€At€the€sameĻtime€that€I€am€participating€in€open€discussion€in€conferences€and€private€discourse€in€electronic€mail,Ļpeople€I€know€well€use€"sends"€š"š€a€means€of€sending€one€or€two€quick€sentences€to€my€screen€withoutĻthe€intervention€of€an€electronic€mail€message.€This€can€be€irritating€before€you€get€used€to€it,€since€youĻare€either€reading€or€writing€something€else€when€it€happens,€but€eventually€it€becomes€a€kind€ofĻrhythm:€different€degrees€of€thoughtfulness€and€formality€happen€simultaneously,€along€with€theĻsimultaneous€multiple€personae.€Then€there€are€public€and€private€conferences€that€have€partiallyĻoverlapping€memberships.€CMC€offers€tools€for€facilitating€all€the€various€ways€people€have€discoveredĻto€divide€and€communicate,€group€and€subgroup€and€regroup,€include€and€exclude,€select€and€elect.ĢĢWhen€a€group€of€people€remain€in€communication€with€one€another€for€extended€periods€of€time,€theĻquestion€of€whether€it€is€a€community€arises.€Virtual€communities€might€be€real€communities,€they€mightĻbe€pseudocommunities,€or€they€might€be€something€entirely€new€in€the€realm€of€social€contracts,€but€IĻbelieve€they€are€in€part€a€response€to€the€hunger€for€community€that€has€followed€the€disintegration€ofĻtraditional€communities€around€the€world.ĢĢSocial€norms€and€shared€mental€models€have€not€emerged€yet,€so€everyone's€sense€of€what€kind€of€placeĻcyberspace€is€can€vary€widely,€which€makes€it€hard€to€tell€whether€the€person€you€are€communicatingĻwith€shares€the€same€model€of€the€system€within€which€you€are€communicating.€Indeed,€the€onlineĻacronym€YMMV€("Your€Mileage€May€Vary")€has€become€shorthand€for€this€kind€of€indeterminacy€ofĻshared€context.€For€example,€I€know€people€who€use€vicious€online€verbal€combat€as€a€way€of€blowingĻoff€steam€from€the€pressures€of€their€real€life€š"š€"sport€hassling"€š"š€and€others€who€use€it€voyeuristically,Ļas€a€text-based€form€of€real-life€soap-opera.€To€some€people,€it's€a€game.€And€I€know€people€who€feel€asĻpassionately€committed€to€our€virtual€community€and€the€people€in€it€(or€at€least€some€of€the€people€inĻit)€as€our€nation,€occupation,€or€neighborhood.€Whether€we€like€it€or€not,€the€communitarians€and€theĻventers,€the€builders€and€the€vandals,€the€egalitarians€and€the€passive-aggressives,€are€all€in€this€placeĻtogether.€The€diversity€of€the€communicating€population€is€one€of€the€defining€characteristics€of€the€newĻmedium,€one€of€its€chief€attractions,€the€source€of€many€of€its€most€vexing€problems.€ĢĢIs€the€prospect€of€moving€en-masse€into€cyberspace€in€the€near€future,€when€the€world's€communicationĻnetwork€undergoes€explosive€expansion€of€bandwidth,€a€beneficial€thing€for€entire€populations€to€do?€InĻwhich€ways€might€the€growth€of€virtual€communities€promote€alienation?€How€might€virtualĻcommunities€facilitate€conviviality?€Which€social€structures€will€dissolve,€which€political€forces€will€arise,Ļand€which€will€lose€power?€These€are€questions€worth€asking€now,€while€there€is€still€time€to€shape€theĻfuture€of€the€medium.€In€the€sense€that€we€are€traveling€blind€into€a€technology-shaped€future€that€mightĻbe€very€different€from€today's€culture,€direct€reports€from€life€in€different€corners€of€the€world's€onlineĻcultures€today€might€furnish€valuable€signposts€to€the€territory€ahead.ĢĢSince€the€summer€of€1985,€I've€spent€an€average€of€two€hours€a€day,€seven€days€a€week,€often€when€IĻtravel,€plugged€into€the€WELL€(Whole€Earth€'Lectronic€Link)€via€a€computer€and€a€telephone€line,Ļexchanging€information€and€playing€with€attention,€becoming€entangled€In€Real€Life,€with€a€growingĻnetwork€of€similarly€wired-in€strangers€I€met€in€cyberspace.€I€remember€the€first€time€I€walked€into€aĻroom€full€of€people€(IRL)€whose€faces€were€completely€unknown€to€me,€but€who€knew€many€intimateĻdetails€of€my€history,€and€whose€own€stories€I€knew€very€well.€I€had€contended€with€these€people,€shotĻthe€breeze€around€the€electronic€water€cooler,€shared€alliances€and€formed€bonds,€fallen€off€my€chairĻlaughing€with€them,€become€livid€with€anger€at€these€people,€but€I€had€not€before€seen€their€faces.ĢĢI€found€this€digital€watering€hole€for€information-age€hunters€and€gatherers€the€same€way€most€peopleĻfind€such€places€š"š€I€was€lonely,€hungry€for€intellectual€and€emotional€companionship,€although€I€didn'tĻknow€it.€While€many€commuters€dream€of€working€at€home,€telecommuting,€I€happen€to€know€what€it'sĻlike€to€work€that€way.€I€never€could€stand€to€commute€or€even€get€out€of€my€pajamas€if€I€didn't€want€to,Ļso€I've€always€worked€at€home.€It€has€its€advantages€and€its€disadvantages.€Others€like€myself€also€haveĻbeen€drawn€into€the€online€world€because€they€shared€with€me€the€occupational€hazard€of€theĻself-employed,€home-based€symbolic€analyst€of€the€1990s€š"š€isolation.€The€kind€of€people€that€RobertĻReich,€call€"symbolic€analysts"€are€natural€matches€for€online€communities:€programmers,€writers,Ļfreelance€artists€and€designers,€independent€radio€and€television€producers,€editors,€researchers,Ļlibrarians.€People€who€know€what€to€do€with€symbols,€abstractions,€and€representations,€but€whoŠ ŗ#6 > Šsometimes€find€themselves€spending€more€time€with€keyboards€and€screens€than€human€companions.ĻI've€learned€that€virtual€communities€are€very€much€like€other€communities€in€some€ways,€deceptively€soĻto€those€who€assume€that€people€who€communicate€via€words€on€a€screen€are€in€some€way€aberrant€inĻtheir€communication€skills€and€human€needs.€And€I've€learned€that€virtual€communities€are€very€muchĻnot€like€communities€in€some€other€ways,€deceptively€so€to€those€who€assume€that€people€whoĻcommunicate€via€words€on€a€screen€necessarily€share€the€same€level€of€commitment€to€each€other€in€realĻlife€as€more€traditional€communities.€Communities€can€emerge€from€and€exist€within€computer-linkedĻgroups,€but€that€technical€linkage€of€electronic€personae€is€not€sufficient€to€ńińĢńińcreate€a€community.€ĢĢą@>7ąSocial€Contracts,€Reciprocity,€and€Gift€Economies€in€CyberspaceˆĢĢThe€network€of€communications€that€constitutes€a€virtual€community€can€include€the€exchange€ofĻinformation€as€a€kind€of€commodity,€and€the€economic€implications€of€this€phenomenon€are€significant;Ļthe€ultimate€social€potential€of€the€network,€however,€lies€not€solely€in€its€utility€as€an€informationĻmarket,€but€in€the€individual€and€group€relationships€that€can€happen€over€time.€When€such€a€groupĻaccumulates€a€sufficient€number€of€friendships€and€rivalries,€and€witnesses€the€births,€marriages,€andĻdeaths€that€bond€any€other€kind€of€community,€it€takes€on€a€definite€and€profound€sense€of€place€inĻpeople's€minds.€Virtual€communities€usually€have€a€geographically€local€focus,€and€often€have€aĻconnection€to€a€much€wider€domain.€The€local€focus€of€my€virtual€community,€the€WELL,€is€the€SanĻFrancisco€Bay€Area;€the€wider€locus€consists€of€hundreds€of€thousands€of€other€sites€around€the€world,Ļand€millions€of€other€communitarians,€linked€via€exchanges€of€messages€into€a€meta-community€knownĻas€"the€net."ĢĢThe€existence€of€computer-linked€communities€was€predicted€twenty€years€ago€by€J.C.R.€Licklider€andĻRobert€Taylor,€who€as€research€directors€for€the€Department€of€Defense,€set€in€motion€the€research€thatĻresulted€in€the€creation€of€the€first€such€community,€the€ARPAnet:€"What€will€on-line€interactiveĻcommunities€be€like?"€Licklider€and€Taylor€wrote,€in€1968:€"In€most€fields€they€will€consist€ofĻgeographically€separated€members,€sometimes€grouped€in€small€clusters€and€sometimes€workingĻindividually.€They€will€be€communities€not€of€common€location,€but€of€common€interest..."€ĢĢMy€friends€and€I€sometimes€believe€we€are€part€of€the€future€that€Licklider€dreamed€about,€and€we€oftenĻcan€attest€to€the€truth€of€his€prediction€that€"life€will€be€happier€for€the€on-line€individual€because€theĻpeople€with€whom€one€interacts€most€strongly€will€be€selected€more€by€commonality€of€interests€andĻgoals€than€by€accidents€of€proximity."€I€still€believe€that,€but€I€also€know€that€life€also€has€turned€out€toĻbe€unhappy€at€times,€intensely€so€in€some€circumstances,€because€of€words€on€a€screen.€Events€inĻcyberspace€can€have€concrete€effects€in€real€life,€of€both€the€pleasant€and€less€pleasant€varieties.ĻParticipating€in€a€virtual€community€has€not€solved€all€of€life's€problems€for€me,€but€it€has€served€as€anĻaid,€a€comfort€and€an€inspiration€at€times;€at€other€times,€it€has€been€like€an€endless,€ugly,Ļlong-simmering€family€brawl.ĢĢI've€changed€my€mind€about€a€lot€of€aspects€of€the€WELL€over€the€years,€but€the€"sense€of€place"€is€stillĻas€strong€as€ever.€As€Ray€Oldenburg€revealed€in€"The€Great€Good€Place,"€there€are€three€essential€placesĻin€every€person's€life:€the€place€they€live,€the€place€they€work,€and€the€place€they€gather€for€conviviality.ĻAlthough€the€casual€conversation€that€takes€place€in€cafes,€beauty€shops,€pubs,€town€squares€isĻuniversally€considered€to€be€trivial,€"idle€talk,"€Oldenburg€makes€the€case€that€such€places€are€whereĻcommunities€can€arise€and€hold€together.€When€the€automobile-centric,€suburban,€high-rise,€fast€food,Ļshopping€mall€way€of€life€eliminated€many€of€these€"third€places,"€the€social€fabric€of€existingĻcommunities€shredded.€It€might€not€be€the€same€kind€of€place€that€Oldenburg€had€in€mind,€but€so€manyĻof€his€descriptions€of€"third€places"€could€also€describe€the€WELL.ĢĢThe€feeling€of€logging€into€the€WELL€for€just€a€minute€or€two,€dozens€of€times€a€day€is€very€similar€toĻthe€feeling€of€peeking€into€the€cafe,€the€pub,€the€common€room,€to€see€who's€there,€and€whether€youĻwant€to€stay€around€for€a€chat.€Indeed,€in€all€the€hundreds€of€thousands€of€computer€systems€around€theĻworld€that€use€the€UNIX€operating€system,€as€does€the€WELL,€the€most€widely€used€command€is€the€oneĻthat€shows€you€who€is€online.€Another€widely€used€command€is€the€one€that€shows€you€a€particularĻuser's€biography.ĢĢI€visit€the€WELL€both€for€the€sheer€pleasure€of€communicating€with€my€newfound€friends,€and€for€itsĻvalue€as€a€practical€instrument€for€gathering€information€on€subjects€that€are€of€momentary€or€enduringĻimportance,€from€child€care€to€neuroscience,€technical€questions€on€telecommunications€to€arguments€onĻphilosophical,€political,€or€spiritual€subjects.€It's€a€bit€like€a€neighborhood€pub€or€coffee€shop.€It's€a€littleĻlike€a€salon,€where€I€can€participate€in€a€hundred€ongoing€conversations€with€people€who€don't€careĻwhat€I€look€like€or€sound€like,€but€who€do€care€how€I€think€and€communicate.€There€are€seminars€andŠ ŗ#6 > Šword€fights€in€different€corners.€And€it's€all€a€little€like€a€groupmind,€where€questions€are€answered,Ļsupport€is€given,€inspiration€is€provided,€by€people€I€may€have€never€heard€from€before,€and€whom€IĻmay€never€meet€face€to€face.€ĢĢBecause€we€cannot€see€one€another,€we€are€unable€to€form€prejudices€about€others€before€we€read€whatĻthey€have€to€say:€Race,€gender,€age,€national€origin€and€physical€appearance€are€not€apparent€unless€aĻperson€wants€to€make€such€characteristics€public.€People€who€are€thoughtful€but€who€are€not€quick€toĻformulate€a€reply€often€do€better€in€CMC€than€face€to€face€or€over€the€telephone.€People€whose€physicalĻhandicaps€make€it€difficult€to€form€new€friendships€find€that€virtual€communities€treat€them€as€theyĻalways€wanted€to€be€treated€š"š€as€thinkers€and€transmitters€of€ideas€and€feeling€beings,€not€carnalĢvessels€with€a€certain€appearance€and€way€of€walking€and€talking€(or€not€walking€and€not€talking).€Don'tĻmistake€this€filtration€of€appearances€for€dehumanization:€Words€on€a€screen€are€quite€capable€of€movingĻone€to€laughter€or€tears,€of€evoking€anger€or€compassion,€of€creating€a€community€from€a€collection€ofĻstrangers.€ĢĢFrom€my€informal€research€into€virtual€communities€around€the€world,€I€have€found€that€enthusiasticĻmembers€of€virtual€communities€in€Japan,€England,€and€the€US€agree€that€"increasing€the€diversity€ofĻtheir€circle€of€friends"€was€one€of€the€most€important€advantages€of€computer€conferencing.€CMC€is€aĻway€to€meet€people,€whether€or€not€you€feel€the€need€to€affiliate€with€them€on€a€community€level,€butĻthe€way€you€meet€them€has€an€interesting€twist:€In€traditional€kinds€of€communities,€we€are€accustomedĻto€meeting€people,€then€getting€to€know€them;€in€virtual€communities,€you€can€get€to€know€people€andĻthen€choose€to€meet€them.€In€some€cases,€you€can€get€to€know€people€who€you€ńkńĢńkńmight€never€meet€on€theĻphysical€plane.ĢĢHow€does€anybody€find€friends?€In€the€traditional€community,€we€search€through€our€pool€of€neighborsĻand€professional€colleagues,€of€acquaintances€and€acquaintances€of€acquaintances,€in€order€to€find€peopleĻwho€share€our€values€and€interests.€We€then€exchange€information€about€one€another,€disclose€andĻdiscuss€our€mutual€interests,€and€sometimes€we€become€friends.€In€a€virtual€community€we€can€goĻdirectly€to€the€place€where€our€favorite€subjects€are€being€discussed,€then€get€acquainted€with€those€whoĻshare€our€passions,€or€who€use€words€in€a€way€we€find€attractive.€In€this€sense,€the€topic€is€the€address:ĻYou€can't€simply€pick€up€a€phone€and€ask€to€be€connected€with€someone€who€wants€to€talk€about€IslamicĻart€or€California€wine,€or€someone€with€a€three€year€old€daughter€or€a€30€year€old€Hudson;€you€can,Ļhowever,€join€a€computer€conference€on€any€of€those€topics,€then€open€a€public€or€privateĻcorrespondence€with€the€previously-unknown€people€you€find€in€that€conference.€You€will€find€that€yourĻchances€of€making€friends€are€magnified€by€orders€of€magnitude€over€the€old€methods€of€finding€a€peerĻgroup.ĢĢYou€can€be€fooled€about€people€in€cyberspace,€behind€the€cloak€of€words.€But€that€can€be€said€aboutĻtelephones€or€face€to€face€communications,€as€well;€computer-mediated€communications€provide€newĻways€to€fool€people,€and€the€most€obvious€identity-swindles€will€die€out€only€when€enough€people€learnĻto€use€the€medium€critically.€Sara€Kiesler€noted€that€the€word€"phony"€is€an€artifact€of€the€early€years€ofĻthe€telephone,€when€media-naive€people€were€conned€by€slick€talkers€in€ways€that€wouldn't€deceive€anĻeight-year€old€with€a€cellular€phone€today.ĢĢThere€is€both€an€intellectual€and€an€emotional€component€to€CMC.€Since€so€many€members€of€virtualĻcommunities€are€the€kind€of€knowledge-based€professionals€whose€professional€standing€can€be€enhancedĻby€what€they€know,€virtual€communities€can€be€practical,€cold-blooded€instruments.€Virtual€communitiesĻcan€help€their€members€cope€with€information€overload.€The€problem€with€the€information€age,Ļespecially€for€students€and€knowledge€workers€who€spend€their€time€immersed€in€the€info-flow,€is€thatĻthere€is€too€much€information€available€and€no€effective€filters€for€sifting€the€key€data€that€are€useful€andĻinteresting€to€us€as€individuals.€Programmers€are€trying€to€design€better€and€better€"software€agents"€thatĻcan€seek€and€sift,€filter€and€find,€and€save€us€from€the€awful€feeling€one€gets€when€it€turns€out€that€theĻspecific€knowledge€one€needs€is€buried€in€15,000€pages€of€related€information.ĢĢThe€first€software€agents€are€now€becoming€available€(e.g.,€WAIS,€Rosebud),€but€we€already€have€farĻmore€sophisticated,€if€informal,€social€contracts€among€groups€of€people€that€allow€us€to€act€as€softwareĻagents€for€one€another.€If,€in€my€wanderings€through€information€space,€I€come€across€items€that€don'tĻinterest€me€but€which€I€know€one€of€my€worldwide€loose-knit€affinity€group€of€online€friends€wouldĻappreciate,€I€send€the€appropriate€friend€a€pointer,€or€simply€forward€the€entire€text€(one€of€the€newĻpowers€of€CMC€is€the€ability€to€publish€and€converse€with€the€same€medium).€In€some€cases,€I€can€putĻthe€information€in€exactly€the€right€place€for€10,000€people€I€don't€know,€but€who€are€intensely€interestedĻin€that€specific€topic,€to€find€it€when€they€need€it.€And€sometimes,€10,000€people€I€don't€know€do€theĻsame€thing€for€me.Š ŗ#6 > ЇThis€unwritten,€unspoken€social€contract,€a€blend€of€strong-tie€and€weak-tie€relationships€among€peopleĻwho€have€a€mixture€of€motives,€requires€one€to€give€something,€and€enables€one€to€receive€something.€€IĻhave€to€keep€my€friends€in€mind€and€send€them€pointers€instead€of€throwing€my€informational€discardsĻinto€the€virtual€scrap-heap.€It€doesn't€take€a€great€deal€of€energy€to€do€that,€since€I€have€to€sift€thatĻinformation€anyway€in€order€to€find€the€knowledge€I€seek€for€my€own€purposes;€it€takes€two€keystrokesĻto€delete€the€information,€three€keystrokes€to€forward€it€to€someone€else.€And€with€scores€of€other€peopleĻwho€have€an€eye€out€for€my€interests€while€they€explore€sectors€of€the€information€space€that€I€normallyĻwouldn't€frequent,€I€find€that€the€help€I€receive€far€outweighs€the€energy€I€expend€helping€others:€AĻmarriage€of€altruism€and€self-interest.ĢĢThe€first€time€I€learned€about€that€particular€cyberspace€power€was€early€in€the€history€of€the€WELL,Ļwhen€I€was€invited€to€join€a€panel€of€experts€who€advise€the€U.S.€Congress€Office€of€TechnologyĻAssessment€(OTA).€The€subject€of€the€assessment€was€"Communication€Systems€for€an€Information€Age."ĻI'm€not€an€expert€in€telecommunication€technology€or€policy,€but€I€do€know€where€to€find€a€group€ofĻsuch€experts,€and€how€to€get€them€to€tell€me€what€they€know.€€Before€I€went€to€Washington€for€my€firstĻpanel€meeting,€I€opened€a€conference€in€the€WELL€and€invited€assorted€information-freaks,€technophiles,Ļand€communication€experts€to€help€me€come€up€with€something€to€say.€An€amazing€collection€of€mindsĻflocked€to€that€topic,€and€some€of€them€created€whole€new€communities€when€they€collided.ĢĢBy€the€time€I€sat€down€with€the€captains€of€industry,€government€advisers,€and€academic€experts€at€theĻpanel€table,€I€had€over€200€pages€of€expert€advice€from€my€own€panel.€I€wouldn't€have€been€able€toĻintegrate€that€much€knowledge€of€my€subject€in€an€entire€academic€or€industrial€career,€and€it€only€tookĻme€(and€my€virtual€community)€a€few€minutes€a€day€for€six€weeks.€I€have€found€the€WELL€to€be€anĻoutright€magical€resource,€professionally.€An€editor€or€producer€or€client€can€call€and€ask€me€if€I€knowĻmuch€about€the€Constitution,€or€fiber€optics,€or€intellectual€property.€"Let€me€get€back€to€you€in€twentyĻminutes,"€I€say,€reaching€for€the€modem.€In€terms€of€the€way€I€learned€to€use€the€WELL€to€get€the€rightĻpiece€of€information€at€the€right€time,€I'd€say€that€the€hours€I've€spent€putting€information€into€the€WELLĻturned€out€to€be€the€most€lucrative€professional€investments€I've€ever€made.ĢĢThe€same€strategy€of€nurturing€and€making€use€of€loose€information-sharing€affiliations€across€the€netĻcan€be€applied€to€an€infinite€domain€of€problem€areas,€from€literary€criticism€to€software€evaluation.€It's€aĻneat€way€for€a€sufficiently€large,€sufficiently€diverse€group€of€people€to€multiply€their€individual€degreeĻof€expertise,€and€I€think€it€could€be€done€even€if€the€people€aren't€involved€in€a€community€other€thanĻtheir€company€or€their€research€specialty.€I€think€it€works€better€when€the€community's€conceptual€modelĻof€itself€is€more€like€barn-raising€than€horse-trading,€though.€€Reciprocity€is€a€key€element€of€anyĻmarket-based€culture,€but€the€arrangement€I'm€describing€feels€to€me€more€like€a€kind€of€gift€economyĻwhere€people€do€things€for€one€another€out€of€a€spirit€of€building€something€between€them,€rather€than€aĻspreadsheet-calculated€quid€pro€quo.€When€that€spirit€exists,€everybody€gets€a€little€extra€something,€aĻlittle€sparkle,€from€their€more€practical€transactions;€different€kinds€of€things€become€possible€when€thisĻmindset€pervades.€€Conversely,€people€who€have€valuable€things€to€add€to€the€mix€tend€to€keep€theirĻheads€down€and€their€ideas€to€themselves€when€a€mercenary€or€hostile€zeitgeist€dominates€an€onlineĻcommunity.ĢĢI€think€one€key€difference€between€straightforward€workaday€reciprocity€is€that€in€the€virtual€communityĻI€know€best,€one€valuable€currency€is€knowledge,€elegantly€presented.€Wit€and€use€of€language€areĻrewarded€in€this€medium,€which€is€biased€toward€those€who€learn€how€to€manipulate€attention€andĻemotion€with€the€written€word.€€Sometimes,€you€give€one€person€more€information€than€you€would€giveĻanother€person€in€response€to€the€same€query,€simply€because€you€recognize€one€of€them€to€be€moreĻgenerous€or€funny€or€to-the-point€or€agreeable€to€your€political€convictions€than€the€other€one.ĢĢIf€you€give€useful€information€freely,€without€demanding€tightly-coupled€reciprocity,€your€requests€forĻinformation€are€met€more€swiftly,€in€greater€detail,€than€they€would€have€been€otherwise.€The€personĻyou€help€might€never€be€in€a€position€to€help€you,€but€someone€else€might€be.€That's€why€it€is€hard€toĻdistinguish€idle€talk€from€serious€context-setting.€In€a€virtual€community,€idle€talk€is€context-setting.€IdleĻtalk€is€where€people€learn€what€kind€of€person€you€are,€why€you€should€be€trusted€or€mistrusted,€whatĻinterests€you.€An€agora€is€more€than€the€site€of€transactions;€it€is€also€a€place€where€people€meet€and€sizeĻup€one€another.ĢĢA€market€depends€on€the€quality€of€knowledge€held€by€the€participants,€the€buyers€and€sellers,€aboutĻprice€and€availability€and€a€thousand€other€things€that€influence€business;€a€market€that€has€a€forum€forĻinformal€and€back-channel€communications€is€a€better-informed€market.€The€London€Stock€Exchange€Ļgrew€out€of€the€informal€transactions€in€a€coffee-house;€when€it€became€the€London€International€StockĻExchange€a€few€years€ago,€and€abolished€the€trading-room€floor,€the€enterprise€lost€something€vital€in€theŠ ŗ#6 > Štransition€from€an€old€room€where€all€the€old€boys€met€and€cut€their€deals€to€the€screens€of€thousands€ofĻworkstations€scattered€around€the€world.ĢĢThe€context€of€the€informal€community€of€knowledge€sharers€grew€to€include€years€of€both€professionalĻand€personal€relationships.€It€is€not€news€that€the€right€network€of€people€can€serve€as€an€inquiryĻresearch€system:€You€throw€out€the€question,€and€somebody€on€the€net€knows€the€answer.€You€can€makeĻa€game€out€of€it,€where€you€gain€symbolic€prestige€among€your€virtual€peers€by€knowing€the€answer.ĻAnd€you€can€make€a€game€out€of€it€among€a€group€of€people€who€have€dropped€out€of€their€orthodoxĻprofessional€lives,€where€some€of€them€sell€these€information€services€for€exorbitant€rates,€in€order€toĻparticipate€voluntarily€in€the€virtual€community€game.ĢĢWhen€the€WELL€was€young€and€growing€more€slowly€than€it€is€now,€such€knowledge-potlatching€had€aĻkind€of€naively€enthusiastic€energy.€When€you€extend€the€conversation€š"š€several€dozen€differentĻcharacters,€well-known€to€one€another€from€four€or€five€years€of€virtual€hanging-out,€several€hours€a€dayĻš"š€it€gets€richer,€but€not€necessarily€"happier."ĢĢVirtual€communities€have€several€drawbacks€in€comparison€to€face-to-face€communication,€disadvantagesĻthat€must€be€kept€in€mind€if€you€are€to€make€use€of€the€power€of€these€computer-mediated€discussionĻgroups.€The€filtration€factor€that€prevents€one€from€knowing€the€race€or€age€of€another€participant€alsoĻprevents€people€from€communicating€the€facial€expressions,€body€language,€and€tone€of€voice€thatĻconstitute€the€inaudible€but€vital€component€of€most€face€to€face€communications.€€Irony,€sarcasm,Ļcompassion,€and€other€subtle€but€all-important€nuances€that€aren't€conveyed€in€words€alone€are€lostĻwhen€all€you€can€see€of€a€person€are€words€on€a€screen.ĢĢIt's€amazing€how€the€ambiguity€of€words€in€the€absence€of€body€language€inevitably€leads€to€onlineĻmisunderstandings.€And€since€the€physical€absence€of€other€people€also€seems€to€loosen€some€of€theĻsocial€bonds€that€prevent€people€from€insulting€one€another€in€person,€misunderstandings€can€grow€intoĻtruly€nasty€stuff€before€anybody€has€a€chance€to€untangle€the€original€miscommunication.€HeatedĻdiatribes€and€interpersonal€incivility€that€wouldn't€crop€up€often€in€face€to€face€or€even€telephoneĻdiscourse€seem€to€appear€with€relative€frequency€in€computer€conferences.€The€only€presently€availableĻantidote€to€this€flaw€of€CMC€as€a€human€communication€medium€is€widespread€knowledge€of€this€flawĻš"š€aka€"netiquette."ĢĢOnline€civility€and€how€to€deal€with€breaches€of€it€is€a€topic€unto€itself,€and€has€been€much-argued€onĻthe€WELL.€Degrees€of€outright€incivility€constitute€entire€universes€such€as€alt.flame,€the€UsenetĻnewsgroup€where€people€go€specifically€to€spend€their€days€hurling€vile€imprecations€at€one€another.€IĻam€beginning€to€suspect€that€the€most€powerful€and€effective€defense€an€online€community€has€in€theĻface€of€those€who€are€bent€on€disruption€might€be€norms€and€agreements€about€withdrawing€attentionĻfrom€those€who€can't€abide€by€even€loose€rules€of€verbal€behavior.€"If€you€continue€doing€that,"€IĻremember€someone€saying€to€a€particularly€persistent€would-be€disrupter,€"we€will€stop€paying€attentionĻto€you."€This€is€technically€easy€to€do€on€Usenet,€where€putting€the€name€of€a€person€or€topic€header€in€aĻ"kill€file"€(aka€"bozo€filter")€means€you€will€never€see€future€contributions€from€that€person€or€about€thatĻtopic.€You€can€simply€choose€to€not€see€any€postings€from€Rich€Rosen,€or€that€feature€the€wordĻ"abortion"€in€the€title.€A€society€in€which€people€can€remove€one€another,€or€even€entire€topics€ofĻdiscussion,€from€visibility.€The€WELL€does€not€have€a€bozo€filter,€although€the€need€for€one€is€a€topic€ofĻfrequent€discussion.ĢĢą@+ NąWho€Is€The€WELL?ˆĢĢOne€way€to€know€what€the€WELL€is€like€is€to€know€something€about€the€kind€of€people€who€use€it.€ItĻhas€roots€in€the€San€Francisco€Bay€Area,€and€in€two€separate€cultural€revolutions€that€took€place€there€inĻpast€decades.€The€ņņWhole€Earth€Catalogóó€originally€emerged€from€the€counterculture€as€Stewart€Brand's€wayŠ 3 Šof€providing€access€to€tools€and€ideas€to€all€the€communes€who€were€exploring€alternate€ways€of€life€inĻthe€forests€of€Mendocino€or€the€high€deserts€outside€Santa€Fe.€The€Whole€Earth€Catalogs€and€theĻmagazines€they€spawned,€ņņCo-Evolution€Quarterlyóó€and€ņņWhole€Earth€Reviewóó,€have€outlived€the€countercultureŠ ’6 Šitself,€since€they€are€still€alive€and€raising€hell€after€nearly€25€years.€For€many€years,€the€people€who€haveĻbeen€exploring€alternatives€and€are€open€to€ideas€that€you€don't€find€in€the€mass€media€have€foundĻthemselves€in€cities€instead€of€rural€communes,€where€their€need€for€new€tools€and€ideas€didn't€go€away.ĢĢThe€Whole€Earth€Catalog€crew€received€a€large€advance€in€the€mid-1980s€to€produce€an€updated€version,Ļa€project€involving€many€geographically-separated€authors€and€editors,€many€of€whom€were€usingĻcomputers.€They€bought€a€minicomputer€and€the€license€to€Picospan,€a€computer€conferencing€program,Ļleased€an€office€next€to€the€magazine's€office,€leased€incoming€telephone€lines,€set€up€modems,€and€theŠ ŗ#6 > ŠWELL€was€born€in€1985.€The€idea€from€the€beginning€was€that€the€founders€weren't€sure€what€the€WELLĻwould€become,€but€they€would€provide€tools€for€people€to€build€it€into€something€useful.€It€wasĻconsciously€a€cultural€experiment,€and€the€business€was€designed€to€succeed€or€fail€on€the€basis€of€theĻresults€of€the€experiment.€The€person€Stewart€Brand€chose€to€be€the€WELL's€first€director€š"š€technician,Ļmanager,€innkeeper,€and€bouncer€š"š€was€Matthew€McClure,€not-coincidentally€a€computer-savvy€veteranĻof€The€Farm,€one€of€the€most€successful€of€the€communes€that€started€in€the€sixties.€Brand€and€McClureĻstarted€a€low-rules,€high-tone€discussion,€where€savvy€networkers,€futurists,€misfits€who€had€learned€howĻto€make€our€outsiderness€work€for€us,€could€take€the€technology€of€CMC€to€its€cultural€limits.ĢĢThe€Whole€Earth€network€š"š€the€granola-eating€utopians,€the€solar-power€enthusiasts,€serious€ecologistsĻand€the€space-station€crowd,€immortalists,€Biospherians,€environmentalists,€social€activists€š"š€was€part€ofĻthe€core€population€from€the€beginning.€But€there€were€a€couple€of€other€key€elements.€One€was€theĻsubculture€that€happened€ten€years€after€the€counterculture€era€š"š€the€personal€computer€revolution.ĻPersonal€computers€and€the€PC€industry€were€created€by€young€iconoclasts€who€wanted€to€have€whizzyĻtools€and€change€the€world.€Whole€Earth€had€honored€them,€including€the€outlaws€among€them,€withĻthe€early€Hacker's€Conferences.€The€young€computer€wizards,€and€the€grizzled€old€hands€who€were€stillĻmessing€with€mainframes,€showed€up€early€at€the€WELL€because€the€guts€of€the€system€itself€--€the€UNIXĻoperating€system€and€"C"€language€programming€code€š"š€were€available€for€tinkering€by€responsibleĻcraftsmen.ĢĢA€third€cultural€element€that€made€up€the€initial€mix€of€the€WELL,€which€has€drifted€from€itsĻcounterculture€origins€in€many€ways,€were€the€deadheads.€Books€and€theses€have€been€written€about€theĻsubculture€that€have€grown€up€around€the€band,€the€Grateful€Dead.€The€deadheads€have€a€strong€feelingĻof€community,€but€they€can€only€manifest€it€en€masse€when€the€band€has€concerts.€They€were€aĻcommunity€looking€for€a€place€to€happen€when€several€technology-savvy€deadheads€started€a€"GratefulĻDead€Conference"€on€the€WELL.€GD€was€so€phenomenally€successful€that€for€the€first€several€years,Ļdeadheads€were€by€far€the€single€largest€source€of€income€for€the€enterprise.ĢĢAlong€with€the€other€elements€came€the€first€marathon€swimmers€in€the€new€currents€of€the€informationĻstreams,€the€futurists€and€writers€and€journalists.€ņņThe€New€York€Timesóó,€ņņBusiness€Weekóó,€the€ņņSan€FranciscoŠ • ŠChronicleóó,€ņņTimeóó,€ņņRolling€Stoneóó,€ņņByteóó,€the€ņņWall€Street€Journalóó€all€have€journalists€that€I€know€personally€whoŠ – Šdrop€into€the€WELL€as€a€listening€post.€People€in€Silicon€Valley€lurk€to€hear€loose€talk€among€the€pros.ĻJournalists€tend€to€attract€other€journalists,€and€the€purpose€of€journalists€is€to€attract€everybody€else:Ļmost€people€have€to€use€an€old€medium€to€hear€news€about€the€arrival€of€a€new€medium.ĢĢThings€changed,€both€rapidly€and€slowly,€in€the€WELL.€There€were€about€600€members€of€the€WELLĻwhen€I€joined,€in€the€summer€of€1985.€It€seemed€that€then,€as€now,€the€usual€ten€percent€of€the€membersĻdid€80%€of€the€talking.€Now€there€are€about€6000€people,€with€a€net€gain€of€about€a€hundred€a€month.ĻThere€do€seem€to€be€more€women€than€other€parts€of€cyberspace.€Most€of€the€people€I€meet€seem€to€beĻwhite€or€Asian;€African-Americans€aren't€missing,€but€they€aren't€conspicuous€or€even€visible.€If€you€canĻfake€it,€gender€and€age€are€invisible,€too.€I'd€guess€the€WELL€consists€of€about€80%€men,€20%€women.€IĻdon't€know€whether€formal€demographics€would€be€the€kind€of€thing€that€most€WELL€users€would€wantĻto€contribute€to.€It's€certainly€something€we'd€discuss,€argue,€debate,€joke€about.ĢĢOne€important€social€rule€was€built€into€Picospan,€the€software€that€the€WELL€lives€inside:€Nobody€isĻanonymous.€Everybody€is€required€to€attach€their€real€"userid"€to€their€postings.€It€is€possible€to€useĻpseudonyms€to€create€alternate€identities,€or€to€carry€metamessages,€but€the€pseudonyms€are€alwaysĻlinked€in€every€posting€to€the€real€userid.€So€individual€personae€š"š€whether€or€not€they€correspondĻclosely€to€the€real€person€who€owns€the€account€š"š€are€responsible€for€the€words€they€post.€In€fact,€theĻfirst€several€years,€the€screen€that€you€saw€when€you€reached€the€WELL€said€"You€own€your€ownĻwords."€Stewart€Brand,€the€WELL's€co-founder€likes€epigrams:€"Whole€Earth,"€"Information€wants€to€beĻfree."€"You€own€your€own€words."€Like€the€best€epigrams,€"You€own€your€own€words"€is€open€toĻmultiple€interpretations.€The€matter€of€responsibility€and€ownership€of€words€is€one€of€the€topicsĻWELLbeings€argue€about€endlessly,€so€much€that€the€phrase€has€been€abbreviated€to€"YOYOW,"€As€in,Ļ"Oh€no,€another€YOYOW€debate."ĢĢWho€are€the€WELL€members,€and€what€do€they€talk€about?€I€can€tell€you€about€the€individuals€I€haveĻcome€to€know€over€six€years,€but€the€WELL€has€long€since€been€something€larger€than€the€sum€ofĻeverybody's€friends.€The€characteristics€of€the€pool€of€people€who€tune€into€this€electronic€listening€post,Ļwhether€or€not€they€every€post€a€word€in€public,€is€a€strong€determinant€of€the€flavor€of€the€"place."ĻThere's€a€cross-sectional€feeling€of€"who€are€we?"€that€transcends€the€intersecting€and€non-intersectingĻrings€of€friends€and€acquaintances€each€individual€develops.ĢŠ ŗ#6 > Šą@ė IąMy€Neighborhood€On€The€WELLˆĢĢEvery€CMC€system€gives€users€tools€for€creating€their€own€sense€of€place,€by€customizing€the€way€theyĻnavigate€through€the€database€of€conferences,€topics,€and€responses.€A€conference€or€newsgroup€is€like€aĻplace€you€go.€If€you€go€to€several€different€places€in€a€fixed€order,€it€seems€to€reinforce€the€feeling€ofĻplace€by€creating€a€customized€neighborhood€that€is€also€shared€by€others.€You€see€some€of€the€sameĻusers€in€different€parts€of€the€same€neighborhood.€Some€faces,€you€see€only€in€one€context€š"š€the€parentsĻconference,€the€Grateful€Dead€tours€conference,€the€politics€or€sex€conference.ĢĢMy€home€neighborhood€on€the€WELL€is€reflected€in€my€".cflist,"€the€file€that€records€my€preferencesĻabout€the€order€of€conferences€I€visit.€It€is€always€possible€to€go€to€any€conference€with€a€command,€butĻwith€a€.cflist€you€structure€your€online€time€by€going€from€conference€to€specified€conference€at€regularĻintervals,€reading€and€perhaps€responding€in€several€ongoing€threads€in€several€different€places.€That'sĻthe€part€of€the€art€of€discourse€where€I€have€found€that€the€computer€adds€value€to€the€intellectualĻactivity€of€discussing€formally€distinct€subjects€asynchronously,€from€different€parts€of€the€world,€overĻextending€periods,€by€enabling€groups€to€structure€conversations€by€topic,€over€time.ĢĢMy€.cflist€starts,€for€sentimental€reasons,€with€the€Mind€conference,€the€first€one€I€hosted€on€the€WELL,Ļsince€1985.€I've€changed€my€list€hundreds€of€times€over€the€years,€to€add€or€delete€conferences€from€myĻregular€neighborhood,€but€I've€always€kept€Mind€in€the€lede.€€The€entry€banner€screen€for€the€MindĻconference€used€to€display€to€each€user€the€exact€phase€of€the€moon€in€numbers€and€ASCII€graphicsĻevery€time€they€logged€in€to€the€conference.€But€the€volunteer€programmer€who€had€created€the€"phoon"Ļprogram€had€decided€to€withdraw€it,€years€later,€in€a€dispute€with€WELL€management.€There€is€often€aĻtechnological€fix€to€a€social€problem€within€this€particular€universe.€€Because€the€WELL€seems€to€be€anĻintersection€of€many€different€cultures,€there€have€been€many€experiments€with€software€tools€toĻameliorate€problems€that€seemed€to€crop€up€between€people,€whether€because€of€the€nature€of€theĻmedium€or€the€nature€of€the€people.€A€frighteningly€expensive€pool€of€talent€was€donated€by€volunteerĻprogrammers€to€create€tools€and€even€weapons€for€WELL€users€to€deal€with€each€other.€People€keepĻgiving€things€to€the€WELL,€and€taking€them€away.€Offline€readers€and€online€tools€by€volunteerĻprogrammers€gave€others€increased€power€to€communicate.ĢĢThe€News€conference€is€what's€next.€This€is€the€commons,€the€place€where€the€most€people€visit€the€mostĻoften,€where€the€most€outrageous€off-topic€proliferation€is€least€pernicious,€where€the€importantĻannouncements€about€the€system€or€social€events€or€major€disputes€or€new€conferences€are€announced.ĻWhen€an€earthquake€or€fire€happens,€News€is€where€you€want€to€go.€Immediately€after€the€1989Ļearthquake€and€during€the€Oakland€fire€of€1991,€the€WELL€was€a€place€to€check€the€damage€to€the€localĻgeographic€community,€lend€help€to€those€who€need€it,€and€get€first-hand€reports.€During€TienamenĻsquare,€the€Gulf€War,€the€Soviet€Coup,€the€WELL€was€a€media-funnel,€with€snippets€of€email€fromĻTel-Aviv€and€entire€newsgroups€fed€by€fax€machines€in€China,€erupting€in€News€conference€topics€thatĻgrew€into€fast-moving€conferences€of€their€own.€During€any€major€crisis€in€the€real€world,€the€routine€atĻour€house€is€to€turn€on€CNN€and€log€into€the€WELL.ĢĢAfter€News€is€Hosts,€where€the€hottest€stuff€usually€happens.€The€hosts€community€is€a€story€in€itself.ĻThe€success€of€the€WELL€in€its€first€five€years,€all€would€agree,€rested€heavily€on€the€efforts€of€theĻconference€hosts€--€online€characters€who€had€created€the€character€of€the€first€neighborhoods€and€keptĻthe€juice€flowing€between€one€another€all€over€the€WELL,€but€most€pointedly€in€the€Hosts€conference.ĻSome€spicy€reading€in€the€Archives€conference€originated€from€old€hosts'€disputes€š"š€and€substantialĻarguments€about€the€implications€of€CMC€for€civil€rights,€intellectual€property,€censorship,€by€a€lot€ofĻpeople€who€know€what€they€are€talking€about,€mixed€liberally€with€a€lot€of€other€people€who€don't€knowĻwhat€they€are€talking€about,€but€love€to€talk€anyway,€via€keyboard€and€screen,€for€years€on€end.ĢĢIn€this€virtual€place,€the€pillars€of€the€community€and€the€worst€offenders€of€public€sensibilities€are€in€theĻsame€group€š"š€the€hosts.€€At€their€best€and€their€worst,€this€ten€percent€of€the€online€population€put€outĻthe€words€that€the€other€ninety€percent€keep€paying€to€read.€Like€g