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Davis Community Network
Information Providers Committee
Regular Meeting Feb. 4, 2004
Meeting Notes

Members present: Chiles, Evans, Hance (Chair), Seth, Yamagata
Members absent:  Bodenhorn, Brattesani
Visitors: Tsui Chang, Debbie Martin, Jane Schafer-Kramer, Rich Reed.

1. The meeting was called to Order at 6:38 p.m.
2.  Agenda was approved as distributed

3.  Project Review:
      We reviewed the request from Valley Oak PTA which was
      presented by Debbie Martin, Jane Schafer-Kramer, and Rich Reed.
	A Simple Site and Webteam help were approved.

4.  Frank review / analysis of IPC Functioning.
     Discussion revolved around both the IPC and DCN in general.
     Thoughts regarding the IPC:
           a) Does the IPC name still fit what the IPC does? This 
depends on whether the IPC is still doing what it was   set up to do 
originally.
           b) In the beginning the IPC was supposed to review and 
approve everything that went on to the DCN Web. This meant DCN's own 
pages as well as the material that was produced as a result of a 
community project. Should the IPC still be doing this?
           c) Does the name reflect to the public that the IPC is a 
community outreach, project review and approval arm of DCN for 
provision of free resources?
           d) Would it be helpful for the IPC to change its name?
           e) The IPC has had several discussions about ways in which 
the DCN website might be updated and would like to help supervise (if 
that's the right word) whoever is contracted to do the upgrade.
          f) These thoughts will be shared with the DCN Board and 
revisited by the IPC next month.

     Thoughts regarding DCN in general:
          g)  Although the IPC recognizes that volunteers and interns 
need careful supervision and that DCN does not have enough staff 
right now to do this well, the IPC still encourages the Board to 
pursue opportunities for involving interns and volunteers as much as 
possible.
         h) Working with high school or college 'classes' rather than 
'individuals' might make the supervision-of-volunteers issue easier 
especially if very specific tasks are involved.
         i) There are many regional community events that DCN should 
be a part of if it is interested in being better known and understood 
in the area.
         j) The IPC encourages DCN to consider re-creating a public 
education committee
         k) The question was raised as to whether every DCN Board 
member did some committee or other work for DCN in addition to being 
a Board member. The implication was that simply being a Board member 
was probably not really sufficient.
        l) Committee members would like the opportunity to attend 
Board meetings. Would it be appropriate for Committee Chairs to 
forward Board Agendas to their committees?
        m) The IPC wonders if the DCN Training Committee has 
considered working with the Davis Adult School and with the Los Rios 
and Yuba Community Colleges when there are trainings needed that DCN 
cannot provide effectively.
       n) It was observed that it is not sufficiently widely realized 
that DCN is a nonprofit with a mission. There is some community 
belief that DCN must have some ulterior motive for providing free 
resources. There is a sense that perhaps DCN does this as a marketing 
ploy for some profit or other.


Adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

Next meeting March 3, 2004