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Saint John Freenet Newsletter

July 1996

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Letters to the Editor

Welcome a New Service to Our Community!

elcome to the first edition of the Saint John Free-Net’s "virtual" bi-monthly E-Zine/newsletter. E-Zines’ (short for electronic magazine) have recently taken-off in a very big way on the Internet. Presently you can find on-line over 1,000 E-Zines publications, covering topics from Child Care to the Underground Music Scene. All of these "virtual" publications have such common threads linking them together as ... they are available free of charge to their readers... they cover subject matters that are of interest to their audience... they "buck" the traditional means of publishing and distribution (i.e. they are not printed on paper and sold through outlets/subscriptions)... and they encourage the exploration of differing points of view on issues/topics not normally found in "mainstream" media.

The hardwork and dedication inherently found in E-Zines, as a media form, can be categorized as labours of love. Dedicated individuals and volunteers, who spend hours researching, writing, illustrating, designing, typesetting, editing and just overall creating, are responsible for bringing publications such as this one to life. These individuals are a very unique breed indeed.

Our own "labour of love" is what you see before you now. Over the issues to come, we hope to create an entertaining, educating, and informative newsletter that will not only be the "voice of the Free-Net," but will become a relevant reference source to you, our community.

'Zine Attractions

The following is a brief overview of our various Saint John Free-Net E-Zine departments:

"Click-Here" - the Lead Story & SJFN Update: These sections willkeep you and the local community, up-to-date on major announcements, issues and plans from the Saint John Free Net
Community Profiles: Read about how community organizations are using the Free-Net and computers to help deliver their message to the public.
Letters to (and from) the Editor: Letters and views from our readers.
Cartoon - [Esc]capades: A view of technology, from a "warped" perspective.
Errors and Omissions: Corrections from the previous newsletter, normally empty *grin*.
Partners / Sponsors: Bios of the partners of the Saint John Free-Net, who believe "Public Access is in the Public Interest."
How to / Tips & Tricks: This section will contain technical articles; tips and tricks on using computers in your home and business; and information related to using the Internet and on-line services.
Download of the Month: Recommended shareware/freeware for those who want "the most for the least."
Volunteer Recognition: Stories and awards for our volunteers and members.
Surfin' News / Industry News: News of importance from the World of Computers and the Internet.
What's Good, What's Hot, and What's Not!!!: Reviews of hardware, software, books and on-line text.
Toolbox / Colophon: The resources used in the production of the newsletter
Membership & Suggestions: Discover how to become a member of the Saint John Free Net.
SJFN Up-To-Date Job Information: Information on Internet and computer related jobs of interest to our readers as well as information on how to use the Internet to find other job related information.

We will be creating a new issue every two months. Our method of distribution will depend on YOU the READER. One of the benefits of publishing an E-Zine, is that we do not have to worry about the overhead costs of actually "printing" our newsletter. The E-Zine will be made available electronically over the Internet in three formats:

i	HTML/Web version: 
ii	Adobe Acrobat version 
(you must have installed the Acrobat Reader, available from Adobe Systems
at http://www.adobe.com/ - in MAC/WIN/DOS/UNIX versions); and a
iii	ASCII text version.

Get Involved!

The philosophy of the Saint John Free-Net figures highly into the production of this E-Zine. "Community minded" and "volunteer driven" are not just simple phrases to be tossed around at a dinner party. Our mission statement shows that we are concerned with providing a service and a product that can be of benefit and use to ALL in our community.

The Saint John Free-Net is a HUGE Community Project. Our volunteers not only participate in newsletters/E-Zines production, but in non-profit/public Internet training, HTML editing, tradeshows, research, fundraising, etc. The Saint John Free-Net is for EVERYONE ..and not-so-coincidentally, EVERYONE needs to "Get Involved!" so as to make it work!

If you are interested in helping your community by volunteering, e-mail the Membership Committee at members@www.sjfn.nb.ca.

E-Zines

There are a number of Web Sites dedicated to the exploration and promotion of E-Zine’s (Zines Zines Everywhere, broken pencil, and The Etext Archives ) that are very good starting points for those interested in gaining a closer insight into this form of media.

      Toodles until next time

      Howard LaBillois
      Executive Administrator, Saint John Free-Net Inc.

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