• WHOA:Women Halting Online Abuse
  
• REPORT FROM A DEN MOTHER
  
• Computer Networking:
  Spinsters on the Web
  
• WOMEN TAKE
  TO THE 'NET
  
  

WHOA: Women Halting Online Abuse opened its Web site on February 12, 1997. Its' mission is, in a nutshell, to provide direction for the Internet community on dealing with one of the worms in our community apple: online harassment and abuse. The method through which WHOA works, in spite of criticism that has sometimes labeled it an organization of "net.cops", is primarily through education and voluntary adaptation of anti-harassment policies by site administrators. It also provides empowerment and unified support for persons who have been targeted for this harassment and abuse. WHOA is completely non-profit and all of its resources of time, energy and even its Web space and email account are donated. WHOA currently provides a number of services to the Internet community to carry through its mission.

The first and foremost program of WHOA is educational development and resources. Currently, WHOA is collecting information from the four corners of the Internet, interviewing persons who have experience in handling abuse/harassment issues online (whether it be site administrators, those who have been harassed, or developers of technology that protects against harassment), and making contacts in law and counseling in order to provide referral services to those who have experienced online harassment and abuse. Considering that the web site,
http://www.haltabuse.org/
has been online less than a month, a large collection of resources have been developed and continue to be developed. WHOA is still searching for a qualified and enthusiastic Director of Educational Development for this program. If you are interested, please mail whoa@femail.com with a letter of interest and your resume. Ultimately, WHOA hopes to provide top-of-the line resources in many formats that will teach people how to protect themselves against online harassment and how to deal with it, if it happens. WHOA will guide site administrators how to develop successful policies against harassment on their sites; local, state and federal law enforcement agencies how to deal with complaints of harassment. (Many law enforcement agencies are not aware of the issues involved with the Internet and are therefore ill equipped to deal with such complaints.) WHOA will inform the Internet community as a whole how to be more sensitive to the real issue that is online harassment and abuse.

Another program that WHOA currently has in place and hopes to expand is our Policy Program. Our Director of Policy, Katherine Griffis-Greenberg, J.D. has only recently joined us but already proven herself an invaluable resource. Currently we have a few example policies available at our site and offer assistance with any site who wants to write its own policies but does not know how to proceed. We also offer a safe site list in which we honor sites that have created and enforced anti-harassment policies on their own. There are specific criteria for these "safe sites" that are listed on our web site at www.haltabuse.org/volpol.html

We do accept nominations. On the other hand, we also have an unsafe site list which has very strict and stringent requirements for admission. It is the ultimate goal of WHOA to never have a site placed on that list. We hope to be able to educate and assist sites in developing methods of dealing with incidents that occur, rather than be negative and simply place sites on an unsafe site list without giving them every opportunity to work out the problems in a mutually satisfying fashion.

Finally, WHOA currently offers assistance to persons who have been targeted by harassers. When we receive complaints about a specific occurence, one of the Board members takes the case and we forward the concerns to the site administrator from which the harassment originates. We make every attempt to work out the problem with the administrator in a fair and considerate fashion. We are aware that it is possible that forgeries or false information could be provided to us. We have technical advisors who do their best to identify any questionable material. One such advisor is Doug Muth, an expert "SPAM" fighter who has been working with many others to combat unsolicited commercial email. His efforts to assist us on the technical end have provided us with just the right balance of technical and administrative insight into dealing with these problems.

Nevertheless, we do not offer our services as judge and jury over any potential harasser. Merely, we provide means through which problems can be solved in a mature and reasonable manner, hopefully setting standards for dealing with such issues in a way that is fair and impartial for all sides. Some of our most vocal criticism has been of this particular program because many interpret its implications as being a detriment to free speech. Nothing could be further from our intent. Yet, in every media tool that we have, free speech has restrictions that we accept and even laud on a daily basis. None of us would like it to be acceptable for the New York Times to run an article randomly defaming private citizens, and yet Netizens fear the idea of controlling such behavior on a public bulletin board system or on Usenet. None of us would think twice about the idea that it is wrong to make repeated phone calls involving sexual content and threats to someone at their home or office, but if it comes in the form of email many stout defenders of Internet free speech think that is just fine, and label those who are being harassed as "whiners" and "crybaby tattlers". This creates a double whammy for those who experience this kind of abuse and harassment. Not only do they have reason to fear the perpetrator, but they have to also fear the community that should support them.

WHOA has already experienced some intense growing pains and we know there are more to come. Yet we feel that we are providing a template for the future: a future in which all people on the Internet can work together and play together and not have to fear continual harassment and abuse. Because we think that the Internet is both a reflection of, and a developing force for society-at-large, we believe that in building such a world online, we can help to build it offline as well.

Join our discussion list by writing to
listserv@listserv.aol.com with the message:
subscribe WHOA (your first name) (your last name)
The W.H.O.A. mailing list offers discussion, support and current news and information about online harassment and cyberstalking issues.
For more information on us, visit our web site at
www.haltabuse.org/

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This is a story about a little miracle happening in decaying downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Much as Boston is equated with high tech activity, there remains an incredible lack of ubiquity to computer access. Virtually Wired Educational Foundation is a neighborhood learning center consisting of about 3000 sq. ft. of space, 30+ 386 computers, a donated ISDN link and Internet service, 70 volunteers, and whole lot of heart. The street-level space came from a visionary with access to used computers. He set up the physical space and, as many visionaries do, moved on. It fell to me to breathe life and purpose into this shell of promise.

With nothing more than a sign soliciting volunteers in the window for one month, 35 people stopped in expressing interest in the concept. At the time the Yahoo search engine was just becoming know, we opened the doors for drop in visitors to receive a friendly, supportive and free introduction to the Internet. We coupled the drop in service with a heavy schedule of low cost classes covering the introduction to various computer topics. The vast majority of the machines were connected to the Internet and most had access to the standard office applications. Due to the age of the machines, games and other graphically based software were out of the question. Fully believing that if we built such a place, the world would pound down our doors. We opened on May 1, 1995 ready to deal with the masses of underserved eager to learn all about Cyberspace.

Wrong

We've learned a lot since.

Who comes to such a place?

There are no public schools nearby, and with no games we don't get the gaggle of teenagers one might expect. Though we hand out free daily passes to many nearby homeless shelters, we get few visitors. In fact, if you looked through our window most of the day, you'd see mostly middle class white males. In the last 21 months we've learned that a huge number of the underserved and computer illiterate among us are not dying to get on the Internet - in fact - they're not even paying attention. Our determination to reach these folks has us going through the nonprofit organizations that serve them.

Much like parents eager to get their kids online, nonprofit staffs are eager to add a computer component to their services. On numerous occasions we've hosted various groups on either field trips or a series of weekly visits. As a result of monthly mass mailing, we're getting more and more interest from nonprofit staffs as the realization slowly sinks in that the Internet might also have some value to their organization. In spite of the many resources available in the Boston area, the enthusiastic, low budget nonprofit is constrained from exploring the Information Superhighway either by the price of commercial training or the limited number of accessible hours.

The most compelling reason for a new user to pay us a visit is their job search. The ever growing number of sites of job listings and the need for basic computer skills is the greatest motivator to overcome one's fear of humiliation and potential responsibility for nuclear war. We've found the combination of solitaire and the Web are most valuable in bringing people past their fears and onto the Internet and computers. Solitaire is a great way to develop the eye/hand, drag/click coordination needed with the mouse. The Web distracts the fearful away from the fact they're using a computer by drawing them into an exploration mindset. Interest in the Web, alone, however, will not suffice to get a new user to invest in repeated visits. The Web must serve as an effective research tool or the user must discover an interactive Internet application such as email or newsgroups to keep coming back. An educated guess on my part would claim that under 10% of our regulars use the Web for any period of time during their visits.

When women visit, they are clearly on a mission. The only all day female visitors always arrive with a specific objective - one that cannot wait. Most are preparing for work. Their activities are learning basic office applications, practising in preparation for skill testing by temporary agencies, or job searching on the Web. It appears that women never casually "surf" unless it is in the process of learning how to use the Net. From the early days we've used Tuesday nights as Women's Night (we received too much flak for calling it Ladies' Night). These nights are never terribly busy. Children under 12 are welcome, only women are allowed, and all the volunteers are women. Most women who visit on Tuesdays don't really need help but come because of the all-woman environment. I haven't noticed much difference in the casual usage by women. Just as with men, interactivity and communication is the ticket to repeat use. Downtown Boston is not exactly on the beaten track for most women in the evening hours - I believe our location is largely responsible for the small number of our Women's Night visitors.

I've often found that in the nonprofit world, glowing reports are often not justified by the day to day reality of the nonprofit's work. I'm saddened that we can't be more honest about our disappointments. Sharing these disappointments might help us to identify the unexpected successes hidden by our agenda. Virtually Wired is far from stabilized. After a year of knocking ourselves out giving services away to pre-schoolers, the homeless, youth at risk, and others, I've had to halt our good deeds in the interest of finding funding and making ourselves better known. Our revenue just barely pays the light bill and our subsidized existence rests on a landlord currently in bankruptcy. My personal financial picture has become desperate. Daily I'm ready to throw in the towel and seek relief in employment where someone else is the boss. Then I run into a volunteer.

The true miracle of Virtually Wired is our volunteers. Our pennilessness has been a key factor in bringing together and changing the lives of a most remarkable group of people. I don't know what draws these people through the door in the first place, but we've developed a core group of about 20 volunteers with the most remarkable stories I've ever known. Almost every one is homeless or formerly homeless. And, somehow, Virtually Wired is putting them back on their feet. Phyllis is a victim of a bad marriage and suicide attempt. To avoid developing a shelter mentality she spends her day greeting newcomers. Phyllis is a writer. She's currently re-editing a novel she's written that has received interest from a publisher. Joe built one of the most successful music production studios in Boston, but his heroin addiction brought him to poverty. In one year, Joe has become a total expert in computers, tutors our disabled clients from Mass. Rehabilitation Commission, and has been clean for 15 months. Chuck arrived, sober for only a few weeks, last August. Since that day he has spent every day fine-tuning our old computers to the point that they can run Windows '95. Chuck recently qualified and moved into the first permanent housing he's enjoyed in years. These are just a few examples. In a world where miracles are seen as quaint myth, Virtually Wired would bring a tear to your eye. The only capital we have to share is our sense of well-being. The women volunteers need good conversation. The men need pats on the back and hugs. Based on this meager compensation, our doors are open 45 hours a week. All visitors get the help they need at whatever level they need it. Our machines are all almost always working, our bathrooms are clean, and little by little, I'm able to build an outreach campaign that will, finally, hopefully, put more than love in our pockets.

The world of "virtual" often seems like it's redefining the definition of intimate and personal. But in a little corner of Boston, old-fashioned love and family is the fuel that is bringing the Information Age to those waiting longest for its benefits.

Coralee Whitcomb is president of Virtually Wired Educational Foundation, authors the Telecom Post (a weekly online digest covering policy issues re: telecommunications), is a faculty member of Computer Information Systems at Bentley College, and a longtime activist with Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility.

Email: CWHITCOM@bentley.edu

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Computer Networking:
Spinsters on the Web
by Ellen Balka
CRIAW/ICREF criaw@sympatico.ca
ISBN 0-919653-33-2 January 1997
Softcover, 168 pages $20

Women's groups who are considering implementing computer networks in their organizations should be able to make informed decisions about which type of network to use. Ellen Balka's perspective is that the social bias informing different types of technology has an impact on how the users of those technologies can interact and communicate with each other.

Computer Networking: Spinsters on the Web begins with an explanation of the components of computer networks, and goes into the history of computer networks in general, and in Canada. More specifically, it addresses how women's groups have used computer networks - successfully or not. Balka examines the ways in which different types of computer networks can facilitate or hinder feminist work for social change. The social issues regarding computer networks (the hardware and software that are physically organized in a particular way) are affected by the structure of those networks. Not every network supports all methods of communication, and the implementation of computer networks in feminist groups may potentially create an elite of computer-savvy women, rather than enhancing communication in a collective. Balka discusses access issues, including costs, language preferences, geographical location, and the ways in which technology is (still) mystified and viewed as a male domain.

This handbook attempts to cover a lot of ground, and it is not entirely successful. Balka's ambitious effort to make computer networks comprehensible to new users is good, but in many areas I would have liked to see a more in-depth explanation of some concepts, theories, and examples. The tone of the handbook is fairly academic, although Balka does place a great deal of emphasis on the necessity of linking theory and practice. Unfortunately, it is simply not possible to fully explain every concept Balka introduces in one short handbook.

Balka suggests that any feminist organization which is considering implementing a computer network should have an advocate in the organization who is willing to work with the network. She encourages groups to develop their own knowledge and skills with the technology they will be using, rather than depending on outside (often male) expertise. The discussions throughout the handbook about the relationships between technology and individuals, particularly in feminist groups, is important especially to collectives who try to avoid skill specialization and rely instead on role-rotation.

The glossary at the end of the handbook is very useful, as is Balka's list of internet resources. The most practical section of the handbook for women's groups is a series of exercises which groups can use to determine whether they need a computer network, and if so, which type of network is appropriate for their needs. Balka's discussion of participatory design, wherein the users of a technology are also its designers, heavily informs her theory.

Barbara D. wrote in a recent e-mail to a friend, "I embrace my geekhood!" She entered cyberspace at the age of 40-something, after a computer sat unused in her back bedroom for ten years. "I always thought of the computer as a boy toy, something my husband played with," she explains. Her husband was an avid computer nerd, but Barbara only occasionally used the computer for word processing.

she began to surf the web, she bought her own computer. A week later she replaced grabbing a Dr. Pepper with booting up to check e-mail as her first activity each morning. While the World Wide Web can be intimidating to someone who is not familiar with computers, Barbara believes the rewards are well worth the effort.

Novice users should use some common sense but not be overly afraid of getting in to computing.

Simple rules are:
1. Try before you buy
2. Let people know you are a novice
3. Surf Safe
4. Don't forget to have fun

   Try before you buy
   Barbara first surfed in a lab at school. If you attend school or have access to a school lab, then take advantage of the opportunity. You are paying for the equipment with your fees. Some libraries offer access. Many Print shops now offer Internet services on a "by the hour" basis. Cybergrills, restaurants that offer public terminals, are springing up nationwide. Some colleges and community centers offer classes on Internet use. Tutors or consultants will teach you the basics on either your computer or theirs. Be as cautious as you would be in hiring any other type of personal service.

   Better yet, ask a friend to show you around the web. Then, surf. Not all aspect of computing appeal to any one person, so, before investing large sums of money it is a good idea to find out what your wants and needs are. Please note: the line between need and want becomes blurred almost immediately in computing.

   Let people know you are a novice Declare your newbie (newcomer) status at every opportunity. Bluffing does not work in cyberspace because people will soon recognize your lack of experience. As in other dimensions, plenty of good people will help newcomers to cyberspace. Most areas of the Web contain a FAQ (frequently asked question) section, and this area should be your first stop when visiting a new place.

   Surf safe
   Use the same amount of caution you would exercise in any other interaction. This means not announcing your home address and phone number or any financial data until you are certain the person on the other end of the line is legitimate and safe. Don't be afraid, but don't be foolish.

   Don't forget to have fun
   Barbara began using e-mail to communicate with friends and relatives in an effort to save on long distance bills. She found that the savings more than paid for the cost of an additional phone line dedicated to her computer. After a time, she found the computer was an excellent way to make new friends.

   She now has several long distance friendships with people she would not have otherwise met. She points out that the timing is different in virtual relationships; things progress at a faster pace. One paramour now sends her virtual flowers and postcards. (A free service offered in several places on the Web). Although the flowers are not "real," they are still nice to get. She admits that such attention would make her uncomfortable were it to come so soon in real life. She also knows people whose online romances have blossomed into real life experiences, but romance is not the only social activity that can be enhanced by a Web browser.

   Web browser?
   If your computer represents the portal to cyberspace, the browser is the magic carpet. A browser is software (a computer program that you load on to your computer) that allows you to surf. You can either point your browser (give it the address of a web site) or use various search engines to locate many sites relating to a topic. Think of a search engine as an interactive phone book. The two big name web browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Many others are available too. Remember step one: Try before you buy.

   Also, many computers come with a browser already loaded, and many ISP (Internet Service Providers) provide a browser with their service, so make the browser one of your last purchases. Search engines are available by hitting the "search" button on your browser. Your browser will give you a list of engines, which will likely include Yahoo, Lycos, Magellan and several others. You will get a screen asking you to type in the word or words you are looking for. The engine will search the Web to find sites relating to that topic. Different engines will locate different sites for the same word search, so try several. Teresa Hunt, owner of a Rick's Cybergrill in Denton, Texas once tried to stump the Internet. She gave up when a web search on "toothpick" yielded page after page of information. "More," she says with a laugh, "Than I ever wanted to know about toothpicks."

   Lynx, the grandmother of the current web browsers, is text based, meaning you won't get pictures or sounds while you surf. The advantages to Lynx are that it is often much faster than a graphical browser and it does not require a newer machine.

   If you can live with text only, you can surf, e-mail and research with a used machine such as a 286 for PC or a SE/30 for Mac. This means that you can be up and on the web for around $100. Not everyone starts out in a Ferrari. Again, try before you buy.

   In your preliminary forays into cyberspace you may run across someone who has just upgraded and will let you purchase their old system along with a quick lesson on how to use it. Computer geeks tend to be a friendly group. But, at this point, the sticky question of platform rears its ugly head.

   PC or Mac?
   Choice of platform continues to be as controversial as sexual orientation or reproductive rights. PC and IBM clones make up the bulk of the machines in use. What you choose as a platform, or operating system determines what kinds of hardware and software you can buy. Also, you cannot trade information easily between the two systems. It can be done, but depending on which way you go, PC to Mac or Mac to PC, it is tricky. Now for the good news! The Web is not platform specific. That means you will be able to e-mail, subscribe to news groups and chat with people who use all platforms, even the die-hard Commodore and Tandy users who are still out there. Be prepared for a lengthy answer when you ask someone why she chose PC or Mac, but listen to a variety of sources and make up your own mind.

   News groups & chat rooms
   If you have an e-mail account you can explore news groups. They resemble and ongoing discourse posted on a bulletin board. News groups exist for almost any topic you care to name. Some are monitored and some are not. A monitored news group has someone who reads the postings before allowing them to go out to the group.

   When you subscribe to a news group, you will receive, via e-mail, any posting that goes out to the group. You can also reply to all members of the group with a single e-mail posting.

   The downside of news groups is that the interaction does not take place in real time.

   If you want real-time talk, try a chat room. When you enter a chat room, what you type appears on the screen of anyone else who is logged in to the room. They can then reply, almost instantly. Like news groups, there is a chat room for every interest. Not all are social, although the social rooms get most of the mass media attention.

   Barbara ventured in to chat rooms after she became comfortable with e-mail. She says the immediacy of the reply lends a different feel to the chat experience. She is more aware that there is another human on the end of the line.

   Women claiming power
   Remember, what you do with the Internet is up to you.

   Maureen Saringer, an Internet consultant, says that it is connections that make up the power behind the Internet and she urges women to claim that power for their own.

   "Don't let this become a good old boy's network," she writes in a recent e-mail. "It's available to anyone who wants to use it. Those who learn will be way ahead in job opportunities."

   She continues, "The Internet is a great way to meet other women...to share ideas and inspiration. Those women may be down the street or around the globe. The Internet makes the world a smaller place."

   What we, as women, do with that world, is up to us.

   Deb Cowden is working on her Master's in Journalism at the University of North Texas, which means she has no life. Email her at: debc@jove.acs.unt.edu

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