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Hello Barbara and everyone else, Just a quick thought about your topics. In time (and fairly shortly actually) there will be ready public access to all kinds of public information. While a mailing list, such as the Parkinson List, cannot be available at public access terminals, archives and World Wide Web repositories of information can be easily accessed. Here in Halifax, the pioneering Chebucto Community Net has terminals in all of the public libraries. Anyone who is accustomed to coming into and using a public library can access Parkinson information now through Chebucto by going to the Nova Scotia Division Parkinson Home Page. Once there, they can find links to other the Parkinson WWW pages. In addition, there is a great, on-going struggle between cable companies, phone companies and computer companies to gain control of the home television. Soon people at home will be able to access this same kind of information even without a computer. Already we have public kiosks in malls here in Halifax (and I am sure they can be found now in most major North American cities) which also are beginning to provide access to similar kinds of information. Mailing lists require access, on a regular basis, to a computer, a modem and an Internet connection, so the highly interactive nature of mailing lists cannot be easily duplicated in public access terminals. However, existing Parkinson WWW home pages could include a form which could be used by public access browser. The might include information or questions (users might also note their snail mail address to permit response). These forms could be emailed to the Parkinson List. There is a clear danger in this -- we might end up getting lots of crank email messages posted. At the present time, anyone browsing the Nova Scotia Home Page can send an email message. If the information or query received in this way was of potential interest to the whole list, it could be re-posted. I have made this offer to Parkinson chapter members here in Halifax, but few have taken me up on the offer. Considering the fact that the Parkinson List and lists like it are still very new and taking into account the fact that a year ago the WWW barely existed it takes an adventurous soul to even anticipate what might be possible a year from now or even a month from now on the electronic highway. Good luck with your talks. You will have to start saying no or you will have to abondon your work managing the List! Regards to all. Peter ========================================= Peter J. Kidd Learning Materials Consulting Services Phone & Fax: (902) 443-4262 Email: [log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask] http://www.cfn.cs.dal.ca/~aa163/peterkidd.html =========================================