RTPnet Annual Report:
January - December 1997

Judy Hallman, Executive Director, RTPnet
Prepared: March 30, 1998

Hardware/Software

Conversion from the HP9000/360 HPUX system (rtpnet01) to RedHat/Linux (rtpnet02) was completed in June, thanks to the efforts of Joe Morris. The HP system was retired.

Joe Morris turned over maintenance the RTPnet system to Errol Casey and Charles Hall in December.

Approximately 22 Systems Administrators answered a request for help with software development, and an e-mail list was set up for this group (rtpnet-sys@unc.edu; an exploder). A meeting was held June 18 on software development. Tasks were divided.

System backup procedures are not in place yet.

Jon Mauney installed, documented, and now maintains page counter software and gform (Generic Form Handler). Robbie Allen volunteered to check cgi script code. People who are particularly anxious to use their own cgi scripts can use a commercial Web service.

Good progress was made on e-mail lists, by Daniel Singer and Roger Austin (Majordomo installed, documented and tested, but not announced), and discussion forums, by Simon Meng Lin.

Public Workstations and Training

Although no training sessions were held in Orange County Public Library (in Hillsborough) this year, the computer that RTPnet installed there is used a great deal, except for a brief period when the library was closed for rennovations.

Public facilities at Birchwood Computer Learning Center are in progress.

Birchwood Computer Learning Center Project

A general meeting was held February 19 to discuss possibilities for an TIIAP proposal. While a TIIAP proposal was not submitted, the suggestions were used to write a proposal to the Smallwood Foundation. The proposal was partially funded. In fact, two grants were approved for the Birchwood Computer Learning Center:

  • A $10,100 grant awarded to the Institute for the Study of Minority Issues (ISMI), North Carolina Central University (NCCU), for a few new, good computers, one phone line and PPP account, and some software.

  • A grant for an IBM PC-340, made possible by the Triangle United Way and by the IBM Corporation (thanks to Hugh Giblin).
A steering committee was set up.

The project is progressing well.

Memberships

In December 1996, the Board authorized a request to be sent by e-mail to information providers asking for a minimum of $50 a year for a participating membership in RTPnet.

In June, Hallman classified userids on the system. Categories included: "Established and Linked," "Looks Good But Not Linked Yet," "In Development," "Commericial," "Personal," "Page Moved," "Systems," etc. The first e-mail requests for the $50 membership fee were sent in July to categories 1 and 2. The initial billing and userid cleanup project are not complete yet.

Owners of commercial and personal pages are being asked to move them to a different site.

Unused ids are being deleted.

Checks are now mailed to Hallman when the account is requested. Hallman keeps paper files (by userid) of account creation, request for link, and copies of checks.

General Meetings

  • February 19, 1997, Brainstorming a TIIAP proposal
  • June 18, 1997, Software development

Meeting summaries are online at http://www.RTPnet.org/rtpnet/min/.

Board Activities

  • Membership

    Tom Hockings resigned as President in May 1996. The Executive Director (Judy Hallman) serves as Acting President, and Mike Rulison serves as convenor of Board meetings.

    In its annual meeting (March 1997), Hocking was not re-elected. New Board members elected are Davis, Nissan, and Sparks. Hallman, Hutchins, and Rulison were re-elected.

    Current Board members are:

    Thomas P. Davis <santayana@aol.com>
    Assistant Librarian, North Carolina Supreme Court Library
    2739 Sevier Street
    Durham, NC
    Work: 919-733-3425
    Home: 919-490-1321

    Dan Eddleman <eddleman@prodigy.net>
    Treasurer
    Engineering Management Consultant, CDI Inc.
    3408 Lapin Lane
    Chapel Hill, NC, 27516
    Home 919-929-7220

    Robert R. Gotwals Jr <gotwals@shodor.org>
    Computational Science Educator
    The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.
    923 Broad Street Suite 100
    Durham, NC 27703
    Work: 919-286-1911

    Judith H. Hallman <judy_hallman@unc.edu>
    Acting President, Executive Director and Vice President
    Campus Webmaster, UNC-Chapel Hill
    1078 Lystra Road
    Chapel Hill, NC, 27514
    Work: 919-962-5277
    Home: 919-933-3931

    William R. Hutchins <hutch@RTPnet.org>
    President, Future Concepts, inc.
    5605 Brisbane Drive
    Chapel Hill, NC, 27514
    Work: 919-968-4292
    Home: 919-968-4292

    Amnon Nissan <amnon@intercenter.net>
    President, The Internet Center, Inc.
    6001 Chapel Hill Rd. suite 106
    Raleigh, NC 27607
    Work: 919-233-2000
    Home: 919-851-7609

    Michael v.E. Rulison <mrulison@unity.ncsu.edu>
    Secretary and Convenor
    Principal, DataNomics,
    Economic analysis and microcomputer applications development
    3256 Lewis Farm Road
    Raleigh NC, 27607
    Home: 919-782-9576

    Jane Sparks <jlsparks@co.orange.nc.us>
    Orange County Data Processing
    PO Box 8181
    Hillsborough, NC 27278
    Work: 919-732-8181; then 1; then 2277#

    Robert L.Watson <uncrw@link.unctv.org>
    Learning Link
    UNC Center for Public Television
    1804 Athens Avenue
    Durham NC, 27707
    Work: 919-549-7192
    Home: 919-682-4271

  • Meetings

    • March 13
    • June 17
    • September 15

  • Board of Advisors

    In the May 1996 meeting, RTPnet established a Board of Advisors. There have been no appointments, assignments, or other activity.

  • Policies

    • Authorization for accounts
      The policy regarding authorization for accounts was changed. Previously, a letter was required before a link would be made to a Web page. Current policy requires a letter, on letterhead, from the leader of the group, authorizing the creation of an account and appointing an Information Coordinator for the group.

    • Membership
      Membership was defined to include a user logon id, an initial password, WWW page, e-mail address, and access to approved CGI scripts.

      Members should pay something or provide services in lieu of payment (e.g., advertising RTPnet in the organizations newsletter).

    • Links
      The Board agreed that the intent of RTPnet policy should be that all WWW pages sited on RTPnet should appear on RTPnet menus unless a convincing reason against such a link is presented and accepted by the Board.

    • E-mail accounts
      The Board approved personal e-mail accounts for use from public facilities. The accounts will be prefixed to identify the public facility being used (for example, BH for Birchwood Heights). If possible, checks will be made to ensure that the account is being accessed from the public facility.

    • Mailbox
      The Board changed RTPnet's mailing address from the RTP Post Office Box to Hutchins' home in March and then to Hallman's home in September.

    • Liability
      At the request of the Board, Eddleman investigated the need for liability insurance. Eddleman sent to the Board (28 July 1997) Senate Bill S.543 (Volunteer Protection Act) that was passed by Congress.

    • Online Policies
      The online policies were combined into one file.

  • N.C. Center for Nonprofits

    RTPnet did not renew its membership in the N.C. Center for Nonprofits.

  • Meetings

    Hallman and Paul Godshall attended to a day-long meeting of the NC Nonprofit User Group in Ashville August 22. Hallman attended a similar meeting October 31 in Greensboro.

    Hallman and Godshall spoke at the Chapel Hill Group program October 8.

Assets

Assets entering 1997: $2,700.27
Income: $4,275.00
Expenses: $1,638.68
Assets at end of 1997: $5,336.59

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Last modified: 2005 Aug 29 -- JHH