Hi Jack,

My name is Aaron Laramore. I'm a new subscriber to your magazine. In the
first issue I ever read, the Feb. 1993 issue, in a subscription ad in the
back was a cover for the October 1992 issue, which indicated that Boardwatch
had done an article on Native American boards. I have not yet looked at that
online back issue, but intend to. I also read with interest the article on
Internet connections in Russia. My thinking after reading these articles was
that I would be very interested in seeing something similar on African
American systems in N. America, and something about the progress of
connectivity on the African continent.

I'm African American and very positive about the potential and promise that
telecommunications holds out for African Americans in making the essential
connections not only with each other, but with people of African descent
throughout the African Diaspora

The civil liberties issues surrounding PGP and government attempts to extend
its surveillance capabilities have particular resonance for African
Americans, a community which has been the subject of government surveillance
and interference on numerous occasions. The communication possibilities
inherent in this technology presents an incredibly opportunity for
communities which are marginalized. Your editorial comments often allude to
your belief in the tremendous social impact of this technology and where it
might lead us. Those political and social issues are I think highlighted when
discussed in the context of America's social groups like African Americans.
So if BW has not already done something in this area( African American
systems/the state of connectivity in Africa) its a subject area I would
really love to see written up. Arthur McGee (72377.1351@ compuserve.com)
currently compiles the national list of African American run/oriented systems
in N. America, which BW lists on its BBS listkeepers index, and would be a
good place as any to start, if you've a mind to explore this topic. I
sincerely hope BW might take this topic up in a future issue.

In closing, I love your magazine, I'm an aspiring sysop (gotta finish law
school first-OSU) and I share your continuing sense of amazement at where
this is going, and the awesome social and political potentials this
technology entails has me walking around in a fairly perpetual state of
excitement. Continue your great work. Your magazine provides information with
far reaching social impact. I'm glad I discovered it. Peace.

 Aaron Laramore
 pyramid@boardwatch.com

Aaron:

Interesting letter. I'm  a nothing-American as far as I know. I'm sure there
is some other stuff in there historically, my people bred rather widely, and
I have to assume with great enthusiasm. But I'm not sure just what is
involved. I guess it's important to retain all the differences we can find so
we can have something to scrap about in the future. And that's about my
position on multiculturalism.

That said, sure, we'd be interested in doing a treatment of connectivity on
the Dark Continent and on African-American bulletin boards. I'm not sure
they're necessarily connected, but if it pleases you, I'm game. I have
corresponded with Arthur "Rambo" McGee on this topic, and he's offered some
pretty capable assistance on this topic. The last I checked, the Internet
connection was actually by modem via Randy Bush, one of the FidoNet pioneers,
and there was some FidoNet activity. But that goes back a bit I'm afraid. I
think it would make an interesting and appropriate topic for Boardwatch. I
don't do very well at predicting when we'll do what, but consider it top of
the list.

 Jack Rickard