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It's important to realize that there is no silver bullet. The
technology is not magic, although some people seem to believe it is.
Positive changes -- both small and large -- will only happen when people
spend time, effort, and possibly money to make them happen. This may
be the main point of my book, that community network technology may
help us re-orient technology in ways that are equitable, sustainable,
democratic, and community-oriented, but they are in no way a substitute
for human activity.
In my -- sometimes utopian -- imagination I envision large numbers of people, members of so-called "new communities," who are working to improve their local, and even global, communities. On the other hand, much can be accomplished with small groups of people as well. In the book I discuss what I call the six community "core values" which must be thriving and healthy for the community as a whole to be thriving and healthy. These include (1) Conviviality and Culture; (2) Education; (3) Strong Democracy; (4) Heath and Well-Being; (5) Economic Equity, Opportunity, and Sustainability; and (6) Information and Communication. Most (if not all) community network applications fall into one or more of these categories.
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