View From The Pew
by Gerry Hunter
(Posted Dec. 2nd, 1999).
http://newwestminster.anglican.org/news.htm
NWnet, an electronic bulletin board system that has been used within the diocese for the past ten years, is now operating as a private business venture owned and operated by the Rev. Ron Barnes.
Fr. Barnes created Church Consulting Inc. to sell systems similar to NWnet to interested churches and dioceses. At his request, full responsibility for the NWnet system was returned to his company on Nov. 8. Funded by the diocese for the past several years, NWnet will now be supported through individual subscriber fees.
Ray Hudson, chair of the Diocesan Communications Committee, said the decision to return the system to Church Consulting Inc. was endorsed by his committee's technology sub-group and by the Diocesan Business Administrator. "The role of NWnet within the overall diocesan system has been under discussion for several years," he said . "While we're grateful for the time and energy that Fr. Barnes and others have put into creating and maintaining the system, we believe the diocese is better served through other internet technologies, such as our existing website," said Hudson. "It has not been practical, in terms of limited diocesan staff and financial resources, to fund and operate two overlapping systems."
Hudson said a final decision about NWnet's future became necessary in October, when the Communications Committee was forced to temporarily shut down NWnet's internet link because of concerns that the system was in violation of its cable agreement. "It became clear that additional funding would be needed to link to the internet properly, and it seemed like an obvious time to make a decision about whether or not to continue using the system," he said. "When Fr. Barnes requested the return of the system, we supported the move as a solution that would be best for everyone involved."
He said the Communications Committee plans to expand the services offered through the diocesan website (www.vancouver. anglican.ca), and the technology group is currently preparing a report for parishes on how to use the internet to create free private and public discussion forums.
The website, which attracts an average of 500 users a day, provides a wide range of parish and diocesan information.
While NWnet will no longer be part of the diocese's communication system, those wishing to continue using NWnet on a private basis can obtain more information from the Rev. Ron Barnes at 942-8850.
There is a story on how NWnet became private in the next Topic - newssheet of the Diocese of New Westminster. It is already posted on the diocesan web site:
"NWnet now operating as a private business venture"
http://newwestminster.anglican.org/news.htm
There are some facts not mentioned in that story that bear on its interpretation.
NWnet was not returned to the control of Fr. Ron Barnes, recently retired from St. John's, Port Moody, on the initiative of the Diocese, as the article may lead one to surmise.
The diocese had chosen to use and fund NWnet as a communications vehicle. However, the equipment, software licences, and the name NWnet were, and always have been, owned by Fr. Barnes.
Just prior to 8 November, Fr. Barnes and Fr. Ron Wickens, the system administrator, were told there would be a meeting of the Technology Sub-Committee to decide on what, if any, role the diocese would choose to have in NWnet. Neither Fr. Ron was invited to that meeting, though they were told they would be informed of its decision.
They were not told. Rather, they were informed they could not be told because the decision was confidential, and had to pass by the full Communications Committee.
NWnet is now private as the result of Fr. Barnes then delivering a letter to the diocese, informing them that, since they had ceased to make any use of what he, in fact, owned, he was reclaiming it.
In spite of the presentation of a deliberative process in the Topic article, the committee of the diocese had nothing to consider concerning the privatization. It was a fait accompli. They had been informed that it had happened; they did not determine that it would or should happen.
Gerry Hunter