The Honourable Jon. M. Gerrard, Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development, and for Western Economic Diversification reviewed several government accomplishments in providing better on-line access for computer users.
Gerrard noted that "information technology is enabling technology. I applaud the work done by Telecommunities to make this development possible."
Professional speaker Peter de Jager explained how our use of "scripts" influences how we react in a given situation. The 'fast food restaurant' script works well until you go into a new fast food restaurant. Then you modify the script to account for changes such as a restaurant employee cleaning your garbage from the table rather than doing it yourself.
De Jager said "there are no roads into the future, the only way to get there is on our own feet." Community networkers will be writing their own scripts.
Garth Graham of Telecommunities Canada presented a survey of his "work in progress" regarding the nature of a knowledge society. "Telecommunities believes we're making communities better places to live," Graham said.
Graham mentioned an article by Robert Putnam called "Bowling alone: American social capital." The article observes that modern communities are often fragmented and social interaction suffers. "Virtual communities are countering the 'bowling alone' trend," concluded Graham.