Our Mission:
KCBXnet is dedicated to providing the technological tools people and organizations need to connect
to and support their community.
About
Us
Like
KCBX Public Radio, KCBXnet Community Technology Resources was
created to fill a void in the community.
A
decade ago, San Luis Obispo resident Phil Wagner read an intriguing
magazine article: online repositories of community information called
"Free-Nets" were popping up all over the nation. Nothing like
that existed in San Luis Obispo County, so Phil set out to
create a community resource—from city council meeting agendas to
calendars of local events—that all citizens could access for free.
THE
EARLY YEARS . . .
Phil
and his friend Mike Underwood met with community members
to brainstorm ways to implement a "SLO County Free-Net," as it was
first called. They formed a planning committee, and 35 people from
city and county governments, Cal Poly, and the local businesses
showed up for the first meeting. Once the committee realized "Free"
wasn’t possible, it dropped the word from the organization’s name
and shortened it to "SLONET." Charging for Internet services would be
necessary if the organization hoped to cover the costs of other
activities, such as offering free classes for the public or free
e-mail accounts for nonprofit organizations.
In
January of 1994, SLONET signed up its first 25 paying subscribers.
For the first time, SLO County residents had an on-ramp to the
information superhighway. Just six months later the subscribership grew
to 150. Now SLONET could offer its free services, beginning
with a Virtual Village database of information about
local businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit
organizations. Next, it offered weekly workshops to teach
people how to use computers and access the Internet. Since SLONET
didn’t have a physical location at the time, workshops were
held all over town, from the library to a print shop.
Within
a year the organization received its 501(c)3 nonprofit status,
hired two paid staff members, and continued to rely heavily on
volunteers. (Dedicated volunteers remain at the heart of SLONET today!)
Two years later SLONET purchased faster modems and leased
a SUN server.
THE
PARTNERSHIP WITH KCBX . . .
KCBX
president, Frank Lanzone, Jr., sat on SLONET’s first board
of directors. It seemed only natural, then, to discuss the
partnering of the two organizations in 1997. After all, both focused
on communication, and both provided venues for Central Coast residents
to connect to ideas, people, and organizations they would not have
access to otherwise. The KCBX board replaced the SLONET board, and
appointed Frank as president for both organizations.
Partnering
with KCBX moved SLONET forward in a way that was impossible
beforehand. Not only did it finally have a physical office, but
a building renovation created an onsite Training Center equipped
with 20 computers. Now community classes and user support meetings
could be held in one place. Two computers were also set up in the
lobby for anyone to use for free to access the Web, check their
e-mail, or practice what they learned in class. Then in 2000 SLONET
signed a contract with the City of San Luis Obispo to videotape
city council meetings. When it broadened its scope to include other
forms of communication technology, SLONET gained momentum.
THE
EVOLUTION CONTINUES . . .
The
year 2002 found SLONET poised once again to move forward
as a community resource. In September 2002, the board of directors
voted to adopt a new name for SLONET to reflect its growing ties
with KCBX. The new name, "KCBXnet," brings no changes for
subscribers, aside from enhanced services.
In the Spring of 2004, KCBXnet decided to expand its services, offering ntionwide dialup access,
24/7 technical support, 100 MB of personal web space, and 6 emails per account. In essence, KCBXnet
took the final step in becoming a full-fledged Internet Service Provider even as it made a commitment to being an integral part of KCBX
Public Radio. By taking the step to outsource some of the work that was done locally, KCBXnet could spend more of its
energy and resources on giving back to the community and strengthening its local impact.
Please contact us at 805-781-2580 or
if you have any
questions.
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