VANCOUVER REGIONAL FREENET ASSOCIATION
                                 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
                                 MINUTES OF MEETING
                                  September 7, 1993
                              Simon Fraser, Harbour Centre


The meeting was called to order at 8:18 pm, following a  hands-on
training  session  for the Directors, of the Poplar (UBC) system,
by Mike Hrybyk.

Regrets: Tom Hansen

1.    Agenda The agenda was approved as distributed.

2.    Minutes from August 24th.  Corrections: Minutes from August
3rd.  Corrections:
             Adopted as corrected.

3.    Policy Issues

3.1   Commercialization Policy  A  Discussion  Paper  written  by
Brian  Campbell  was  distributed,  and a both lengthy and lively
discussion followed.  It was MOVED by Phil Lyons and SECONDED  by
Jacqueline van Dyk that the "General Principle Restated" from the
Discussion Paper on Commercial Activity by  adopted  as  official
FreeNet policy, and shall read:

      FreeNet is a free, non-commercial computer information
      service.  FreeNet will not encourage nor be used for
      activities of a commercial nature.  Individuals or
      organizations should not use FreeNet to develop or
      maintain commercial activities or contacts where the
      commercial activity is the primary source of their
      income or represents other than a marginal subsistence.
      FreeNet should not be used as the primary means of
      conducting any commercial activity.  CARRIED.

Concerns raised included the possibility  of  the  FreeNet  being
used as a "gateway" (via Telnet or other) to commercial services,
network-access resellers marketing packages that  include  access
to  FreeNet,  commercial  reselling of FreeNet databases or other
information, and problems of  "policing"  and  enforcing  FreeNet
policy.

It  was  agreed  that  the  Discussion  Paper   be   limited   to
distribution  to  the Board and to the policy group within System
Design, to allow internal feedback and  discussion,  prior  to  a
wider public posting.

3.2   User Registration Postponed until next meeting.

4.    Treasurer's Report (Brian Campbell for Tom Hansen) Approval
of  the  Treasurer's Report (Balance Sheet & Year-to-date Budget)
as distributed was MOVED by  Phil  Lyons,  SECONDED  by  Margaret
Coates.  CARRIED.

5.    Membership Report (Susan Pendakur) VRFA membership is up to
150.

6.    Standing Committee Reports

6.1   Fundraising (Greg Buss) The Case Statement is  in  a  final
drafting stage, and is available on the Poplar system for review.

A  funding  application  before  the  Law  Foundation  is   being
withdrawn  at  this time.  This is a positive step, in that it is
anticipated that the proposal will be  reviewed  favourably  when
resubmitted  in their next funding year, commencing January 1994.
It is noted  that  many  organizations  have  similar  dates  for
funding proposals.

6.2   Public Relations (Fritz Radandt)  There  is  a  meeting  on
Tuesday,   September   14th,  for  training  and  orientation  of
"Presenters"  for  the  general   information   and   Information
Providers  meetings.   Presenters  are  needed  for  the  General
Orientation meeting being held on Saturday, September 18th.

People are also needed to staff the FreeNet booth at the Computer
Swap  Meet  being  held  in  the  McPherson  Centre in Burnaby on
Saturday, May 11th.

6.3   Community  Content  (Guy  Thomas,  Mike  Lehmann)  Internal
training  for  Information Provider liaisons is being planned and
training material is being gathered.  The "Content Guide" working
group  is  developing the guidelines, and requests input from the
Board concerning commercial policy (see distribution note in  3.1
)

The covering letter for endorsations met with some concerns  from
the committee, and is going to "test group" Information Providers
for additional feedback.  A list of these test groups  and  their
responses will be reported back to the Board.

Board members are to be added to the  Community  Content  mailing
list.

6.4    Hardware/Software  and   System   Design   (Mike   Hrybyk,
Jacqueline
      van Dyk) The next joint committee meeting will be  held  on
Saturday,  September 25th, from 2pm to 5pm, at SFU Harbour Centre
(room to be posted).

Mike Hrybyk has prepared  a  draft  letter  to  SUN  Microsystems
concerning the donation of a machine.  The letter will be sent as
drafted.

Brian Campbell has sent  letters  to  UBC  and  Simon  Fraser  re
machine  siting,  and  as  a  result  has a meeting set up with a
representative of UBC later this week.

7.    FreeNet Party

The pot-luck party is being held this Saturday  at  the  home  of
Brian Campbell, 2762 Trinity St. in Vancouver, at 6 pm.

8.    Other Business

Fall General Meeting.  Following a discussion on timing and other
issues,  a  decision  on  a  fall  GM will be  decided at a later
meeting.

The next meeting of the VRFA Board of Directors will be  held  on
September 21st at 7:00pm in the board room of the VPL.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:58pm.