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Dissemination
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Rónán O'Beirne
| From the outset of the project there was an understanding that many of the innovative practices might be of interest to others. At an early stage there was a recognition that both the strategic thinking and the practical operations that the project employed should be made available free to a range of outside interests. Initially the only vehicle for doing this was word of mouth. When the project website was launched this gave inquirers something tangible to focus on. However the website really raised more questions that needed to be answered. |
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Coupled with this reactive approach to dissemination there was a proactive approach. This amounted to setting up two seminars in association with the PAT 15 work, which attracted a wide range of parties both locally and nationally. The seminars in September and December 1999 were well attended and regarded as successful. |
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Prior to the above events there was a suggestion that some form of concise appraisal of the project might be produced as a means to supplement information given in response to inquiries about the project. This idea was first muted at a website development day in January 1999. It became apparent that the most effective medium to use in this case was a multimedia CDROM product. |
| The advantages of the CDROM as a dissemination tool were many. Primarily most of the tangible assets of the project had been developed in digital form, indeed the fundamental nature of the project was information and communication technologies. Secondly, the CDROM, through its hypermedia structure, gave the opportunity to target a range of audiences and to be employed in a variety of settings. |
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In conclusion there remains within the project the guiding principle that what has been achieved and learnt should be shared. This is the prevalent spirit of community networking noted throughout the country. |