Former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, Association of American Publishers President, Featured Speaker High-Tech Experts to Present Ways Writers Can Benefit from the Internet and New Technology WASHINGTON--Former Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) will be the featured luncheon speaker at the Washington Independent Writers 2000 Technology Conference to be held here Saturday, Oct. 21. Entitled "Writers, Technology and the Internet: Opportunities in the New Millennium," the conference will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the University Club, 1135 16th St. NW, in Washington. Schroeder, president of the Association of American Publishers, will speak about ways writers can benefit from what the publishing industry is doing to meet the challenges of electronic publishing. She will be appearing the day after her return to Washington from the International Publishers Association Frankfurt Book Fair. At that meeting in Germany, she will present a proposal on American publishers' open e-book standards. She will also speak there on the topic of digital piracy at a session jointly sponsored with the British publishing authority. She will report to the WIW conference on what happened at those events. WIW conference attendees will hear from several other specialists, from publishing, academia, the media and high-tech organizations, who will discuss ways writers can deal with the problems and opportunities presented by the Internet and new computer technology. "We have recruited many high-powered experts who can provide keen insight into what writers can do to make the most of the digital age," says WIW Executive Director Isolde Chapin. New at this year's conference will be two sessions on Internet Web site design, including a panel on advanced Internet functions such as e-commerce and taking payments electronically online via credit cards. Among those speaking on the topic will be Craig Sablosky of CyberCash Inc., a leading Internet electronic payment processing company. Other featured speakers include Jeri Clausing, executive editor of Interactive Week. Until recently, she was a Washington-based reporter for the New York Times, where she covered government and Internet policy issues for CyberTimes. She will discuss how writers can get paid to publish their work online. Susan Fulton, senior manager for administration of the New York Times picture desk, will detail the latest options in speech recognition hardware and software that allow writers to talk and have their words appear onscreen without typing. Richard Hoffman, contributing editor of Network Computing, will discuss new options writers have for mobile computing, including handheld computers such as the Palm Pilot, portable fax machines and printers, mobile phones and pagers. National Public Radio reference librarian Alphonse Vinh will speak on a panel covering advances in online research tools that help writers locate sources and information quickly. New markets for book authors online will be covered in a panel featuring representatives of iUniverse.com Inc. and Xlibris.com, which specialize in printing books on demand. Publisher Barry Beckham will discuss new ways for writers to enter joint publishing arrangements with small publishers. Todd Hayes, the author of two books and founder of UndergroundE.com, an e-book publishing company, will chair a panel focusing on new opportunities and challenges for writers. Longtime WIW Advisory Board member Peter J. Ognibene will reveal how he and other free-lance writers make a financially rewarding living by locating writing assignments online. Many writers are unaware of the relatively new phenomenon of spyware. Spyware can be installed surreptitiously on computers and report continuously to the programs' sponsors all the sites computer users have visited on the World Wide Web. Chandu Ketkar, vice president of IXI Corp., and Bud Stolker, president of Landmark Computer Laboratories Inc., will discuss how to deal with these and other online threats. Some writers have reached the point where they want to step their home offices up to high-speed Internet access, using cable modem or digital subscriber line (DSL) technology and connecting all computers in their homes to that broadband link through a local area network. Susan M. Menke, chief technology editor of Government Computing News, will chair a panel addressing that issue. During that session, physical therapist Jayne F. Gribble will tell writers how to keep their office and computer equipment from causing them harm, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Early registration for the conference is $125 for WIW members, $150 for nonmembers and $210 for a combined membership/conference fee. After October 14, all prices will increase by $15. An additional $10 will be charged for registration on the day of the conference. A light breakfast and lunch are included. "We are excited about this year's Technology Conference, which some of us think promises to be our best ever," says Chapin. For additional details, see the conference agenda at <http://www.washwriter.org/events/techconf.htm>. More information is also available from the WIW office, 733 15th St. NW, Suite 220, Washington, D.C. 20005, voice (202) 347-4973, fax (202) 628-0298, <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ([log in to unmask]), <www.washwriter.org>. Washington Independent Writers is a non-profit professional organization based in Washington, D.C., for independent writers, editors and journalists. Founded in 1975, WIW is the largest regional writers' group in the United States, with approximately 1,500 members. WIW also sponsors a Listserv e-mail discussion list called WIW-L. 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