[1] Editorial: Netizen Empowerment and the 30th Anniversary of TCP/IP This issue of the Amateur Computerist celebrates a little known but important anniversary in Internet development. In May 1974 an article appeared in the technical journal, IEEE Transactions on Communication, which would have an important impact on the world.(1) This article titled "A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication" was written by Robert E. Kahn and Vinton Cerf.(2) The article sets out the design and philosophy for the creation of a protocol. The protocol, was to make possible communication and interaction between many different computer networks, networks under different ownership, control, and often in different countries. Thus users in different countries and on different computer networks would be able to communicate. This is the basis for the birth of the Internet. It is also the basis for the birth of the netizen. A common myth is that the Internet resulted from development by the U.S. government and its packet switching research on the ARPANET. The ARPANET, however, is but one network of a number of different networks being built by May 1974, when the Kahn-Cerf protocol, as it was commonly known at the time, was officially proposed. The article, "The Internet: On the International Origin and Collaborative Vision", which is featured in this issue of the Amateur Computerist documents what is largely an unknown history of the early development of TCP/IP by collaboration among an international group of researchers. This issue also includes two articles by Izumi Aizu. One is on the role of netizens in Japan. The other was presented at a recent workshop of the United Nation's World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) held on February 27, 2004, in Geneva Switzerland. WSIS is currently debating the issue of Internet governance and a number of people from different organizations have been invited into the process. The particular task set for the Feb. 27, 2004 workshop was to propose the areas needing consideration to determine a form for Internet governance. During the summary meeting of the workshop, Robert Kahn, who had chaired one of the sessions, indicated that he was surprised when netizen empowerment was raised as a policy consideration for Internet governance. Kahn wondered whether netizen empowerment is an appropriate concept when considering policy for Internet governance. It helps to raise the question: Is it possible to create a governing structure for the Internet which leaves out the input and participation of users, of netizens? I want to propose that this is a critical question for anyone who claims to be considering issues related to Internet governance. Very little input from netizens is currently possible into the WSIS process. There are a few online forums that are difficult to join and contribute to, and which do not encourage netizen participation. These forums can be viewed at: http://www.onlinewsis.org/ . There is no way provided to send an email to anyone who has posted on these forums. Nor is there anyone who is part of the WSIS process who appears to be participating in the forums and considering how to present the issues raised to those who are invited to the UN meetings. For example, one post on the forum helps to raise critical issues for Internet governance – public access for all, and participation in the decisions affecting the future development of the Internet. The person posting on March 27, 2004 writes: "Internet Governance covers different dimensions and wide-ranging issues, hence daunting challenges in implementation. I would like to underline, in this respect, the issue of public access and widening the scope of public engagement in decision-making processes..... Best Regards, Safaa Moussa, EGYPT"(3) Yet this post was largely ignored on the online forum, and in the continuing deliberations for WSIS as well. Just as the research developing the Internet relied on the interactive participation and discussion among those doing the research work, so the continuing governance of the Internet requires the participation of netizens. A proposal to this effect was submitted to the U.S. government in 1998 and was presented in an English and French version in the Amateur Computerist.(4) On the 30th anniversary of the official publication of the paper that proposed the protocol for the development of the Internet, this issue of the Amateur Computerist is dedicated to opening up this discussion online among the users of the Internet, among the netizens, rather than allowing it to be hidden behind the closed doors of the U.N. or of the U.S. government's ICANN.(5) -------------------- Notes: 1) V. Cerf and R. Kahn, "A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication," IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. COM-22, pp. 637-648, May 1974 http://cs.mills.edu/180/reading/CK74.pdf 2) The authors also give credit to an international group of researchers including L. Pouzin, R. Scantlebury, H. Zimmerman, D. Davies, R. Metcalfe, S. Crocker and D. Walden. at the end of their article. 3) The rest of the post reads: "It should be noted that ICT has become indispensable for quick access to information from all over the world and from different sources. It is also a tool for fostering decision-making processes and open dialogue, which makes it imperative to improve public accessibility at the lowest cost possible throughout the world and come up with practical means for bridging the digital divide." Further public engagement, democracy and expression of views can be promoted through public accessibility to the Internet, to information, government services, policy documents, and civil society activities. http://www.wsis-online.net/igov-forum/forums/message-email?message_id=366112 4) The URL for the proposal "The Internet: An International Public Treasure: is http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/text/acn9-1.articles/acn9-1.06.txt Also the proposal is online at the Dept of Commerce web site. The URL is: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/proposals/hauben/hauben.html 5) See for example: http://www.circleid.com/article/91_0_1_0_C/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reprinted from the Amateur Computerist Vol 12 No 2, Spring 2004. The whole issue or a subscription is available for free via email. Send a request to jrh@ais.org or see http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------