Netizens-Digest Friday, May 3 2002 Volume 01 : Number 400 Netizens Association Discussion List Digest In this issue: [netz] Michael's birthday May 1 and the birth of the concept of Netizen [netz] Public space day: Netizens take note Re: [netz] Michael's birthday May 1 and the birth of the concept of Netizen [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens [netz] pigeons (was Vint Cerf: The...) Re: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens [netz] Netizens Gathering In Remembrance of Michael Hauben Re: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens [netz] Something to consider Re: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens Re: [netz] Something to consider Re: [netz] Something to consider ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 09:58:11 -0400 (EDT) From: ronda@panix.com Subject: [netz] Michael's birthday May 1 and the birth of the concept of Netizen I just wanted to do a brief post to the Netizens list in honor of Michael's contribution to starting the list and to discovering the concept of Netizens and spreading it and to the many people around the world who have helped to keep the concept alive and spread it further and wider. In the Preface to Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet" Michael describes the development of the concept. On today his birthday it seems fitting to point to that description and to honor Michael and all the netizens who help to fight the battles to make the Internet what JCR Licklider first envisioned -- a communications medium to make communications possible among people around the world. I have recently found an article from 1974 which articulated the vision, though it didn't use the word. I will post that one the Netizens list as soon as I have a chance. But perhaps today people can think of the concept of Netizens and of Michael and do what they can to honor all those who have contributed to making the Internet a communications medium for the common people. That was Michael's hope and vision. May that hope and vision live. We still hope to have a proper memorial to celebrate Michael's work and vision and welcome help from others. Long live the Netizens and netizenship Ronda P.S. The book is online at http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 10:23:23 -0400 From: Liss Jeffrey Subject: [netz] Public space day: Netizens take note You may find it useful to note that the eCommons/Agora project has proclaimed the Saturday between Earth day and May Day as Public Space day - -- a day when we celebrate, honour and reflect upon our common spaces and the stewardship that we share. Our eCommons/Agora project has just relaunched on the first Public space day, and is very much a work in progress moving to the next level of service to and for netizens in support of civic engagement, community development and cultural content creation. We will let the list know when the next Netizen News is online. Meanwhile, pls visit www.ecommons.net Work in progress and comments welcome! Liss Jeffrey director, eCommons/Agora adjunct faculty, McLuhan Program, U of Toronto PS Maybe next year Ronda you and I could make a linkage or monument for Michael? We would be pleased to help, as we are very much working (as my work has it, playing on Max Weber) in the spirit of the Netizen Ethic. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 10:55:08 -0400 From: "Luis G. Dequesada" Subject: Re: [netz] Michael's birthday May 1 and the birth of the concept of Netizen I echo the sentiments of Ronda in what our mission should be at netizens. In keeping netizens alive, we are fighting for our rights and the rights of all the ordinary citizens of this world in having an internet free of corporate control. Let us renew our committment this May Day! A committment to the workers and the underserved of the world! That was Michael's vision! LONG LIVE NETIZENS! LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE! DOWN WITH CORPORATE DOMINATION OF THE INTERNET AND THEIR ALLIES IN GOVERNMENT! NO PASARAN! Luis de Quesada >From: ronda@panix.com >Reply-To: netizens@columbia.edu >To: netizens@columbia.edu >Subject: [netz] Michael's birthday May 1 and the birth of the concept of >Netizen >Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 09:58:11 -0400 (EDT) > >I just wanted to do a brief post to the Netizens list in honor of Michael's >contribution to starting the list and to discovering the concept of >Netizens >and spreading it and to the many people around the world who have helped >to keep the concept alive and spread it further and wider. > >In the Preface to Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet >and the Internet" Michael describes the development of the concept. > >On today his birthday it seems fitting to point to that description and >to honor Michael and all the netizens who help to fight the battles >to make the Internet what JCR Licklider first envisioned -- a >communications >medium to make communications possible among people around the world. > >I have recently found an article from 1974 which articulated the vision, >though it didn't use the word. > >I will post that one the Netizens list as soon as I have a chance. > >But perhaps today people can think of the concept of Netizens and of >Michael and do what they can to honor all those who have contributed >to making the Internet a communications medium for the common people. > >That was Michael's hope and vision. May that hope and vision live. > >We still hope to have a proper memorial to celebrate Michael's work >and vision and welcome help from others. > >Long live the Netizens and netizenship > >Ronda > > >P.S. The book is online at http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook > > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 11:37:00 -0400 From: Liss Jeffrey Subject: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens Thought you might find the work of some of our members interesting. This is a declaration that is in progress, and it is now being discussed and circulated. It is one small small part of what we are trying to contribute with the ecommons/agora project. ======================================== Declaration Some members of the eCommons/Agora team propose a Declaration of Cyber Citizen Rights to Public Space Online. Comments on this initiative are welcome at ecadmin@ecommons.net or in the Citizen Forum which lives in the e-Forums neighbourhood. DECLARATION OF CYBER-CITIZEN RIGHTS FOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC SPACE ON-LINE I _________________________________ stand before you to agree to support access to public space on-line as an essential right of every human being. I further agree to promote the development and growth of public space throughout the universe known as the internet to enhance the cultural, social and economic growth of every individual. I agree to contribute to the maintenance of the growth of public space on-line by offering in word and deed ways and means to sustain the continued growth of this collective enterprise. I agree to further this new tool to counteract the divisive nature of negativity offered by traditional media advertisings online and in its stead further the spirit and substance of the collective altruism that has led to the development of the internet. Between Earth Day and May Day shall be Public Space Day forever! Signed ____________________________________ Date ___________________ ======================================= Comments are welcome Liss J for the members of the eCommons/Agora project www.ecommons.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 16:40:49 +0200 From: Dan Duris Subject: [netz] pigeons (was Vint Cerf: The...) HCB> snob, but I'd never say he doesn't have a social conscience. He does HCB> believe that it's generally necessary to have large organizations to HCB> build things on the scale of the ever-growing Internet. I don't find big corporations rule Internet. I don't mind big corporations behind Internet until there's enough freedom to do on Internet what one wants. HCB> See http://www.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1149.txt for Internet via pigeon, HCB> which was recently demonstrated by a Norwegian team. Yeah, I read about it. I think that some packets were lost, but still it worked! :) dan - -------------------------- email: dusoft@staznosti.sk ICQ: 17932727 *- drop the taxes, liberate citizens -* ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 10:15:17 -0400 (EDT) From: jrh@ais.org (Jay Hauben) Subject: Re: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens As a follow up to Liss' post, I want to remind the readers of this list of the Proposed Declaration of the Rights of Netizens that was drafted as a New Year message in January 1993 by Michael: Proposed Declaration of the Rights of Netizens We Netizens have begun to put together a Declaration of the Rights of Netizens and are requesting from other Netizens contributions, ideas, and suggestions of what rights should be included. Following are some beginning ideas. The Declaration of the Rights of Netizens: - ------------------------------------------ In recognition that the net represents a revolution in human communications that was built by a cooperative non-commercial process, the following Declaration of the Rights of the Netizen is presented for Netizen comment. As Netizens are those who take responsibility and care for the Net, the following are proposed to be their rights: o Universal access at no or low cost o Freedom of Electronic Expression to promote the exchange of knowledge without fear of reprisal o Uncensored Expression o Access to Broad Distribution o Universal and Equal access to knowledge and information o Consideration of one's ideas on their merits o No limitation to access to read, to post and to otherwise contribute o Equal quality of connection o Equal time of connection o No Official Spokesperson o Uphold the public grassroots purpose and participation o Volunteer Contribution - no personal profit from the contribution freely given by others o Protection of the public purpose from those who would use it for their private and money making purposes The Net is not a Service, it is a Right. It is only valuable when it is collective and universal. Volunteer effort protects the intellectual and technological common-wealth that is being created. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE NET and NETIZENS. Inspiration from: RFC 3 (1969), Thomas Paine, Declaration of Independence (1776), Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), NSF Acceptable Use Policy, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and the current cry for democracy worldwide. =============================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 02 May 2002 10:36:58 -0400 From: "Luis G. Dequesada" Subject: [netz] Netizens Gathering In Remembrance of Michael Hauben Dear Fellow Netizens; Yesterday evening a group of netizens and friends of Michael Hauben gathered at the Dynasty Restaurant, located on Broadway & W.110 St. to join our friends and fellow netizens Jay and Ronda Hauben honor and remember their son, our friend and fallen leader Michael Hauben (1973-2001) on the day of his birthday. It was a delightful evening and for me what made it even more delightful was to see not only our camaraderie and love for Jay and Ronda but also our solidarity towards our goal to keep netizens alive. Each one of us spoke about Michael and his accomplishments and there were emotional moments. Later we discussed a memorial for Michael and I think we effectively layed the foundation for that special event which I'm sure we will all give it our best with our hearts and minds. To sum it up, Michael is not physically among us, but spiritually he lives among us and will continue to do so as we strive and work to keep his dream alive which is to keep netizens alive and to keep the internet as a collective in the hands the people, for the people and free of corporate dominance. Luis de Quesada _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 02 May 2002 10:58:11 -0400 From: Liss Jeffrey Subject: Re: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens Dear Jay: Is there any room in this conversation for other ideas and voices? I think that active projects that are operating in a similar spirit should be encouraged, not ignored. Pls post these ideas in our citizen forum on ecommons/agora, that is what it is there for, or I shall be happy to do this for you once I have more time. We will happily look into this idea, now that we know about it. There are many other similar ideas, and ours also is a start. we are not all convinced that a rights based approach is the best one to encourage stewardship (which is how we see this question of the growth of public space online and active citizenship and netizenship). Perhaps some sort of joint effort, hey even international now that you have a chance to recognize the many signs of life on the Canadian side, might be useful. Let us try to widen the scope, not keep it narrow, ok? No one owns the idea of netizens, that would be a travesty of the very idea. History is important, and recognition important too, however, let us get some more voices active in building all of this. Sincerely Liss J At 10:15 AM 5/2/02 -0400, you wrote: >As a follow up to Liss' post, I want to remind the readers of this list of >the Proposed Declaration of the Rights of Netizens that was drafted as a >New Year message in January 1993 by Michael: > > Proposed Declaration of the Rights of Netizens > >We Netizens have begun to put together a Declaration of the Rights of >Netizens and are requesting from other Netizens contributions, >ideas, and suggestions of what rights should be included. Following are >some beginning ideas. > > >The Declaration of the Rights of Netizens: >------------------------------------------ > >In recognition that the net represents a revolution in human >communications that was built by a cooperative non-commercial >process, the following Declaration of the Rights of the Netizen >is presented for Netizen comment. > >As Netizens are those who take responsibility and care for the >Net, the following are proposed to be their rights: > >o Universal access at no or low cost >o Freedom of Electronic Expression to promote the exchange > of knowledge without fear of reprisal >o Uncensored Expression >o Access to Broad Distribution >o Universal and Equal access to knowledge and information >o Consideration of one's ideas on their merits >o No limitation to access to read, to post and to otherwise contribute >o Equal quality of connection >o Equal time of connection >o No Official Spokesperson >o Uphold the public grassroots purpose and participation >o Volunteer Contribution - no personal profit from the > contribution freely given by others >o Protection of the public purpose from those who > would use it for their private and money making purposes > > > The Net is not a Service, it is a Right. It is only valuable > when it is collective and universal. Volunteer effort protects > the intellectual and technological common-wealth that is being created. > DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE NET and NETIZENS. > > >Inspiration from: RFC 3 (1969), Thomas Paine, Declaration of >Independence (1776), Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the >Citizen (1789), NSF Acceptable Use Policy, Jean Jacques Rousseau, >and the current cry for democracy worldwide. > > =============================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 02 May 2002 18:51:41 -0400 From: "Howard C. Berkowitz" Subject: [netz] Something to consider This is not meant as any kind of sarcasm, but as I see various proposals of the Internet as a right, what is the means of funding the capital-intensive physical infrastructure and the skilled people to run it? Practical example: Australia connects to the rest of the world both by satellite and undersea optical fiber cable. Fiber is generally preferred. Now, I haven't looked at the most recent cable installation, but typically it's installed in a four-site ring, so a single cable cut can be bypassed. The first major cable using modern optics had ten fiber pairs per cable sheath, each able to handle a OC-192 (about 10 Gbps) link. It's not just a matter of dropping the cable to the ocean floor. Special cable-laying ships are needed to control the tension on the cable, so it doesn't break. Also, repeater/amplifiers need to be spliced into the cable every so many kilometers. The newer technologies let us put multiple OC-192 signals per fiber, and improves repeater separation to thousands of kilometers. Developing those techniques were expensive. So how does all this get paid for? I assure you there is just as much challenge in developing the routers that route packets onto different media (my area), the network management systems, etc. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 22:14:35 -0400 (EDT) From: jrh@ais.org (Jay Hauben) Subject: Re: [netz] ecommons/agora public space online: and netizens Hi, I did not wish to be sectarian when I reposted The Proposed Declaration of the Rights of Netizens in the same thread as eCommons/Agora teams' proposed Declaration of Cyber Citizen Rights to Public Space Online. But I can see how it could have appeared that I was not welcoming the new work. Let me say that I find the wording and intention of the eCommons/Agora teams' proposal interesting and thought provoking. It puts the fight to keep the Internet as a public commons in the context of the general fight for public space, which is an increasing endangered species. I also agree that access to the net should be an "essential right of every human being." It is our common question how to win and maintain that right in the face of the commercialization and privatization that is so championed even by the government in the US. The authors of the proposed Declaration capture the essence of netizenship, in my opinion, when they suggest netizens "agree to contribute to the maintenance of the growth of public space on-line by offering in word and deed ways and means to sustain the continued growth of this collective enterprise." The work to keep the net public and as an accessible and open international communications media will take the effort of many good people over a long period of time. So it is helpful to see the work of netizens in Canada and elsewhere. May our common efforts be strengthened by the inspiration of each other's work and may that work converge. Take care. Jay ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 02:52:39 +0000 (GMT) From: Greg Skinner Subject: Re: [netz] Something to consider Howard C. Berkowitz wrote: > This is not meant as any kind of sarcasm, but as I see various > proposals of the Internet as a right, what is the means of funding > the capital-intensive physical infrastructure and the skilled people > to run it? An argument I've seen here is that the Internet should be run as a public utility, much like the pre-breakup AT&T was. - --gregbo ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 03 May 2002 13:44:55 -0400 From: "Howard C. Berkowitz" Subject: Re: [netz] Something to consider >Howard C. Berkowitz wrote: > >> This is not meant as any kind of sarcasm, but as I see various >> proposals of the Internet as a right, what is the means of funding >> the capital-intensive physical infrastructure and the skilled people >> to run it? > >An argument I've seen here is that the Internet should be run as a >public utility, much like the pre-breakup AT&T was. > >--gregbo Are there any proposals floating about as to how this could be implemented? Further confusing the situation is the convergence of telephony, video, and business networks, which I don't assume are assumed to be free. Right now, I'm working with some colleagues on some next-generation routing research specifically targeted at what to do when the Internet grows too large for the current routing paradigm. There's very little research funding around even for what is a known and coming problem. ------------------------------ End of Netizens-Digest V1 #400 ******************************