Lessons from the early MsgGroup Mailing List and principles for future Internet governance Ronda Hauben New York, U.S.A Co-author Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet -------- MsgGroup Mailing LIst and Internet governance * "Internet Governance at the crossroads" [Gordon Cook] * "The governance issue must take into account the needs and desires of others outside the U.S. to participate [Robert Kahn, testimony to US Congress] * "The White House backs Self-Governance plan" [LA Times] * "Internet governance: herding cats and sacred cows" [Robert Shaw, ITU] -------- Vision of Internet * Supercommunity of time-sharing communities * The Internet: A Supernetwork of networks * Networks communicating * People communicating * Vision of everybody having access -------- Internet * Diversity of computers * Diversity of users * Diversity of networks * All cooperating -------- What if a decision has to be made? * Earliest networking pioneers welcomed all views * Mark Horton about Usenet decisions "I'm not God" * Views from ALL Users Welcomed * Pro and Con views needed -------- Immediate Problem * Internet - many different networks * But certain centralized functions * Need to administer them * Responsibility and skill needed -------- Internet NOT Anarchic * Points of control * Excercise with great responsibility * Or great possibility of abuse of users * Great power and control -------- Decision making about Internet * Urgent issue * Not theoretical question * Practical question * Needs consideration of all who value Internet -------- Essential Internet Functions * Domain Name System rh120@columbia.edu * IP numbers 199.173.162.110 4.3 billion - 2 billion allocated * Root server system * Related Protocols, port numbers etc. -------- Slogan self-governance for Internet * U.S. government has administered these systems under contracts with NSF and DARPA * Change of contract to U.S. Dept. of Commerce * Plan to move into a private corporation -------- Different views of plan * Concerns that this will put a lot of power over Internet in this private corporation * "Self-appointed oligarchy" (Economist) * "Broad consensus has yet to emerge out of any plan" (Los Angeles Times) * "Important to get new institution up and running" (Wall Street Journal) -------- Internet decision making * Requests for Comment (RFCs) * Usenet discussion for new newsgorups then vote * Alt newsgroups - proposal and discussion in alt.config newsgroup * U.S. govt administration of contracts -------- New question of change of policy regarding essential Internet functions Process U.S. govt forming private corporation or Is there another process more appropriate? -------- Unique Nature Internet * Must consider unique nature of Internet - court case in Communications Decency Act * Consider history and development of Internet * Any lessons from the development of the Internet itself? -------- Study of MsgGroup Mailing List * One of earliest mailing lists on ARPANET ARPANET = research network connecting those working on projects funded by Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of U.S. Department of Defense * 2 purposes ARPANET: a) To develop techniques and experiences interconnecting computers b) To share computer resources and so increase computer productivity -------- MsgGroup Mailing List * Surprised by development and popularity of Email on ARPANET * Research into the potential of message processing and computer conferencing * MsgGroup Mailing List started in 1975 by U.S. Department of Defense * Email still in early phase development -------- June 7, 1975 * Steve Walker's message to MsgGroup * Seeking "group of people concerned with message processing" * Group to develop sense of 1) What is mandatory 2) What is nice 3) What is not desirable -------- Methodology Proposed * Not to create another committee * But to see if dialogue can develop over the Net * Utilize the Net to solve the problem * Prototype form to explore computer conferencing -------- Methodology * All encouraged to participate * Can contribute a little or a lot * Philosophical discussion or specifics * Participation voluntary -------- Message a Month Later "The MsgGroup...was formed by a group of interested people commenting on how message services should appear to users (as opposed to how they should function internally.)" -------- Others contributed to Progress * Maintained archives * Studied different mail programs and made recommendations * Wrote from site where would be used * Met face to face as well as online -------- Tasker wrote: "Sitting here in the offices of a potential...user...I am extremely gratified and excited to see the MsgGroup interacting and those interacting appear to be converging around real capabilities." -------- Uhlig wrote: "We are in the early stages of trying to define what such a system needs to look like...we are aiming more at the informal communications..." -------- Qualities desired * System even for those not skilled using computers * To be used even by those hostile to computers * Needed by those managers greatly dispersed geographically * To combine ftp and computer conferencing -------- Observations from MsgGroup Experience * Where successful - rambling and breezy conversation * Expect to make mistakes as murky area * To be judged by good ideas that surface even if few and far between * Superior in ways to face to face meetings -------- Gaines writes: "Unlike normal conferences, where there are limited microphones, a chairperson and where audience energy tends to wear down, MsgGroup style conferencing never resolves issues much less adjourns. This effect follows naturally from the observation that every participant reenters the discussion by choice, perhaps following a recuperation and regenerative period of rest. -------- Frankstone wrote: "Electronic mail is a new medium...It may not...make sense to use it in the same fashion as existing medium any more than it would have made sense to use telephones in...the same way as telegraphs..." -------- Virtues * Astonishing ability to support conferencing * People communicate in a wide variety of circumstances * Must not constrain selves to any particular use * Supports back and forth technical discussion and other important forms communication -------- Lessons * Internet is communications medium + Keep in mind when considering decision making about Internet + Built via good form of government support and participation + People created prototype situations so could see what would result from actual use + New uses important, not to use as other media like telegraph, etc. + Researchers supported financially and given helpful direction -------- Lessons toward question Governance * Only those structures or forms that recognize the unique nature of the Internet can be helpful + Collaboration and communication are made possible by this new medium + Those who understand advantages of communication need to be involved + Need to determine whether government/s should play a role in Internet governance + Real needs of users should be considered -------- "The whole point of MsgGroup" "We are free to communicate without undue worry about costs...`the easier it is to communicate, the faster change occurs'. It is this very change that is creating the systems, the concepts, and most importantly, the EXPECTATIONS for message systems of the future." (Lauren Weinstein) -------- Proposal: The Internet an International Public Treasure URL: http://www.columbia.edu/~rh120/other --------