SCANNED ARTICLE
A network is a system of linking computers
so they can share information. There are
several types of net, but the one that interests
us most is the BBS type network.
BBS stands for Bulletin Board Service. It
describes a system where there is a central
computer which users can call, using their
own computer and a phone line. A BBS may
have message areas (where users can leave
messages to each other), file areas (with a
variety of text and software files available),
games and possibly a system for users to chat
to each other 'live' (if there's more than one
phone line connected to it). Or there may be
any combination of these services.
Two or more BBS's can be linked together
by a network to enable the passing of
messages and files between them. They could
be in the same town or on opposite sides of the
world, and it allows the users of (callers to)
one BBS to communicate with the users of any
other BBS in the same network. This
communication is done by sending messages
rather than direct chat.
To give a practical example of this you
could call a bulletin board in Darwin today,
leave a message addressed to the user of a BBS
on the same network in Madrid and possibly
get a reply tomorrow (although it's more
likely to take a bit longer than that). All for the
cost of two local calls. Files can be sent via a
network in a similar way.
What I'm proposing is the establishment of
a network of computers set up by groups of
collectives throughout Australia. Any
collective that wants to get involved will have
to somehow get hold of a computer
(preferably an IBM or compatible PC) and a
modem. All the software required for joining
the network is readlly available, as is help with
and advice on gettmg set up.
Ideally, there will eventually be at least one
collective in all the main cities and hopefully
also a few in other places too. These
collectives will be responsible for the
operation and administration of their part of
the network and jointly responsible for the
administration of the whole net.
How the individual collectives operate
outside of immediate networking
responsibilities may well vary from one to
anot@er. How we all link together will be
pretty standard, but how each collective
chooses to use their access to the net will be
up to them. For example, it will be possible to
run a public access bulletin board to allow
people to call up from outside and gain access
to the network. This BBS could be open to
anyone interested or it could be private and
only available to authorised users.
Another possibility is the use of the network
to produce a nationwide and possibly
international newsletter, which could be
published in a form that suits local readers.
The material would be easily available and
with the right equipment and software the
production of a newsletter or magazine could
easily be at least partly automated. This would
put our media on a more equal footing with the
commercial press and allow people who don't
have access to a computer to access
information from the net.
Something else that could be done is to set
up a community media group allowing people
outside the network collective to have access
to a computer. This would encourage more
input to the net and allow those who have@'t
got access to computers to join in.
Eventually, I hope we will be connected not
only to collectives within Australia but to
other anarchist groups all around the world.
There are anarchist computer networks
operating in Europe and linking up with them
could be fairly easy. There are undoubtedly
anarchist groups in New Zealand and North
America who we could also connect with. In
fact, ultimately, wherever there are anarchists
and computers, we could be in direct contact
with them. This will make it much easier to
share ideas internationally and to find out
what's really going on around the world
without having to rely on the lies of the
capit@list media. It will also lead to a much
greater strength and intemational solidarity in
the anarchist movement worldwide.
We need to work on both the national and
international aspects of @e network more or
less together. However, until we've got a
net@,vork going here we won't have very much
to offer an intemational network in retum for
all the information that will be coming
way. I feel we must have at least twc
Australian cities in our network before w@
commit ourselves to linking up overseas. This
will not only increase the flow of material but
will share the burden of maintaining the
intemational connections.
Finance for the netw@rk is something thatwe
have to think about. It can be set up very
cheaply, but the running costs will mount up,
particularly with the expense of maintaining
regular overseas communication. We will
need some means of covering these expenses
collectively.
If you're interested in becoming part of =EDhis
network, the first 1hing you shoul@ do is fo@
a collective with olher interested people in
your area, get yourselves some computer
equipment and then get in touch with us.
Contact @NET collective, c/o The Anarchist,
PO Box 332, Albert Street, Brisbane 4002,
Australia, or call 'the eXchange' bbs 03-383
3094.
Ihis article has been reprinted fr@m The Anarchis@
volume 1, number 1, PO Box 332, Albert Street,
Brisbane 4W2, Australia
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This article has also appeared in:
The Anarchist Age Monthly Review
Freedom
Umanita Nova
Le Monde Libertaire
Unfortunately at the present moment we do not have access
to the Italian version and the French version is probably
somewhere in Bilbao ;-)
The follow up to this article will be reposted since the numbers on this
list have grown since its first posting. Apologies if you've already seen=
it.