International Federation for Systems Research

IFSR Newsletter 1997 Vol. 16 No. 3 November
Alan McCluskey (alan@connected.org) keeps a close watch on interesting web pages. Here are some of his findings (see also http://www.connected.org)
Puzzled by conflicting reports about the new domain name registration system? The stakes are not only financial, they are also highly political. The whole future of Internet self governance is being played out. Find out more about the subject by reading our interview of David Maher, interim president of POC, the governing body of the new system:
http://www.connected.org/govern/core.html
Read also the earlier interview with Don Heath, President and CEO of the Internet Society, about Internet self governance:
http://www.connected.org/govern/I-gov.html
At the recent Festival de la Vallée des Terres Blanches organized by the CICV in six French villages at the foot of the Jura Mountains, much importance was given to the role of the citizen both in the form of the event and in the discussions during the accompanying seminar.
Is there any point in talking about citizens in a predominantly individualist society? Haven’t materialist values dealt a fatal blow to
solidarity and participation? Who or what exactly is a citizen? What role can such a citizen play in society? What role do words play for the
citizen? …
If you are interested, you might like to read:
“The voice of the “citizen” …”
http://www.connected.org/is/citoyen.html
As Internet use becomes more and more wide-spread it is inevitable that interest and concern will shift from the technology per se to its use. Women’s groups world-wide are playing a key role in this paradigm change. Read the articles in the newly created “Women and the Internet” section of “connected” by Erica Smith, Sally Burch and Sylvia Cadena, all active in women’s groups in Latin America:
http://www.connected.org/women/women.html
When the nature and structure of the Internet challenge both national and international based decision-making structures, key lessons can be learnt from new approaches to Internet governance. Read an interview of Don Heath, CEO and President of the Internet Society, about Internet Self-governance
http://www.connected.org/govern/I-gov.html
Following on from the series of short articles about key policy issues effecting the development of the Internet in developing countries, read Mike Jenkins’ far-reaching and highly practical two-part analysis of the situation in Africa.
http://www.connected.org/develop/constraints.html
http://www.connected.org/develop/needs.html
The dramatic growth of hosts in the Internet , (Source: Comm. ACM, Feb. 1996, p. 24)