138 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
138 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
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A Proposal To Set Up An Anarchist Computer Network
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A network is a system of linking computers so they can share
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information. There are several types of net, but the one that
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interests us most is the BBS type network.
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BBS stands for Bulletin Board Service. It describes a system
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where there is a central computer which users can call, using
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their own computer and a phone line. A BBS may have message areas
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(where users can leave messages to each other), file areas (with
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a variety of text and software files available), games and
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possibly a system for users to chat to each other "live" (if
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there's more than one phone line connected to it). Or there may
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be any combination of these services.
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Two or more BBS's can be linked together by a network to enable
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the passing of messages and files between them. They could be in
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the same town, or on opposite sides of the world, and it allows
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the users of (callers to) one BBS to communicate with the users
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of any other BBS in the same network. This communication is done
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by sending messages, rather than direct chat.
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To give a practical example of this: you could call a bulletin
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board in Darwin today, leave a message addressed to the user of a
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BBS on the same network in Madrid and possibly get a reply
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tomorrow (although it's more likely to take a bit longer than
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that). All for the cost of two local calls. Files can be sent via
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a network in a similar way.
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There are numerous anarchist groups and individuals scattered
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widely throughout Australia. Most of us are connected in some way
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by a network that is more accurately described as a "grapevine".
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This grapevine ensures that a lot of us are kept in touch to some
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extent with what's going on in the anarchist scene around
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Australia. However, it's a very haphazard system, often slow and
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sometimes wildly inaccurate.
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We live in the most sparsely populated continent on earth and if
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we are ever going to build a strong anarchist movement, we have
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to be united over very long distances.
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Mail, telephone and personal contact are, and always will be, an
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important part of this. However computer networks are the most
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efficient means of reliable, constant and fast mass
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communication. The government, business and the media all use
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these systems increasingly more effectively and if we don't start
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looking at this within the anarchistt movement, we are in serious
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danger of being rapidly left behind.
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I am personally a confirmed luddite and have strongly resisted
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compulsive use of computers and technology. But, despite looking
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at it from this point of view, i have come to realize what an
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essential tool computers are in a scattered community like ours.
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What I'm proposing is the establishment of a network of computers
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set up by group of collectives throughout Australia. Any
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collective that wants to get involved, will have to somehow get
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hold of a computer (preferably an IBM or compatible PC) and a
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modem. All the software required for joining the network is
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readily available, as is help with, and advice on getting set up.
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Ideally, there will eventually be at least one collective in all
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the main cities and hopefully also a few in other places too.
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These collectives will be responsible for the operation and
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administration of their part of the network and jointly
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responsible for the administration of the whole net.
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How the individual collectives operate outside of immediate
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networking responsibilities may well vary from one to another.
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How we all link together will be pretty standard, but how each
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collective chooses to use their access to the net will be up to
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them. For example, it will be possible to run a public access
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bulletin board to allow people to call up from outside and gain
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access to the network. This BBS could be open to anyone
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interested or it could be private and only available to
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authorized users.
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Another possibility is the use of the network to produce a
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nationwide and possibly international newsletter, which could be
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published in a form that suits local readers. The material would
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be easily available and with the right equipment and software,
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the production of a newsletter or magazine could easily be at
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least partly automated. This would put our media on a more equal
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footing with the commercial press and allow people who don't have
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access to a computer to access information from the net.
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Something else that could be done is to set up a community media
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group, allowing people outside the network collective to have
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access to a computer. This would encourage more input to the net
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and allow those who haven't got access to computers to join in.
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Eventually, I hope we will be connected not only to collectives
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within Australia, but to other anarchist groups all round the
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world. There are anarchist computer networks operating in Europe
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and we could fairly easily link up with them. There are
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undoubtedly anarchist groups with computers in New Zealand and
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North America who we could also connect with. In fact,
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ultimately, wherever there are anarchists and computers, we could
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be in direct contact with them. This will make it much easier to
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share ideas internationally and to find out what's really going
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on around the world without having to rely on the lies of the
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capitalist media. It will also lead to a much greater strength
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and international solidarity in the anarchist movement worldwide.
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We need to work on both the national and international aspects of
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the network more or less together. However, until we've got a
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network going here, we won't have very much to offer an
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international network in return for all the information that will
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be coming our way. I feel we must have at least two Australian
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cities in our network before we commit ourselves to linking up
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overseas. This will not only increase the flow of material but
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will share the burden of maintaining the international
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connections.
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Finance for the network is something that we will have to think
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about. It can be set up very cheaply, but the running costs will
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mount up, particularly with the expense of maintaining regular
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overseas communication. We will need some means of covering these
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expenses collectively.
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If you're interested in becoming part of this network, the first
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thing you should do is form a collective with other interested
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people in your area, get yourselves some computer equipment and
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then get in touch with us.
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Contact: Brisbane Anarchist Computer Kolektiv 190 Boundary St
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West End Brisbane Queensland 4101 Australia
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e-mail: will@desire.apana.org.au
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or call "the eXchange" bbs 03-383 3094
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