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Internet Info 1994 March
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Internet Info CD-ROM (Walnut Creek) (March 1994).iso
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n-1-1-070.10
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>Subject: N-1-1-070.10 Internet in the News
>Date: Thu, 05 Dec 91 04:01:39 -0500
>From: vcerf@NRI.Reston.VA.US
>Message-Id: <9112050401.aa01937@NRI.NRI.Reston.VA.US>
>Status: R
>
>Internet in the News
>
>by Vint Cerf
>
>Any system with the size and geographic scope of the
>Internet is bound to find itself at the core of
>newsworthy events. I suppose this is the natural
>consequence of the evolution of all infrastructure.
>Most people pay little attention to the power system
>or the road system until something goes wrong. THEN
>these quietly-serving infrastructures suddenly get a
>good deal of local, regional and, sometimes national
>or even international attention. So it seems to be
>with the Internet and the various activities surrounding
>it.
>
>The Internet is frequently mentioned in the trade press
>as the largest collaborative internetworking system
>ever built (and it is still GROWING!). Its very scale
>almost guarantees that some things that happen in the
>Internet environment earn international attention. For
>instance, Cable News Network (CNN) ran stories recently
>about the use of the Internet in Project Gutenberg
>(headquartered in the state of Illinois in the US) to
>disseminate public domain books and about Dutch hackers
>who spend their time attempting to break into various
>hosts on the Internet, especially those operated by
>the U.S. Department of Defense.
>
>More often, it is the standards-making activity which
>attracts trade press attention. Recent announcements
>of plans for support of Privacy-Enhanced Mail and the
>adoption of Open Shortest Path First routing garnered
>considerable attention.
>
>The Internet Society, itself, has caused no little
>stir in many circles. The Chronicle for Higher Education
>ran a recent story about the formation of the Society
>and this led to a small storm of queries and applications
>for membership which descended on the staff of the
>Internet Society secretariat.
>
>Not long ago, a special arm of the US Agency for
>International Development, Volunteers in Technical
>Assistance, announced their plans to use the Internet
>to assist in disaster relief planning and coordination.
>The Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications
>Union announced plans to place on-line copies of all
>CCITT standards document in archives accessible to Internet
>users.
>
>Announcements of commercial Internet service offerings
>from Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom and the United
>States seem to pepper the news with increasing regularity.
>Another sign that the Internet is outgrowing its
>historical research focus. Similarly, strong interest in
>the Internet in the Library community and among elementary
>and secondary school educators reflects yet other facets
>of the increasingly diverse communities relying upon and
>exploring new uses of this global system.
>
>-------------------- -30- -------------------------