Conferencing & Netiquette

I experienced many initial problems with the conferencing software, First Class, which I found frustrating. However, having eventually gained confidence with the software by trial and error, I found it to be a powerful conferencing tool.

I initially found the asynchrounous nature of the conferences frustrating (ie waiting for an answer that might not come). I noticed what appeared to be some online relationships building up, but did not find myself having a feelling of belonging to any of the conferences.

I did however, find myself getting angry at some of the individuals posting messages within the conferences, sometimes justifiably due to the patronising individuals in the groups, and other times as I may have taken messages out of context. I am now aware of course that I should not allow myself to get emotional about email messages until I have put them in the right context :-)

I thought there was a distinct lack of the use of emoticons and thought that perhaps there was a little to much emphasis on them within the course, as I rarely saw them used later in the conferences.

At one point I posted a message purely to get a response, either positive or negative, just to establish my messages were being seen within the conference. I suggested that the group post their pictures to the conferene, knowing full well that some would be wary of doing so, but also feeling that it would be useful to help visualise the group. I had obviously overstepped the boundaries of netiquette as the only responses I got were negative. But I achieved my aim, at leat i got a few responses!

I use this EMail exchange as an example, not because it demonstrates any paricular points regarding netiquette or conferencing, but because I feel it demonstratee the power of the medium and was of particular use for TMA04.

I found a mail to link on a site about Steve Crocekr whilst researching the issue of "Fathers of the Internet" and thought I would ak him for some input. I thought he would be particularly responsive due to his open attitude on the development of ideas in forum as illustrated by Request for Comments.

I actually did not refer to the "Father of the Internet" within the main text, and used the term only as the title, which may have led to Mr Crocker opening it, as opposed to deletng it. I recieved the reply within 24 hours.

I was quite formal in my approach to Steve Crocker, yet had to be up front and concise so as he would read the whole text.

His answer was very useful and included a relevant link for the assignment. I felt quite flattered at the extent of his reply and the speed at which it arrived. It really demonstrated to me just what a flexible tool email is, allowing me to approach someone who to me is effectively a stranger, yet enter into conversation over thousands of miles.

I was important to ensure I had the correct individual and I effectively had to take an initial apologetic approach in case the link was to the wrong person.

This exchange idenifies email's unique position somewhere in between a phone call and a letter, quick yet not too intrusive, precise and powerful.

I was flattered to recieve a reply from someone of such significance within the development of the Internet, and am now comfortable with the idea of making such an approach again.

Mr Crocker, My name is Chris Cawdell and I followed the mailto link on your page. I am sorry to bother you as I know you are a very busy man. I hope I have reached the right person here, but I am doing an Open University course in the UK about the origins of the Internet and am currently trying to assess who is worthy of the title. Your name has obviously cropped up, but in your opinion who, if any one person, is worthy of the title? Thankyou Chris Cawdell

"The important thing to recognize is that it takes a team, and the team ought to get credit for the wins and the losses. Successes have many fathers, failures have none."

-Philip Caldwell

The Internet is an ongoing enterprise. Its roots are in the visions of J.C.R. Licklider and Vannevar Bush (http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/computer/bushf.htm), the early networking experiments at several sites in the U.S. and U.K. in the early 1960s, the critically important Arpanet initiated by Bob Taylor at ARPA in the latter 1960s, designed and executed by Larry Roberts at ARPA, an excellent team at Bolt, Beranek and Newman, and a loose consortium of graduate students and staff members at the many Arpanet sites, the invention of local area networks, particularly the Ethernet from Bob Metcalfe and his colleagues at Xerox PARC, the technical and political leadership of Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn to design the TCP and IP protocols to knit together disparate networks into the Internet of today, the creators of the email protocols and systems, and the creators of the http protocols and system that make the web work. This list doesn't begin to do justice to the many thousands who contributed key insights, provided important financial and political support, etc.

I don't think it makes any sense to attribute something that took so many people working over such a long period of time to the credit of a single "father." Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf are both commonly credited as being the fathers of the Internet for their premier work on the TCP/IP protocols and their political leadership in the standards bodies, government and other forums, and I would not want to take anything away from them. They are both close friends of mine. (Vint and I have been friends since high school, were best men at each other's wedding, and shared an office in graduate school. Bob and I worked together when he was at BBN and I was at UCLA, and then we worked together at ARPA in the early 1970s.) Nonetheless, I think there are many who deserve credit.

Steve

Mr Crocker, I am sorry to bother you again but I wolud like to thank you for your input and rapid response to my email. Trawling through the history of the Net is a complicated yet rewarding experience. As you know I am compiling an essay regarding the "Father(s)" of the Internet in the form of a Web report and I am currently trying to compile a directory of relevant images. However I cannot find a picture of you anywhere on the Net! I know it may seem like a strange request but could you send me a small jpg/gif of youself for use in my report? Thankyou again, Chris Cawdell.

Chris,

I am CEO of Longitude Systems. See our web site, www.longsys.com, for a picture of me. If this picture doesn't meet your needs, send me another message.

Steve