Quite interesting recollection Prof Sam. Thank you for sharing Alagie On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 at 09:01, Johan Helsingius < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Incidentally Matthias Hudobnik (SSAC) has just managed to > arm-wrestle me and Jaap Akkerhuis (also SSAC) to get together > and reminisce of the early days of UUCP and the first Internet > connections in Europe, as well as bringing the net to the (rapidly > disintegrating) Soviet Union - and of course the good old > "kremvax" April fools' hoax... :) > > Julf > > > > On 12/04/2024 22:15, Sam Lanfranco wrote: > > NCSG Colleagues, > > > > Forgive me if I reminisce a bit here. In November of 1992, a year and a > > half before China connected to the global Internet I was in Beijing > > delivering a 2400 baud Telebit Teleblazer to a scientific institute in > > that city. > > > > We used [expensive] dialup to connect to a similar modem at PeaceNet in > > the San Francisco Bay Area. > > > > Earlier, in the 1980s, China was purchasing communications equipment > > from my research colleagues in Yugoslavia, in the part that is now > > Slovenia. Here I have a Canadian neighbor who was in charge of bringing > > the Digital Equipment Corporation’s (DEC’s) PDP-10 to China in those > years. > > > > In the early '80s people from the San Francisco Bay Area, including the > > non-profits: ARC Foundation; Center for Innovative Diplomacy; Community > > Data Processing; and Foundation for the Arts of Peace came together > > around a vision of a computer network to support the work of individuals > > and organizations working to reduce the risks of war and to promote > > peace. PeaceNet was launched. EcoNet, joined with PeaceNet to became > > the Institute for Global Communications (IGC), which became a project of > > the Tides Foundation. > > > > Much of that early history is almost lost, especially as the private > > sector “Internet whales” push to shape the Internet in commercial > > directions and write its history in their favor. In June of 1997, in > > Toronto, with help from the World Bank and numerous international > > organizations we secured global funding for “Global Knowledge 97: > > Knowledge for Development in the Information Age”, an early global > > conference focused on peace and development via the Internet. We also > > secured multilateral funding for Bellanet, at Canada’s International > > Development Research Centre (IDRC). Bellanet was charged with promoting > > multilateral government use of the Internet. That early vision saw the > > Internet as a platform for global understanding, peace and shared > > prosperity. > > > > Closing on a humorous note, I worked with the woman who convinced > > Canada’s public Canadian Broadcasting System to have its first web page. > > The only argument that worked was when she explained that they could > > sell coffee mugs and tee shirts online. > > > > Sam Lanfranco, NCSG > > > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telebit > > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telebit> > > > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Baran > > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Baran> > > > > https://www.igc.org/ <https://www.igc.org/> > > > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-10 < > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-10> > > > > *From:*NCSG-Discuss <[log in to unmask]> *On Behalf Of > > *Marilia Maciel > > *Sent:* Friday, April 12, 2024 5:12 AM > > *To:* [log in to unmask] > > *Subject:* Event: 30 years of internet in China: Between past growth and > > future challenges > > > > Dear colleagues, > > > > The event below might be of interest. The 30th anniversary of China's > > connection to the global Internet will take place next week. Diplo and > > the Fuxi Institution jointly put together a very knowleageble panel, to > > look back at this period of technological growth in China and in the > > West, and the challenges foreseen in the future. We hope you can join us > > on April 19th. > > > > All the best, > > > > Marilia > > > > View this email in your browser > > <https://mailchi.mp/diplomacy/30-years-of-internet-in-china?e=db990db001 > > > > > > < > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=e5ff33ca7c&e=db990db001 > > > > > > *Online Anniversary Symposium* > > < > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=c2ade5e238&e=db990db001 > > > > > > *12:00–13:00 UTC | 14:00–15:00 CEST | 20:00–21:00 Beijing* > > > > On 20 April 1994, China connected to the internet. It was one of the > > most important developments in the digital history of the 20th century. > > Digitalisation has been the engine behind the rise of the *Chinese > > economy*, lifting millions out of poverty. China displays a vibrant > > digital economy and is home to many leading digital companies. > > > > In the 1990s, US technology was primarily employed to build the ‘eight > > vertical and eight horizontal’ fibre-optic backbone, a nationwide > > grid-shaped fibre-optic network representing the core of the Chinese > > internet. As globalisation boomed, China and the West became > > increasingly intertwined through growing flows of trade, finance, and by > > the decentralisation of production. The use of Chinese platforms has > > grown. China has also enacted a wide range of *digital legislation *on > > data security, personal information protection, and digital governance. > > > > In less than two decades, however, telecommunications and mobile > > technology have become the first well-established fields of > > *geopolitical rivalry* between the USA and China. This dispute for > > leadership is spreading through a vast array of so-called ‘critical and > > emerging technologies’, including *artificial intelligence* (AI). > > Tension is rising between the two digital powers, and measures have been > > put in place to restrict access to each other’s digital markets. > > > > *On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, Diplo will host a discussion > > focusing on the past growth and future challenges of Chinese > > digitalisation. * > > > > The discussion will address, among others, the following questions: > > > > * What is the significance of the last 30 years of internet deployment > > in China for developing the global internet? > > * What are the expectations for the future of China’s internet? > > * What are the main trends in AI and digital regulation in China? > > * What is China’s current and potential future role internationally in > > AI and digital governance? > > > > *Panellists* > > > > * Jovan Kurbalija, Director, Diplo; Head, Geneva Internet Platform > > * Lee Xiaodong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fuxi Institution; > > Professor, Tsinghua University > > * Liu Hao, Executive Chair, School of Global Governance, Beijing > > Institute of Technology > > * Rogier Creemers, Assistant Professor and Lecturer, Modern Chinese > > Studies, University of Leiden > > * Sorina Teleanu, Director of Knowledge, Diplo > > > > *Moderator* > > > > * Marilia Maciel, Head of Digital Commerce and Internet Policy, Diplo > > > > *REGISTER NOW!* > > < > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=5479489b93&e=db990db001 > > > > > > /To my understanding, all this happened because of two significant > > events. The internet, an epoch-making innovation, sprang up from the > > West, while in China, we had been in the Reform and Open-Door Age.// > > > > /Because of these two significant events, with the impact of the > > internet, China started to embrace the world market, and China's booming > > economy became world-shaking. At the same time, because of China's > > joining, the world also changed profoundly./ > > > > /// > > *Hu Qiheng* > > China’s Internet Pioneer and Global Connector > > > > *Organised in partnership with the Fuxi Institution** > > > > *< > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=12aa747c18&e=db990db001 > > > > > > > > > > /Copyright © 2024 DiploFoundation, All rights reserved./ > > You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in > > DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform. > > > > *Our mailing address is:* > > > > DiploFoundation > > > > No. 5 > > > > Hriereb Street > > > > Msida MSD 1675 > > > > Malta > > > > > > Add us to your address book > > < > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/vcard?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=4510155485 > > > > > > > > > > Want to change how you receive these emails? > > You can update your preferences > > < > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/profile?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=4510155485&e=db990db001&c=93469c00b1> > or unsubscribe from all Diplo and GIP emails < > https://diplomacy.us5.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=89e7299f9fe54eed66d45cf3d&id=4510155485&t=b&e=db990db001&c=93469c00b1 > >. > > > > > > -- > > > > *______________________________* > > > > *Marília Maciel, PhD* > > > > Head Digital Commerce and Internet Policy | Diplo > > > > [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> | @MariliaM > > www.diplomacy.edu <http://www.diplomacy.edu/> > > > > <https://www.diplomacy.edu/subscribe/> > > >