Transcript Slides IFRF Presentation 29

Lessons from the History of
the Internet
Innovation and Technology Transfer
-João Meyer
-Ana Sofia Mascarenhas
-Pedro Nazareth
Castells, M. (2001), “Lessons from the History of Internet”, in
“The Internet Galaxy”, Ch. 1, pp 9-35.Oxford Univ. Press.
1st of February 2002
Presentation Framework
Factual History of the Internet
Author´s lessons from the Internet
History
Our opinion and relevant aspects for the
course
Discussion
Factual History of the
Internet
ARPANET- Project consisting in building a network between
computer centers (1962/69)
Packet-switching (Paul Baran)
ARPANET was formed
Next Step: Connect different
networks
Basic Structure of Internet was formed
Standardized Communication protocols (TCP/IP)
Factual History of the
Internet
Other Sources of Internet:
MODEM/computer Bulletin Board System
An alternative network (usenet news)
Connecting to ARPANET
Creation of world wide web and modifications
Author´s lessons from the
Internet History
Research Policy
World Political Situation of the time
- Cold War
- Soviet Space
program
Mobilisation of - Government
- Public Opinion
Strong
Suport to
invest
ARPA : Massive Resources + Scientific Capacity
Considerable Autonomy to Researchers
Something should come out of it...
- Superiority Military
technology
- Porfit for Economy
Author´s lessons from the
Internet History
Share of knowledge
“ARPANET developed in a safe but not limiting environment
– Relaxed security”
Big inter-action within Accademic Comunity
- Researchers
Fast diffusion
of protocols
- Co-workers
- Graduate Students
Code of Conduct
+
University
Research
Tradition
- Free distribution of software
- Share of informations
- Request for comments (RFQ’s)
Author´s lessons from the
Internet History
60’s conservative attitude
of
major
companies
towards investment
All funding came from
Government
institutions
Government’s
control of ARPA
Obstacle to it’s connection
with other countries
Autonomous
Networks,
conference
systems (80’s)
Companies awaked for the
potencial and started to adopt
internal networks
Impact of autonomous networks
was decisive for global expansion
Author´s lessons from the
Internet History
“An Architecture of Openness”
Technical Architecture
-Flexibility of communication
protocols (TCP/IP)
-Prevailed over the international
standard communication protocol
(x.25)
Social/Institutional
Organization
-Governance of the internet
-Coordination of functions in the
network: agreement on standards,
shared protocol, descentralised
structure
Author´s lessons from the
Internet History
“Self-evolution of the internet”
-Users became producers of technology and shapers of
the whole network
Timespan of “Learning by using & Producing by using” is
shortened
Learning by producing
Diffusion and enhancement of new technology
Internet Growth
(networks and range of applications)
Author´s lessons from the
Internet History
The author´s “recipe”
Sequencial evolution of the internet base values:
Networking architecture must be open-ended,
decentralized, distributed and multidirectional in its
interactivity
Communication protocols must be
distributed and susceptible of modification
open,
Institutions of governance of the network must be built in
accordance with the principles of openness and
cooperation (embedded in the Internet)
Our opinion and relevant
aspects for the course
 An extended relation:
“An Architecture of Openness”
Technical Architecture
Social/Institutional
Organization
“Self-evolution of the internet”
Hot groups
Invention vs. Innovation
Users key producers of technology: ”Market Pull or
Technological Push”?
Knowledge transference