

A  Proposal   To   Set   Up   An   Anarchist   Computer   Network
--------------------------------------------------

A network is a system of linking  computers  so  they  can  share
information.  There  are  several  types of net, but the one that
interests us most is the BBS type network.

BBS stands for Bulletin Board  Service.  It  describes  a  system
where  there  is  a  central computer which users can call, using
their own computer and a phone line. A BBS may have message areas
(where  users can leave messages to each other), file areas (with
a variety of  text  and  software  files  available),  games  and
possibly  a  system  for  users  to chat to each other "live" (if
there's more than one phone line connected to it).  Or there  may
be any combination of these services.

Two or more BBS's can be linked together by a network  to  enable
the  passing of messages and files between them. They could be in
the same town, or on opposite sides of the world, and  it  allows
the  users  of (callers to) one BBS to communicate with the users
of any other BBS in the same network. This communication is  done
by sending messages, rather than direct chat.

To give a practical example of this: you could  call  a  bulletin
board in Darwin today, leave a message addressed to the user of a
BBS on the same network  in  Madrid  and  possibly  get  a  reply
tomorrow  (although  it's  more  likely to take a bit longer than
that). All for the cost of two local calls. Files can be sent via
a network in a similar way.

There are numerous anarchist  groups  and  individuals  scattered
widely throughout Australia. Most of us are connected in some way
by a network that is more accurately described as a  "grapevine".
This grapevine ensures that a lot of us are kept in touch to some
extent with  what's  going  on  in  the  anarchist  scene  around
Australia.  However, it's a very haphazard system, often slow and
sometimes wildly inaccurate.

We live in the most sparsely populated continent on earth and  if
we  are  ever going to build a strong anarchist movement, we have
to be united over very long distances.

Mail, telephone and personal contact are, and always will be,  an
important  part  of  this. However computer networks are the most
efficient   means   of   reliable,   constant   and   fast   mass
communication.  The  government,  business  and the media all use
these systems increasingly more effectively and if we don't start
looking at this within the anarchistt movement, we are in serious
danger of being rapidly left behind.

I am personally a confirmed luddite and  have  strongly  resisted
compulsive  use of computers and technology. But, despite looking
at it from this point of view, i have come  to  realize  what  an
essential tool computers are in a scattered community like ours.

What I'm proposing is the establishment of a network of computers
set  up  by  group  of  collectives  throughout  Australia.   Any
collective that wants to get involved, will have to  somehow  get
hold  of  a  computer  (preferably an IBM or compatible PC) and a
modem. All the software  required  for  joining  the  network  is
readily available, as is help with, and advice on getting set up.

Ideally, there will eventually be at least one collective in  all
the  main  cities  and  hopefully also a few in other places too.
These collectives will  be  responsible  for  the  operation  and
administration   of   their  part  of  the  network  and  jointly
responsible for the administration of the whole net.

How the  individual  collectives  operate  outside  of  immediate
networking  responsibilities  may  well vary from one to another.
How we all link together will be pretty standard,  but  how  each
collective  chooses  to use their access to the net will be up to
them. For example, it will be possible to  run  a  public  access
bulletin  board  to allow people to call up from outside and gain
access  to  the  network.  This  BBS  could  be  open  to  anyone
interested   or  it  could  be  private  and  only  available  to
authorized users.

Another possibility is the  use  of  the  network  to  produce  a
nationwide  and possibly international newsletter, which could be
published in a form that suits local readers. The material  would
be  easily  available  and with the right equipment and software,
the production of a newsletter or magazine  could  easily  be  at
least  partly automated. This would put our media on a more equal
footing with the commercial press and allow people who don't have
access to a computer to access information from the net.

Something else that could be done is to set up a community  media
group,  allowing  people  outside  the network collective to have
access to a computer. This would encourage more input to the  net
and allow those who haven't got access to computers to join in.

Eventually, I hope we will be connected not only  to  collectives
within  Australia,  but  to  other anarchist groups all round the
world. There are anarchist computer networks operating in  Europe
and  we  could  fairly  easily  link  up  with  them.  There  are
undoubtedly anarchist groups with computers in  New  Zealand  and
North   America  who  we  could  also  connect  with.   In  fact,
ultimately, wherever there are anarchists and computers, we could
be  in direct contact with them. This will make it much easier to
share ideas internationally and to find out what's  really  going
on  around  the  world  without having to rely on the lies of the
capitalist media. It will also lead to a  much  greater  strength
and international solidarity in the anarchist movement worldwide.

We need to work on both the national and international aspects of
the  network  more  or  less together. However, until we've got a
network  going  here,  we  won't  have  very  much  to  offer  an
international network in return for all the information that will
be coming our way. I feel we must have at  least  two  Australian
cities  in  our  network before we commit ourselves to linking up
overseas. This will not only increase the flow  of  material  but
will   share   the   burden   of  maintaining  the  international
connections.

Finance for the network is something that we will have  to  think
about.  It can be set up very cheaply, but the running costs will
mount up, particularly with the expense  of  maintaining  regular
overseas communication. We will need some means of covering these
expenses collectively.

If you're interested in becoming part of this network, the  first
thing  you  should  do is form a collective with other interested
people in your area, get yourselves some computer  equipment  and
then get in touch with us.

Contact: Brisbane Anarchist Computer  Kolektiv  190  Boundary  St
West End Brisbane Queensland 4101 Australia

e-mail: will@desire.apana.org.au

or call "the eXchange" bbs 03-383 3094



