
Computer Networks and Anarchy  

Communication using computers is possible because information may 
be transferred between two computers using a variety of methods: 
a physical wire, the telephone, or even radio waves. To get from 
a computer in Glasgow to one in California, a message is sent 
from one computer to another, then to a third, and so on, until 
it reaches its destination (to cross the Atlantic Ocean, two 
computers communicate via a satellite, or possibly a fibre optic 
cable). The next time the computer at the destination is used, 
the message from Glasgow is waiting and can be saved on the 
computer's disk, printed out, or a reply sent.

These "networks" of computers have proliferated in the past 
twenty years; many of them are connected to form the biggest 
network, called the Internet.  The Internet connects at least ten 
million people around the world. The growth and operation of 
these networks act as one of the most significant examples of a 
functioning anarchy.  There is no centralised control; you join 
the network by cooperating with the nearest computer site already 
on it, which will forward all messages for you.  Although 
governments sponsor and indirectly run the parts of the Internet 
which transfer a high volume of information, many networks are 
completely independent.  For instance, Fidonet is a worldwide 
network of home computers run by computer hobbyists, and the 
European Counter Network is a network of activists in Europe.  
  
One of the most popular ways to use the networks is to send 
messages to a particular person or organisation; this is called 
"electronic mail".  An important point is that it costs no more 
than a phone call to the nearest computer to do this, even though 
the message could be destined for California.  Also, the message 
is sent after you have finished typing it, typically at a rate of 
page a second, so slow typing doesn't cost you more. On the 
Internet, such a message could take as little as half an hour to 
reach California, allowing a reply within an hour.  The message 
could contain an article from a magazine produced by computer, 
which could be printed out and distributed locally. There is 
great potential for keeping in touch and working together. Many 
organisations can be contacted by electronic mail: the IWW, WSA, 
Love and Rage, the Autonome Forum, Infoshops, the Anarchist 
Communist Federation, the German FAU, the SAC, and anarchists in 
the U.S.A., Europe, Russia, Japan and elsewhere.  
  
Users of the computer networks maintain a strong tradition of the 
free exchange of information.  This can be traced to links 
between the counterculture and those involved in the early 
development of computers.  There is a vast amount of information 
available on a wide range of subjects - not only concerned with 
computers.  Much of this is generated by discussion groups 
centred around "Bulletin Board Systems", or BBSes.  With BBSes, 
anyone who wishes can join a discussion group by sending messages 
to a specific computer which sends the message to everyone else, 
thus simulating a real discussion.  The Internet currently has 
several discussion groups on anarchism, anarchosyndicalism and 
anarchist activism.

The information available is stored on particular computers' 
disks and can be accessed by several methods.  Nowadays, text, 
pictures and even sound can be transferred.  There are several 
computer archives of anarchist material, including the Fast 
Breeder BBS in London, Love and Rage, and Spunk Press.  The last 
two can be contacted on the Internet. Love and Rage distribute 
their bulletin as electronic messages. The Spunk Press archive 
currently has over 400 articles from publications such as Here 
and Now, Libertarian Labor Review, Counter Information, Wind 
Chill Factor, Warrior, Mother Anarchy, works by Emma Goldman, 
Bakunin, Kropotkin, and articles from the Glasgow group and 
others around the world.  A current project is to add back issues 
of 'Anarchy, a Journal of Desire Armed' to the archive.  Any 
magazine produced by computer desktop publishing (DTP) on a PC or 
Apple computer can be added to the archive without the effort of 
retyping the contents.   
Spunk Press is run by a collective of members in the U.S., U.K., 
Sweden, Holland, Italy and elsewhere, using electronic mail to 
discuss, coordinate and develop the archive.   
   
Is all this secure?  It isn't difficult for governments to 
monitor messages, though there is a vast amount of traffic and 
methods of encrypting messages have been developed which make it 
almost impossible for eavesdroppers to read them.    
   
There maybe someone in your group who has free access to the 
Internet through work or study.  In this case, they can act as 
the Internet contact for the group. Otherwise, what do you need?  
A computer, a modem  - which is used to transmit messages via 
telephone - and a 'service provider', an organisation that allows 
you to  connect to the Internet.  The service provider usually 
supplies you with the software for your computer and instructions 
on how to connect and use the Internet. Computers are still not 
as straightforward to use as they could be, though things are 
improving, so it is best to find someone who has  
already done this. How much does it cost?  The service providers 
should charge less than 10 pounds a month - shop around.  
Telephone bills depend on how much you use the system, the speed 
of your modem (the faster the cheaper) and whether your nearest 
computer is local or long distance.  You can continue to use your 
computer for DTP and other purposes, too.  
  
Good books on computer networking include  "The Whole Internet 
User's Guide & Catalog," by Ed Krol, published by O'Reilly & 
Associates, and "EcoLinking: Everyone's guide to online 
environmental information," by Don Ritter, from PeachPit Press, 
2414 Sixth St., Berkeley, CA 94710.  There is lots of free 
information about the Internet itself, once you are connected. If 
you have material for Spunk Press, contact them c/o the Glasgow 
Anarchists. Once you get on the Internet, send a message to Spunk 
Press and the Glasgow group at their electronic mail addresses:  
spunk.@lysator.liu.se  and cllv13@ccsun.strath.ac.uk 
respectively.  
  
Don't forget that computer communication is an addition to 
meeting people, using the telephone and writing letters, not a 
substitute!  

 



