Netaffair – The Archive Made Alive

To challenge the future networking generations we aim to find answers about European's performance in the “concourse of computers”, as it was called in 1978 by the technicians involved in developing the “European Informatics Network” (EIN), aka COST Project 11. EIN was the first pan-European test-bed for scientific computing networks.

Listen to the Voices

NetAffair's aim is to unearth and reveal 40 years of inside knowledge in internetworking. Do start with we re-publish broadcasts produced with the help and support of the characters who have been active in the fields of protocols, standardisation, politics, and economics since the 1960s.

We want to ensure that this knowledge does not evaporate, but is heard and reincorporated into the common knowledge base and support active and productive discussions among students, politicians, educators, and journalists; in short, the next generations of networkers and opinion leaders. We aim to better understand computer networking and to identify which parameters will be influential for the development of the Internet during its future incarnations.

NetAffair will open its archive in order to bring to the surface concepts, original ideas, the interplay of national politics and the rise and fall of early European networking adventures. By doing so we mean to foster better understanding what networking is all about: What drives it? Which areas need further thoughts in order to master the future? How does the interplay between various actors proceed? Our aim is to reveal Internet's evolutionary development as well as what needs to be considered as being merely a myth. You can already listen to some of our broadcasts, which we did with the original voices, to get a glimpse where we are heading at during coming months. Translations into English will be provided soon. Stay tuned.

The nearly forgotten History of the Internet

Covering the early years and how things began.

Small logo Part One, mp3:

The 1960s how things evolved and what made a difference between the USA and Europe in regard of politics and networking design. Also includes the story about the dealings with early adopters at CERN. Inside provided by:

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The 1970s: Speeding up and slowing down. The story of the European Informatics Network, Cost Project 11, which treaty was signed on November 23 1971 at the UN. It can be called the first Pan-European experimental test-bed for the “concourse of computers” research infrastructure. EIN was shut down 1978, and as the COST evaluation report suggests: killed by the European PTTs, the national post, telephone and telegraphy monopolies of the time. The story is told by:

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The Internet: A global bottom up approach. Personal and early experiences with international internetworking protocols and test-beds as well as the difficulties to set up data networks between the West and the East in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the time of cold war. No wonder the story includes spies and agents, but also strong believes in the one idea: to connect.

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The 1980s: A time driven by the need of standardisation of networks: Some myths are identified and some possible explanations why this European driven endeavour failed are provided. Still, a lot remains to be told ... Thanks to: