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How the Internet Got Its Rules --- RFCs' 40th anniversary
by Brian Munyao Longwe 09 Apr '09

09 Apr '09

FYI - a very refreshing read and a reminder of the power of human networking and the strength of consensus based approach. Regards, Brian ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Anne-Rachel Inné <annerachel(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 20:10:15 +0100 Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] How the Internet Got Its Rules --- RFCs' 40th anniversary To: africann(a)afrinic.net http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/opinion/07crocker.html?_r=1 How the Internet Got Its Rules By STEPHEN D. CROCKER Published: April 6, 2009 TODAY is an important date in the history of the Internet: the 40th anniversary of what is known as the Request for Comments. Outside the technical community, not many people know about the R.F.C.’s, but these humble documents shape the Internet’s inner workings and have played a significant role in its success. When the R.F.C.’s were born, there wasn’t a World Wide Web. Even by the end of 1969, there was just a rudimentary network linking four computers at four research centers: the University of California, Los Angeles; the Stanford Research Institute; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The government financed the network and the hundred or fewer computer scientists who used it. It was such a small community that we all got to know one another. A great deal of deliberation and planning had gone into the network’s underlying technology, but no one had given a lot of thought to what we would actually do with it. So, in August 1968, a handful of graduate students and staff members from the four sites began meeting intermittently, in person, to try to figure it out. (I was lucky enough to be one of the U.C.L.A. students included in these wide-ranging discussions.) It wasn’t until the next spring that we realized we should start writing down our thoughts. We thought maybe we’d put together a few temporary, informal memos on network protocols, the rules by which computers exchange information. I offered to organize our early notes. What was supposed to be a simple chore turned out to be a nerve-racking project. Our intent was only to encourage others to chime in, but I worried we might sound as though we were making official decisions or asserting authority. In my mind, I was inciting the wrath of some prestigious professor at some phantom East Coast establishment. I was actually losing sleep over the whole thing, and when I finally tackled my first memo, which dealt with basic communication between two computers, it was in the wee hours of the morning. I had to work in a bathroom so as not to disturb the friends I was staying with, who were all asleep. Still fearful of sounding presumptuous, I labeled the note a “Request for Comments.” R.F.C. 1, written 40 years ago today, left many questions unanswered, and soon became obsolete. But the R.F.C.’s themselves took root and flourished. They became the formal method of publishing Internet protocol standards, and today there are more than 5,000, all readily available online. But we started writing these notes before we had e-mail, or even before the network was really working, so we wrote our visions for the future on paper and sent them around via the postal service. We’d mail each research group one printout and they’d have to photocopy more themselves. The early R.F.C.’s ranged from grand visions to mundane details, although the latter quickly became the most common. Less important than the content of those first documents was that they were available free of charge and anyone could write one. Instead of authority-based decision-making, we relied on a process we called “rough consensus and running code.” Everyone was welcome to propose ideas, and if enough people liked it and used it, the design became a standard. After all, everyone understood there was a practical value in choosing to do the same task in the same way. For example, if we wanted to move a file from one machine to another, and if you were to design the process one way, and I was to design it another, then anyone who wanted to talk to both of us would have to employ two distinct ways of doing the same thing. So there was plenty of natural pressure to avoid such hassles. It probably helped that in those days we avoided patents and other restrictions; without any financial incentive to control the protocols, it was much easier to reach agreement. This was the ultimate in openness in technical design and that culture of open processes was essential in enabling the Internet to grow and evolve as spectacularly as it has. In fact, we probably wouldn’t have the Web without it. When CERN physicists wanted to publish a lot of information in a way that people could easily get to it and add to it, they simply built and tested their ideas. Because of the groundwork we’d laid in the R.F.C.’s, they did not have to ask permission, or make any changes to the core operations of the Internet. Others soon copied them — hundreds of thousands of computer users, then hundreds of millions, creating and sharing content and technology. That’s the Web. Put another way, we always tried to design each new protocol to be both useful in its own right and a building block available to others. We did not think of protocols as finished products, and we deliberately exposed the internal architecture to make it easy for others to gain a foothold. This was the antithesis of the attitude of the old telephone networks, which actively discouraged any additions or uses they had not sanctioned. Of course, the process for both publishing ideas and for choosing standards eventually became more formal. Our loose, unnamed meetings grew larger and semi-organized into what we called the Network Working Group. In the four decades since, that group evolved and transformed a couple of times and is now the Internet Engineering Task Force. It has some hierarchy and formality but not much, and it remains free and accessible to anyone. The R.F.C.’s have grown up, too. They really aren’t requests for comments anymore because they are published only after a lot of vetting. But the culture that was built up in the beginning has continued to play a strong role in keeping things more open than they might have been. Ideas are accepted and sorted on their merits, with as many ideas rejected by peers as are accepted. As we rebuild our economy, I do hope we keep in mind the value of openness, especially in industries that have rarely had it. Whether it’s in health care reform or energy innovation, the largest payoffs will come not from what the stimulus package pays for directly, but from the huge vistas we open up for others to explore. I was reminded of the power and vitality of the R.F.C.’s when I made my first trip to Bangalore, India, 15 years ago. I was invited to give a talk at the Indian Institute of Science, and as part of the visit I was introduced to a student who had built a fairly complex software system. Impressed, I asked where he had learned to do so much. He simply said, “I downloaded the R.F.C.’s and read them.” Stephen D. Crocker is the chief executive of a company that develops information-sharing technology. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann -- Sent from my mobile device Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: + 254 714 222 863 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model
by wesley kiriinya 08 Apr '09

08 Apr '09

How do I confirm that my balance of access is truly being forward and not "disappearing". The operator may give you the option of checking your balance similar to checking credit on phone. What does customer care say? (If you will get through 8~)) Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? I hear Zain is different. From today's advert, you have to pay a 10K refundable deposit for Zain + 3K monthly (or somthing like that). My wise grandmother once said: "Always read the terms and conditions of services from IT companies!". That advice has never let me down. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? Don't know. I've read a few complaints about post-paid services. However I was told post-paid guys are given priority in bandwidth. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as compared to voice (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) I think it's because the revenue from voice and SMS can allow 12 wks risks. I believe the higher the number of people that use data, the more flexible the terms might become. O_O --- On Wed, 4/8/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model To: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 12:33 PM I am seeking to understand the above. I bought the safcom modem during their promotion in Feb09 @ 3000Ksh (free modem(had to be ;-) and access worth 3000Ksh for I think 1G of data.) After consuming less than 50% of the 1G (I use it mainly on weekends), the access was disabled and on enquiry i was informed that the 1G access was timed to be consumed within the 1mnth (4weeks). However, I was assured that the balance of access would be availed in my next purchase... I then opted to purchase the Ksh 2000 access (700Mb), given that I didnt manage to consume the previous 1G and hence saw no need to purchase the same. Furthermore, I expected current access volumes to be consolidated with the previous balance... But before I could consume 50% of the above 700MB, my 4weeks were over and access disabled. I have now purchased Ksh 1000 access (300MB) and from the trend you can predict that my access will be disabled before I consume it... Several questions arise: 1. How do I confirm that my balance of access is truly being forward and not "disappearing". 2. Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? 3. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? 4. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as compared to voice (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) walu. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kiriinya2000%40yahoo.c…

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Fw: Re: Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model
by John Walubengo 08 Apr '09

08 Apr '09

shared - with permission. walu. --- On Wed, 4/8/09, karuoth consult <karuoth.consult(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: karuoth consult <karuoth.consult(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 3:21 PM > 1. SMS the word 'balance' to 450. This will give you the remaining balance. > > 3. Postpaid would work the same way as you purchase the MBs > in bundles. Unless you use the kawaida internet access which > costs 8 bob per MB. > > 4. Safaricom must have changed their model as the balance > is not carried forward to the next month. I experienced this last > month. Previously they were carrying forward. > > In my opinion this model is a reap off as I do not think it > is fair to pay for what you have not used. > Ogutu > On 4/8/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > I am seeking to understand the above. I bought the > safcom modem during > > their promotion in Feb09 @ 3000Ksh (free modem(had to > be ;-) and access > > worth 3000Ksh for I think 1G of data.) > > > > After consuming less than 50% of the 1G (I use it > mainly on weekends), the > > access was disabled and on enquiry i was informed that > the 1G access was > > timed to be consumed within the 1mnth (4weeks). > However, I was assured that > > the balance of access would be availed in my next > purchase... > > > > I then opted to purchase the Ksh 2000 access (700Mb), > given that I didnt > > manage to consume the previous 1G and hence saw no > need to purchase the > > same. Furthermore, I expected current access volumes > to be consolidated > > with the previous balance... > > > > But before I could consume 50% of the above 700MB, my > 4weeks were over and > > access disabled. I have now purchased Ksh 1000 access > (300MB) and from the > > trend you can predict that my access will be disabled > before I consume it... > > > > Several questions arise: > > 1. How do I confirm that my balance of access is > truly being forward and > > not "disappearing". > > 2. Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? > > 3. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? > > 4. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as > compared to voice > > (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) > > > > walu. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: karuoth.consult(a)gmail.com > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/karuoth.consult%40gmai… > >

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Kenya IGF Review Forum
by Vincent Ngundi 08 Apr '09

08 Apr '09

Dear Members, The Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC), in conjunction with the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), invites to a half-day face-to-face public forum to review the 2008 East Africa Internet Governance Forum (EAIGF) and to set the agenda for the 2009 Kenya Internet Governance Forum (Kenya IGF) and EAIGF. The forum will be held at the Jacaranda hotel on Wednesday the 15th of April 2009 starting 09:00am and will be graced by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo. The agenda will include: * Keynote Address by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo * IGF Background * Review of the 2008 EAIGF * Setting the Agenda for the 2009 Kenya IGF and EAIGF * Way Forward Kindly confirm attendance via rsvp(a)kenic.or.ke, RE: Kenya IGF Review Forum, to facilitate logistical arrangements. Kind Regards, ----------- Vincent Ngundi Administrative Manager KENIC - The Kenya Network Information Centre http://www.kenic.or.ke vincent(a)kenic.or.ke [T] +254 20 4450057/8 [C] +254 20 2398036 [M] +254 733 790073 [F] +254 20 4450087 ³dot KE for Every Name in Kenya!² -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Internet records to be stored for a year
by alice 07 Apr '09

07 Apr '09

Internet records to be stored for a year Details of every email sent and website visited by people in Britain are to be stored for use by the state from tomorrow as part of what campaigners claim is a massive assault on privacy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/5… By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 3:20PM BST 05 Apr 2009 A European Union directive, which Britain was instrumental in devising, comes into force which will require all internet service providers to retain information on email traffic, visits to web sites and telephone calls made over the internet, for 12 months. Police and the security services will be able to access the information to combat crime and terrorism. Hundreds of public bodies and quangos, including local councils, will also be able to access the data to investigate flytipping and other less serious crimes. It was previously thought that only the large companies would be required to take part, covering 95 per cent of Britain's internet usage, but a Home Office spokesman has confirmed it will be applied "across the board" to even the smallest company. Privacy campaigners say the move to force telecoms companies to store the data is the first step towards the controversial central database at the heart of the Home Office's Intercept Modernisation Programme, which will gather far more detailed information on Britain's online activities. Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said: "I don't think people are aware of the implications of this move. It means that everything we do online or on the phone will be known to the authorities. "They are using this to produce probably the world's most comprehensive surveillance system. "This is a disgraceful example of the covert influence that Brussels has across our freedoms and liberties. The entire episode has been marked by a litany of secret dealings, vicious political games and a complete absence of transparency." Phil Noble of privacy group NO2ID, said: "This is the kind of technology that the Stasi would have dreamed of. "We are facing a co-ordinated strategy to track everyone's communications, creating a dossier on every person's relationships and transactions. "It is clearly preparatory work for the as-yet un-revealed plans for intercept modernisation." Another EU directive which requires companies to hold details of telephone records for a year has already come into force, and although internet data is held on an ad hoc basis this is the first time the industry has faced a statutory requirement to archive the material. Information held includes the details of who contacted who, and when, but does not involve the content of emails being stored. The taxpayer will reimburse internet service providers and telecoms companies for the costs associated with storing the billions of individual records. Thierry Dieu of ETNO, the European telecoms networks operators association, said: "We regret that the legislation has been put through without real consultation with the players in the market. "The UK is the only country which has decided to reimburse the cost of retaining all the data. It remains to be seen whether this will cover all the costs." A Home Office spokesman said: "It is the Government's priority to protect public safety and national security. That is why we are completing the implementation of this directive, which will bring the UK in line with our European counterparts. "Letters will go out to communication service providers telling them that it is coming into force. We are talking across the board, to all communication providers." He said communications data played a "vital part" in a wide range of criminal investigations, such as the hunt for the killer of Rhys Jones, the 11-year-old schoolboy shot dead in Liverpool in 2007, and the prevention of terrorists attacks. "Without communications data, resolving crimes such as the Rhys Jones murder would be very difficult if not impossible. "Access to communications data is governed by Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act which ensures that effective safeguards are in place and that the data can only be accessed when it is necessary and proportionate to do so," he said. A European deal on storing data was first pursued by Charles Clarke when he was home secretary in 2005. At the time, a Home Office spokesman confirmed that a major mobile phone company which had previously stored its data for just two days had agreed to retain the information for a year in exchange for £875,000 in taxpayers' money. A report compiled by ETNO in 2004 said that a large internet service provider would need to store between 20,000 and 40,000 terabytes of data - of the equivalent of 40 trillion emails - if it was required to keep all traffic data for 12 months. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Fwd: KRA has gone online...but!
by wesley kiriinya 06 Apr '09

06 Apr '09

Does anyone who needs to file tax online (or do something important on the KRA website) need to go to that URL? If so then it seems KRA has taken 2 steps forward and 1.5 steps backwards. KRA may insist that people file taxes online and since not filing them is illegal then one has to go online, but ALAS! you need to buy Windows so that you can run IE. So one either endures long qeues or buys Windows else you land in jail. (Mathematically ones chances of going to jail because of taxes have increased since one must avoid using pirated Windows O_O) I for one would like to know what feature of this Simba system ties it to IE (and probably forces any Kenyan who wants to file taxes online to buy Windows). No problem if Windows has a technology that no other OS has. If that's not the case then supporting open systems that can be purchased, maintained, used and extended (especially for government institutions that provide public (tax-paid) services) at a reasonable price is a wiser decision. X_X? --- On Sun, 4/5/09, Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] Fwd: KRA has gone online...but! To: "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009, 12:19 PM Yes Georg, I can attest to that! Such a pathetic way of telling someone thank you!!! 2009/4/5 George Githinji <georgkam(a)gmail.com> This is total crap! https://forodha.kra.go.ke/ trying accessing this URL and from latest firefox browser and it displays a message. Simba 2005 can only accessed using Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.0 and above. I can't believe it! On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 9:00 PM, Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> wrote: Dear Skunks and Skunkettes, At least we are back and right on course! The other day I went to Times Tower (Tower Wing) to apply for a VAT certificate from KRA. The lady at the reception bluntly refused to have my documents saying KRA is no longer accepting manual applications either for VAT or PIN. She further told me to log on to www.kra.go.ke/portal and I'd be able to register the details of my company, as long as it is a valid and legal entity. When I logged on to the site, which is too colourful for my 'ageing' eyes, I finally clicked on the Taxpayer Registration just under the E-registration services I entered the company's PIN number and all the details about the company were on my screen. Now, the funny part is that when I set a new password and waited for next page to open, I was told that the agent (who registered my company) does not exist on the Integrated Tax Management System of KRA. So I cannot proceed with the registration for a VAT certificate. Then I gave a shot at my PIN and interestingly, the PIN number does not exist on the ITMS of KRA again. I've tried this on a number of occasions without getting any through. (I tried using my friends PIN and his worked, though it later asked for his parent's names). Could it be that PIN certificates can be fake? And can KRA really isue fake PIN certificates? Anyone amongst you who has experienced a problem with the KRA portal? It really gets into my nerves! Mburu -- Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! -- Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks -- --------------- Sincerely George Skype: george_g2 Blog: http://biorelated.wordpress.com/ _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks -- Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks

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Kenya: Fibre optic cable almost reaches telephone house
by alice 05 Apr '09

05 Apr '09

Kenya: Fibre optic cable almost reaches telephone house 'we expect a lot of movement to take place in the month of April' Coastweek -- A timetable for the roll-out of the TEAMS (The East African Marine Systems) cable has been released by contractors, Alcatel Submarines Network Systems. According to Mr. Nzioka Waita, a TEAMS board member and Safaricom's Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, "we expect a lot of movement to take place in the month of April." Activities lined up for April include the completion of loading and commencement of the dropping of the cable, a visit to Fujairah by the TEAMS board members to inspect the equipment before the ship starts laying the cable in the sea. Waita was speaking in Mombasa yesterday after a TEAM's board of directors' inspection of the terminal equipment, housed in the equipment room and landing station room situated in Telephone House on Moi Avenue. Terminal equipment is what is necessary to light the entire length of the cable and to provide a point of connection for the submarine cable to the terrestrial infrastructure in the country. They include power feeding equipment, transmission equipment, SDH and network monitoring equipment. "We are fairly confident the equipment room is now ready to be handed over to the contractor to begin the installation of equipment for the landing station," said Waita who was accompanied by Mr. Victor Kyalo from the Kenya ICT Board, who is also seconded to TEAMS as the Acting CEO and Project Manager. The equipment is already in Kenya awaiting clearance, while the Alcatel Contractors who will do the installation are also in the country and waiting to be handed over the room. "We just want to tell everyone interested in the TEAMS project that everything is on track and we are receiving a lot of co-operation from shareholders to make sure the project happens in time and within the budget," said Waita. The US $ 130 million TEAMS project shareholding ratio includes: Safaricom, Telkom Kenya and the Government of Kenya all with 20 per cent of the shares, (KDN) Kenya Data Network with 10 per cent, Wananchi Online with five per cent; Jamii Telkom; 3.5 per cent and Access Kenya and Flashcom; 1.25 per cent. Others are Econet and Africa Fibre Net of Uganda. The Kenyan shareholders have pledged US $ 110 million (Sh8.6 billion) while the difference will be raised by Dubai Telecom Operator, Etisalat. Waita said the project has all requisite permits and approvals from (NEMA), the National Environment Management Agency which were received in November last year. coast week.... __._,_.___

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New IDRC Book: Knowledge to Policy
by Edith Adera 04 Apr '09

04 Apr '09

Colleagues, You might find this book of interest given that KICTANET mainly focusses on influencing policy and practice. The book is entitled "Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research" copublished by Sage and IDRC, and authored by Fred Carden. It's avialble in print and online at http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-135779-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html Book Brief Does research influence public policy and decision-making and, if so, how? This book is the most recent to address this question, investigating the effects of research in the field of international development. It starts from a sophisticated understanding about how research influences public policy and decision-making. It shows how research can contribute to better governance in at least three ways: by encouraging open inquiry and debate, by empowering people with the knowledge to hold governments accountable, and by enlarging the array of policy options and solutions available to the policy process. Edith

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FW: Fellowship in London and Kenya for African women
by Edith Adera 03 Apr '09

03 Apr '09

This may be of interest. Edith

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Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
by James Muendo 03 Apr '09

03 Apr '09

LinkedIn ------------ James Muendo requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn: ------------------------------------------ Benjamin, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - James View invitation from James Muendo http://www.linkedin.com/e/4_n5t6X_WQjXh2Z5g_n5tTYK1bLMphUgsD_gUY8QrOaX/blk/… ------------------------------------------ DID YOU KNOW LinkedIn can help you find the right service providers using recommendations from your trusted network? Using LinkedIn Services, you can take the risky guesswork out of selecting service providers by reading the recommendations of credible, trustworthy members of your network. http://www.linkedin.com/e/svp/inv-25/ ------ (c) 2009, LinkedIn Corporation

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