IJIE International Journal of Information Ethics Vol. 2 (11/2004) Gustavo Navarro Self-organization in Open Source Communication Networks. Red Académica Electrónica de CLACSO -RAEC- (CLACSO’s Electronic Academic Network -EANC-) case. Abstract: Throughout 1980 two main processes started. The first process was the creation of an area of free information exchange at a low cost and with a diversity of collaborators. The first revolution in the Internet based on the newsgroups, the ftp, the electronic mail and the emergence of the free software were the paradigm of the new world in information. Today, we can think about the existence of are new elements to be linked to this paradigm, such as free encyclopedias, the open source scientific publication, the genomic information, etc. The second process witnessed how huge industries (pharmaceutical, food and agriculture, means of transport, software packing companies) were being built. These industries are now trying to reach the property or the control of the use of information and knowledge and there is a strong pressure to increase the control upon the spreading of knowledge and information by using a mixture of technical and legal tools. These two tendencies are opposed in various cases and these clashes are shaping up the future. In Argentina and in Latin America, these two trends are growing due to the emergence of projects that put special emphasis on the appropriation of the Internet technology in order to create communication networks, using open source technologies, such as the case of the RAEC. Red Académica Electrónica de CLACSO (CLACSO’s Electronic Academic Network -EANC-) with regard to the generation, creation, utilization, storage and transfer of information on one hand, and the benefits and the sources of innovation in the evolution of this Network at concentrating on open technologies, on the other hand. The fact is to show and cast some light on the deep debate about how knowledge shall be dealt in Argentina in the next years, taking into account values and typical styles of our country and how this is related to the use of digital technology. Author: Gustavo Navarro: • Network of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), Argentina • + 49 - 721 - 98 22 9 22 , [email protected], http://www.clacso.edu.ar © by IJIE – all rights reserved www.ijie.org 1 ISSN 1614-1687 IJIE International Journal of Information Ethics Vol. 2 (11/2004) The fact that these institutions had the Internet First process - Preliminary connection did not mean that they were able to provide it to everyone who wanted it. On one hand, inquires each institution fixed a policy; in the case of the UBA, the organism who had to manage the network Since halfway through the seventies, the e-mail lists, policy was the Centro de Comunicación Científica - the cooperative work in institutions such as the IETF CCC- (Scientific Communication Center –SCC-, or (Internet Engineering Task Force, sources of open the CESPI in La Plata. All in all, they were the ones source standards publicly discussed and led by who decided which type of connection they would individuals), the RFC (Request for Comments, give to a 'customer', whether ‘differed’ (electronic standard documentation on the Internet) have been mail only) connection or ‘on-line’ connection. going around. It was the Internet the one that has enabled this process, which was at first exclusively But there were also private companies that offered limited to the virtual communities of hackers, to ‘differed’ connection ONLY (because of that fact spread out. The innovation of the software has thus about the monopoly...). So, those who wanted to come out from state-of-the-art scientific research have electronic mail had two possibilities: laboratories, in which everything used to be put at risk throughout the ‘60s and the ‘70s, and from a. having an account in a computer at any companies’ equipment to grant a much vaster social institution field. In fact, the Internet, as a connection structure, b. having an electronic address at home constitutes the form of the molecular organization of this fantastic cycle of immaterial production. Even Option a) was typical of students from some in the ‘80s the BBS (Bulletin Board System. University. The only way to find out the possibility Electronic Boards, Fidonet (BBS network, created in was to get in touch with the person in charge of the 1984 and made up by thousands of on-line computing resources of the Institution and ask for communication amateurs), Usenet (group of people the relevant requirements. exchanging articles within one or more newsgroups, universally or locally acknowledged by a subject), Option b) was typical of those who hired a private and the Electronic mail have supplied platforms service, although it could also be granted by a public conducted by the user with a more sophisticated Institution (depending on its policy). To gain access and specialized functionality. The latter allowed two to this service it was necessary to have a computer ways of connecting to the Internet: 'on-line' or (it could be that old 4-MHz XT), a modem (from 300 'differed'. The classification was very simple: baud onwards) and a telephone line at home. ‘differed’ meant that the only service they had was the electronic mail, and 'on-line’ was all the rest, We can mention the following institutions among already known today as FTP, WWW, IRC, etc. others: Due to the monopoly established by the law of • The Science and Technology Secretariat, privatization of ENTel, only the firm Telintar (a where the ReCyT functioned, which company formed by Telefónica and Telecom, the connected scientific institutions, universities, ENTel’s heiresses) was able to give the on-line public departments, schools and non profit service at international level. And this company foundations. It provided electronic mail and offered the service ONLY to educational or research other Internet services. institutions. That was why the only institutions • Red de la Universidad de Buenos Aires – having a complete Internet connection were the REDUBA- (Network of the University of Science and Technology Secretariat, the University Buenos Aires: It provided Internet services of Buenos Aires, the National University of La Plata, to professors, researchers, students and the National University of Cordoba, the National other academic institutions at national level. Commission of Atomic Energy and a few more (the It provided electronic mail, and, in some Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales Colleges, all Internet services. It emerged in (National Commission of Space Activities) had its 1986 through the initiative of a group of Internet connection through another via and other professors and students from the legal resource). Obviously, this service was not free Computing and Exact Sciences Department, and each institution paid a monthly fixed canon of which started to work on the RAN project - ~6,000 us$. Red Académica Nacional- (National Academic Network). In 1988 they carried Gustavo Navarro: Self-organization in Open Source Communication Networks 2 IJIE International Journal of Information Ethics Vol. 2 (11/2004) out the first international communication • Los Pinos II. It provided electronic mail, through a digital network, between the UBA newsgroups, shareware programs with free and the University of California, in Los distribution and teleconferences. Average Angeles (UCLA). cost: 20 monthly dollars. • Health Network –OPSARG-. It linked • The Argentinian Compuserve subsidiary hospitals and professionals working in public provided on-line access to Compuserve institutions. It provided electronic mail. International, which at the same time has a • Red Teleinformática Académica –RETINA- - gateway with the Internet. The average REd TeleINformática Académica- (Tele- fare was around 100 dollars. computing Academic Network): Created by • ITINET (ex-Delphi) was an on-line the Asociación Ciencia Hoy (Association information and service system. It supplies Science Today). It connected users from electronic mail, but also the possibility of scientific institutions. It emerged with an performing telnet with remote computers important financial support of the Fundación (the cost of the overseas connection is Antorchas. chargeable to the user). There were conferences, newsgroups, shopping areas RETINA established agreements with the CRIBABB, and distribution of news from international CERIDE, Centro Atómico Bariloche –CAB- (Bariloche agencies. The average cost of the electronic Atomic Center) and with the Instituto de Astronomía mail was around 50 dollars and the ‘on-line’ y Física del Espacio –IAFE- (Space Astronomy and services varied according to the Physics Institute) for the user’s service and the test communication time. of the communication software between the nodes. • Satlink supplied companies and individuals with an Internet output at 27 dollars a The national traffic was carried out through ARPAC, month. The subscription included, among the public network of data transmission (the only other services, electronic mail, newsgroups available means at the time). The international and entertainments. traffic was channeled from the nodes, through ARPAC, to the State Department, which had an • Publinet provided electronic mail and some analogical 9600-bps link, with SURANet. ‘on-line’ services. It did not charge for time but for traffic. The basic subscription was 29 RETINA regarded the only way out with other pesos plus VAT. countries as insufficient;