Articles, Essays & Theory about the Net

Cerf's "Computer Networking"

Vinton Cerf, the father of the Internet, outlines the history and evolution of the Internet in his 1995 paper "Computer Networking - Global Infrastructure for the 21st Century". Broad overview. Very readable.

Rutkowski's "Bottom-up Information Infrastructure"

A brilliant overview of current network developments by Anthony Rutkowski, the Executive Director of the Internet Society, in his 1995 University of Pittsburg address - "Bottom-up Information Infrastructure and the Internet".

Kumon's "The Internet and the Information Revolution"

Shumpei Kumon is Executive Director of the Centre for Global Communications in Japan. Writing from a social science background, in this 1996 essay, Kumon locates network development in a very large historical framework. Breathtaking.

Hoffman's "A New Marketing Paradigm for Electronic Commerce"

A theoretical discussion of the new dynamics of electronic communications. Written in early 1996 by Donna Hoffman and Thomas Novak of Vanderbilt University. Very thought-provoking. Good bibliography.

ACM's "Electronic Publishing Plan"

The electronic publishing strategy for the Association for Computing Machinery. Written in 1995, this paper details the extraordinary challenge being faced by publishers today. This association is a major player in computing, and their site has wonderful resources.

Rand's "Universal Access to Email"

The Rand Corporation's major 1995 study of the feasibility and social implications of universal email access. The section on the International Implications for Global Democratization is particularly rewarding. Not light reading.