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Technology Stocks : Y2K (Year 2000) Personal Contingency Planning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: C.K. Houston who wrote (452)	9/12/1998 10:38:00 AM
From: John Mansfield	Respond to of 888

'Contingent 'Net Newest Links: TransAtlantic Transmission Routes - Fri 11th Sept 1998. Aims & Objectives: 1.To establish a network of computer systems which will be able to communicate using internet protocols. These are required to continue functioning and providing a service through any eventuality consequent upon century change and related computer problems. Specifically, nodes on the network will be able to function and communicate without reliance on a power grid, the existing terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure or existing sattelites. 2.To provide those committing time and resources to the project with fair remuneration for their efforts and expenditures. 3.To post regular progress reports to public newsgroups and forums on the 'net informing potential users and participants about what is being achieved, what difficulties are being encountered; also to appeal occasionally for help in furthering the project. Timescale: Phase 1 - Prototyping: Questions to resolve include Is there suitable low cost server/router software; Radio bandwidth, optimum transmission frequencies and data encoding; Advantages (or drawbacks) of using directional or focussed transmission techniques; Regulatory/registration issues relating to use of radio frequency bands (international differences?); Integration of Contingent 'Net with existing IP address scheme; Corporate organisation. 4 months - The target is to have the above questions effectively settled by/during January 1999. Phase 2 - Marketing & Development: The aim will be to establish critical system server/router nodes to demonstrate trans-atlantic operation. Corporate sponsorship may be necessary to install nodes in key locations, e.g. Faroe Islands, Greenland; 4 months after satisfactory prototyping - The target is to demonstrate email transmission between nodes in Europe and North America accomplished without any reliance on existing and possibly non-compliant telecommunications and/or grid power supply. January - April 1999. Phase 3 - Implementation: The objective is to have generated (and be generating) sufficient subscription/sponsorship to launch a rolling programme of "turnkey" node installations. The first aim is to go live with a viable GPS backup/alternative with a data transfer facility for ships at sea in the North Atlantic by April/May 1999, hopefully to be expanded to the Pacific and other oceans by the time the GPS rollover occurs in August 1999, with possible risks to functionality of existing systems. The second aim is to build the network as widely as possible to be able to offer, as a minimum, a viable email and file transfer system which can operate in parallel with the existing internet, but independent of existing power and telecommunications infrastructures. On 01.01.2000 Contingent 'Net may just possibly be the only surviving means of mass communication at distance. Mission Statement (don't you hate 'em) There is no way anyone can or will get rich from this project. There is no mega-corporate entity hiding in the shadows. Those involved have increasingly marketable skills, and the timescales are such that the project will fail if provision is not made for demonstrably chargeable work to be recompensed. There is no way anyone can or will wind up in poverty as a result of this project. Timesheets will be available for individuals contributing with time and skills, bills for project specific materials and expenses may be submitted. Contributions and subscriptions will be sought. Anonymity will be respected as a default, but accounts will as far as possible be maintained in such a fashion that they are open for inspection to contributors. This project is something which will be accomplished by elements of the 'net community for the 'net community as a whole. The powers that be, the utilities, the telcos, the ISPs, and the majority of businesses and individuals who use the 'net are in denial or indifference, yet the time is almost impossibly short to put this Contingent 'Net in place. Nodes may be operated by any and all sorts of groups. Lets work to the common purpose, revelling in the diversity of those involved, we'll have the luxury of time for philosophical debate afterwards. Progress Report #1 (10th Sept 1998) The initial posting on the Y2K newsgroups and forums generated an encouraging response. We have people considering building, configuring and/or hosting server/router nodes for Contingent 'Net in suitable locations in California Georgia Maine Michigan (Great Lakes) New York (upstate) Oregon South Wales (UK) Switzerland Texas Washington State This advertisement is running today: WANTED to rent or lease: building in remote elevated location for conversion as computer workshop, farm outbuilding might be suitable. Write in confidence Box 11366, South Wales Evening Post, Adelaide Street, Swansea SA1 1QT, Wales, UK. Why not run something similarly worded in your local paper. The machine for the initial prototype work is being configured for delivery. A 300 MHz Pentium 2 to be configured with UNIX partitions. As far as possible freeware and shareware will be used for the initial stages of development, but licenses will be purchased once the configuration is stable. Hardware for initial radio tests will be whatever is available cheaply or on loan immediately, and the project has contributory input from someone with military signals experience and the requisite operators license in place. Anyone involved in similar work elsewhere is welcome to get in touch, we are happy to share experimental results and to compare notes on problems and workarounds. DataSafe 2000 Ltd have agreed to host a website for the project, and to provide a business address: Contingent 'Net Project c/o DataSafe 2000 Ltd, Suite C2, Rainbow Business Centre, Phoenix Way, Swansea SA7 9EH, Wales, UK. The project needs a bank account. One of those multi-currency ones that CitiBank operate would be perfect, but the $30000 minimum deposit to open the account is a problem. Does anyone know of another bank offering something similar without the upfront requirement, or is anyone able to pull strings in CitiBank to get them to make an exception. All those bucks they are spending on fixing their code, and this might yet be the project they turn to to save their international communication operations when TSHTF. Wake up CitiBank ... you know it makes sense!!! Well that's all for now ... I have to go to Cardiac Rehab for my physical jerks and relaxation ... and I should have been getting a haircut this morning prior to meeting the local press ... they'll just have to make do with me as I am!! Charlie Brewster ~~ 478 days ~~