IP: First Internet "Strike" Used in France and Italy Protests

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

From: jwarren () well com (Jim Warren)


First Internet "Strike" Used in France and Italy Protests


[Interesting, though I'm not a great fan of the "comrade" phrasing - that
is much more acceptable in Europe than here in Joe McCarthy's U.S.  Also,
it's not clear to me, from reading this, whether they simply somehow
"picketed" government sites, or may have cracked them - which I consider
*real* uncool as part of anything short of open physical warfare with an
oppressive government.  (Wonder whether this should be envoked in the U.S.
before the national wiretap system is fully deployed, government censorship
is imposed on the net and secure crypto is prohibited - or afterwards ...
if then permitted?)  Also interesting to note that Texas sci fi author
Bruce Sterling was allegedly involved. --jim]


Date: Sat, 23 Dec 1995 20:24:48 -0500
From: tozzi () risc idg fi cnr it (Tommaso Tozzi)
Subject: Net'Strike echo


Rumori del Net'Strike - Net'Strike echo
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Attention!!!
You find english translation at the bottom of message!
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<...>


NET'STRIKE ECHO


The first international Internet's strike has been developed in a good result!


It is not possible to know how many Internet's users were on-line but as
there were many www french government servers listed in our strike's msg we
think several thousands of Internet users have participated to the strike!


Strike effects were the above reported:
- 5.45 p.m. Quick access to fr servers;
- 6.00 p.m. first difficulties to access to fr servers;
- 6.15 p.m. it is not possible to access to the Health and to the
Educational Ministers' www servers;
- 6.30 p.m. Also the servers of the Nuclear Agency, of the French Government
and of the Indusrial Ministry decline the access;
- 6.45 p.m. The access to the servers of the National Education and of the
Health Ministers is denied while the link with other fr servers meets
several difficulties;
- 7.00 p.m. Only the link with the servers of the Educational and Health
servers is denied while the functioning of the other servers is on standard
level.


Apart from the "on-line" partecipation we have recorded the arrive of
several msg of approval to the demonstration from all over the world. The
comrades of the French ECN have translated our msg and spread all over
France while
several well known fellows such as Bruce Sterling has joint the strike.


The Italian press has shown attention to this kind of strike by publishing
several articles (La Nazione, Unita', Repubblica while the left-wing
newspaper Manifesto has not published any note on this demonstration!).


The strike has been "transmitted" by several Italian "radio" such as
Controradio and Radio Popolare and other kinds of local and national
information networks has spread news about the strike.


Our protest msg developed on 14.12.95 has been spread all over the world
after few days showing:
- the interest of many people to counteract the French current policy on
nuclear and social items;
- the willing to be involved in a NET'STRIKE;
- the existence of a world-wide movement able to counteract world-wide
injustice;
- the capacity to develop a such kind of movement in a short time.


Finally we outline that:
- several users have not set browser preferences in such a way to really
link with the server each time (cache memory at 0) and not with its own PC;
- it could be possible (for the next time) to build up software oriented to
the specific goal to make an "electronic demonstration" at the internal of
a www server.


As a result of this first net'strike's test we are sure that a strike
organized at the internal of internet (with more days to organize the
strike, specific software, specific instructions) can be a powerful media
to counteract international injustice.


We are happy to see how the inter-activity offered by Internet has offered
the opportunity to many people to stand-up on the electronic frontier not
for business or for show goals but for social global demonstration!