[LINK] History of Internet in Australia on Paper

[Tom Worthington]

Jamie Sunderland wrote:
> ... AARNet's intention to publish it in soft-copy via the AARNet website once a reasonable
> proportion of the initial hard-cover production has been sold. ...

A better strategy might be to provide a free web version of the AARnet 
book and sell paper copies (and perhaps sell an e-book as well).

Web ads could be used to offset some of the cost, if AARNet short of 
cash. Several Australian universities now have paid advertising on pages 
of "free" material.

With my "Green Technology Strategies" you can read the web version (with
ads), purchase an e-book, or a print-on-demand hardcover, paperback
or large-print edition: <http://tomw.net.au/green/>.

> If AARNet had sold an online version ... I'm sure there would have been more
> than a few negative comments ...

If AARNet provided a free web edition, that would blunt criticism of
selling other versions.

> ... those who want to pay for an early copy get a finely crated tangible
> thing to hold in their hands ...

Blocking online access to information in order to maximise profit does 
not appear to fit with AARNet's charter.

While it is reasonable for AARnet to have a some copies of a hardback 
book to commemorate an event, the book need not have been so lavishly 
produced, nor are more than a handful of copies needed. An inexpensive 
book with a colour cover and black and white interior would have been 
sufficient. With print-on-demand systems hardback books can be made one 
at a time for a reasonable price: you do not have to make hundreds of 
copies and they try to sell off the excess.

AARNet staff might wish to attend "New ways of publishing your research" 
at the ANU on 12 May, to learn how research publishing is now done:
<http://billboard.anu.edu.au/event_view.asp?id=61043>.

> I am also aware that a number of copies have been gifted to various
> universities, libraries and other organisations around the country ...

According to the National Library of Australia, there are only five
copies of the book in Australian libraries:
<http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28901286?q=ANL+AND+%28isbn%3A9780646521114%29+AND+title%3A%22AARNet+%3A%22&c=book#>:

*  Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. ANSTO Library.
* Bureau of Meteorology. National Meteorological Library.
* National Library of Australia.
* University of the Sunshine Coast. University of the Sunshine Coast
Library.
* University of Wollongong. University of Wollongong Library.

This list is obviously incomplete, as I borrowed a copy from
the ANU library. But even so, there are unlikely to be sufficient copies
for all the IT students in Australia.

Fortunately there is Roger Clarke's web site to refer students to:
<http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/OzI04.html>.

AARnet also get a mention in Carl Malamud's 1992 book "Exploring the
Internet: A Technical Travelogue". There is a free web version at:
<http://museum.media.org/eti/>.

One chapter is on the birth of AARnet in Canberra:
<http://museum.media.org/eti/RoundTwo10.html>.


-- 
Tom Worthington FACS CP HLM, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
Adjunct Lecturer, The Australian National University t: 02 61255694
Computer Science http://cs.anu.edu.au/user/3890