The Inaugural General Meeting of the Internet Society of Australia will be held in Sydney on Wednesday 27 November 1996, to coincide with Interop, a premier networking conference.
After much discussion over the past year (carried out on the Internet, naturally!) the Society is being formed as an advocate of Internet users in general. It will seek to foster better understanding of the Internet and to participate in the improvement and extension of the Internet for Australians and the world. The Society is a chapter of the global Internet Society and is modelled after similar chapters in other countries, notably Switzerland and the United States.The founding board of directors is Mr Hugh Irvine (Director, connect.com.au), Associate Professor Bob Kummerfeld (University of Sydney) and Mr Geoff Huston (Secretary of the Internet Society and Technical Manager of Telstra Internet). Each has a long and distinguished history of service to the Internet in Australia and abroad.
"This is the Society for everyone", says Geoff Huston. "We want this body to be relevant to the very broad base of Internet users, publishers, developers and others who make the Internet what it is today. There are plenty of organisations for business; this one is for people. If you use the Internet and are interested in the things that affect its development in Australia and the world, the Internet Society can be your voice."
Internet users are warmly invited to attend the meeting at 1.30pm in Room C131 of the UTS Haymarket Campus, on Quay Street near Darling Harbour. The meeting will be a chance for people to meet others, to join the Society, to help elect the Board of Directors and to be a part of discussions which will set some of the Society's major directions. Facilities will be provided to allow remote users to take part in the meeting via the Internet - full details will be posted on the Society's Web pages and in appropriate newsgroups.
For more information, email Mr George Michaelson (ggm@connect.com.au) or see the Society's World Wide Web page at http://www.isoc-au.org.au.
Media enquiries are most welcome at any email addresses mentioned, or call: