The Internet Society of New Zealand: roles, goals, and ambitions

Abstract

m The Internet Society of New Zealand (ISOCNZ) has been formed to promote and administer the Internet in this country and to represent New Zealand’s interests internationally. This article, written by Roger Hicks, its founding Chairman, describes the Society, its activities and the issues ahead. It begins with an examination of the roles and goals that the Internet Society of New Zealand was created to perform, looks at its achievements to date, and closes with what the Society hopes to achieve in the coming years. he first Annual General Meeting of the Internet Society of New Zealand was held on November 15, 1995, in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, where the membership was presented with its newly incorporated society and given the opportunity of electing its first council. This meeting was the culmination of the first phase of a long struggle to create a networked nation. Before I begin a description of the activities of ISOCNZ, I’d like to briefly describe the country that is New Zealand. While it may sound as if I’m an avid proponent of New Zealand (which may be true), it is necessary to understand certain cultural imperatives that drove the creation of ISOCNZ and why its ambitious plans for the future are significant. New Zealand is an isolated country situated in the southwest Pacific. The closest major landmass, and country, is Australia, which is 1000 miles to the west. To the east the nearest landmass is South America. It is 9 hours flying time from Hawaii and 13 hours to the U.S. at Los Angeles. In any measure New Zealand is a physically isolated country, a fact that has not escaped the inhabitants. New Zealand’s isolation has led to a strong culture of independence, innovation, and self-reliance. Everyone in the ISOCNZ carries dual or treble expertise; the country is not large enough to support singular experts. As a result, there is a curious and invigorating melding of disciplines and experience within ISOCNZ that makes it a significant laboratory for both social and technical growth.