- My introduction
to telecommunications was triggered by a memorable event and a person.
- The event
was the snowfall in January 1985 that blocked traffic and communications
over half of Italy.
- The person:
Gianni Degli Antoni.
- I lived
in Verona and studied Information Science in Milan. I flunked an exam because
I didn't arrive in time to register at my faculty terminals, in the university
library.
- This gave
me the idea, since modems already existed, to logon remotely to the server.
- I didn't
know how to go about this, I spoke … with the janitor… who sent me to the
librarian Giancarlo Dalto … who sent me to the Department Supervisor: Gianni
Degli Antoni.
- He said,
"Go for it!" and wrote an invitation for other students to join
in and help with the project. After one week we held a meeting, ten of
us.
- The first
university IT association was born: the "Miners".
- In this
short space I can only give the briefest outline of our work.
Milan
Network Researchers and Students
- Results
achieved
- Remote
registering for exams, library bookings, software for thesis papers.
- IT Laboratory
for resident students, BBS Fidonet.
- Store
and forward email network (with support for instructors!).
- Technical
participation and provision of services (the first such) to student bodies
(until then within the exclusive remit of the political word).
- Promotion
and participation at European student conferences and support for ERASMUS
students abroad.
- National
collaborations: Bocconi, IULM, EARN.
- International
collaborations: with S. Chang, J. McAfee and K. Bostic for BBS and development
of antivirus, with G. Pearson for porting of MNP software.
- At the
start the group consisted of just a few more than the "steering committee":
me, Vittorio Piceci, Roberto Negro, Alvise Doglioni Majer and Francesco
Caridi.
- At the
end there were almost 500 of us, and we had well developed contacts with
external groups: from the interface with the Olivetti SEVA network to sysop
support for the explosive market of networks.
- Here our
story intertwines with another: the Internet boom in Italy.
- In 1994
I founded I.NET together with Marco Negri, Franco Groppi and with help
from Roberto Galimberti (Etnoteam), our Business Angel.
- But we
owed it all to the unforgettable Miners!
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