Global Oral History of the Internet Project

Applying institution

Zhejiang University

Other participating organizations

Wuzhen Institute for Digital Civilization, ChinaLabs

Countries and Regions Covered or Involved in the implementation

50 countries and regions such as China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and Germany

Launched in 2007, Global Oral History of the Internet (OHI) project is dedicated to recording the oral histories of key figures in the global Internet field, covering text, pictures, audio and video. The project presents a comprehensive panorama of Internet development, provides valuable historical materials for research on Internet development and governance, helps build China's own Internet research system, and provides knowledge support for China's future-oriented international communication strategies.

Oral History of the Internet Project in Global Perspective

Global Oral History of the internet Project aims to present the world's internet wave in the form of video and text through interviews with important figures in the Internet field. The interviewees cover a wide range, including not only the founders and early developers of Internet technology, but also important figures in Internet governance, policy-making, and social impact. So far, the project has interviewed more than 500 global Internet pioneers, including more than 260 key Internet figures, such as four fathers of the Internet, Vinton Cerf, Bob Kahn, and others. The project has recorded over 1,100 hours of video and compiled more than 7 million words of written documentation. As Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, said, 'The work of Internet oral history is very meaningful. Because the creators of Internet history often don't realise now how great what they did was, and our society, too, doesn't realise now how great what these people did was.'

The project has taken to the international stage on several occasions to demonstrate its value, significance and progress to the world. The project held 'Global Oral History of the Internet' workshop and 'the 50th Anniversary of the Internet' workshop at the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The project was presented at the Asia-Pacific Advanced Network Meeting (APAN). The project team organised a conference on 'Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Global Internet' at the 6th World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, China; and a forum on the 50th anniversary of the Internet in Qianhai, Shenzhen China. By presenting the project on the international stage, the project aims to raise global awareness, encourage broad participation, and use the Internet's historical experience to inspire future technological innovation and development.

Global oral History of the Internet Project Just in Time

As time passes and many of the early pioneers of the Internet have reached an advanced age, and some have even passed away, the need to record their stories and experiences in a timely manner is imminent. This project documents the 55-year history of the global internet through oral history, as a way to pass on the stories, wisdom, and spirit of the countless pioneers who developed the Internet. Larry Roberts, the father of the Internet, passed away on December 16, 2018. Global Oral History of the Internet Project conducted four interviews with him, and these recordings became the most comprehensive and complete video material left in the world. The first-hand historical information is not only of historical value, but also of academic value and guidance for national strategy. 'Old soldiers never die, they just fade away, 'the spirit and original aspiration of the Internet pioneers should be remembered by future generations and continue to flourish in the development of the Internet.

Global Oral History of the Internet Project Provides an Invaluable Historical Resource and Reference for Preserving the Original Intention of the Internet and Promoting Global Digital Inclusion

For more than 50 years, Internet pioneers, including Larry Roberts, Bob Kahn, Leonard Kleinrock, Vint Cerf, Louis Pouzin, and Kilnam Chon, were all driven by their own efforts to promote interconnection, change the world, and make the world a better place. This is the true original intention of the Internet. It is crucial for us to our understand the development of the Internet and the opportunities and challenges it faces today by thoroughly sorting out the history of the Internet in its proper context and reconceptualizing it. This is not only about the future of the internet, but also directly about the future of digital civilisation and humanity.

By bringing together the voices of Internet pioneers from different countries and regions, this project provides valuable basic information for the study of Internet history, as well as references of long-term value for the academic community. In addition, the project attempts to break the traditional Western-centred narrative of Internet history, enabling Internet development experiences around the globe to be presented, and providing insights for future Internet innovation and policy making. Some of the results of the project were published in the form of a series of books and won the first prize of the Zhejiang Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award.