The Because It's Time Network's Time Has Come
This is an edited article by Claire Wang from Checkbits,
the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Academic Computing Newsletter
(Volume 11, Number 7, July/August 1996). On-line:
http://www.jhu.edu/~hcic/checkbits.
BITNET, the "Because It's Time" network,
has for many years fosteredthe use of digital electronic communications
networks in the academiccommunity. Operating under the belief that
computer-based networking cansignificantly improve higher education,
it has promoted and enabled swiftcommunication between scholars
throughout the country, across differentuniversities and disciplines.
Today, however, BITNET's end has finally come.
BITNET began
in the early 1980s as two modems sending data over a leased telephone circuit between the computing centers of Yale University and the City University of New York. Its conception was spurred by the need for rapid communication and the existence of computer technology that would allow this. From its humble origins, BITNET expanded into a network spanning over 400 institutions and 2500 nodes.
Since its start, BITNET relied on the self-sufficiency and cooperation of its member institutions. Each member was required to pay for its own communications link to the network and provide facilities for at least one new member to connect. In addition, each member agreed to route information bound to other members without charge. In this fashion, BITNET grew as a fluid, cooperative network until its size and increasing services made it necessary, in 1984, to create a centralized administrative structure.
BITNET was created for sending E-mail messages and engaging in short, interactive conversations. However, with the advent of the Internet, it has been made superfluous. While BITNET has its own advantages (it can operate at low speeds (9600 baud), and it is complemented by networks around the world which utilize the same software (such as TERENA, the Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association, NetNorth in Canada, and similar networks in Asia, South America, and the Middle East) the Internet has the greater advantage of being ubiquitous. Much of BITNET traffic is already carried over the Internet. With its liquidation, all mail addressed to BITNET will be carried by the Internet.
The Corporation for Research and Education Networking (CREN) and TERENA, which supports BITNET-NJE (Network Job Entry) traffic in Europe, continued supporting the BITNET-NJE infrastructure through December 31, 1996. However, they, along with the GUMNCC management (which is responsible for the generation, coordination, and distribution of NJE-related infrastructure), plan to continue global support of the NJE infrastructure as long as necessary to ensure a graceful end to NJE connectivity, with as little loss of global communication as possible. CREN members who wish to continue NJE support after December 31 should contact CREN through E-mail to cren@cren.net to be included in their plans and receive further updates.
Although BITNET's time has come to an end, it will remain an example and source of inspiration for future collaborative endeavors in the academic community.
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