Brian Carpenter
brian@dxcern.cern.ch
Nominated Candidate


Work Experience

I hold a B.A. in physics from Cambridge, UK and a Ph.D. (1970) in
computer science from Manchester, UK.  My research was on real-time
speech recognition. I am a Member of the Institution of Electrical
Engineers, UK.

In 1971-74 I was a systems programmer on the CERN accelerator
controls system, implementing communications software to connect
Imlac display minicomputers (effectively, early workstations) to
an IBM 1800.

From 1974 to 1976 I taught Computer Science at Massey University,
New Zealand. I participated in the design of KIWINET, a proposed
network. I also began some work as a historian of the work of Alan
Turing.

In 1976-84 I led the systems software team in an accelerator
controls group at CERN.  My job included selection of network
hardware and software, and I was responsible for network software
and operating system support.  I served as a Board member of the
Norsk Data Computer Users Society.

Since 1985 I have led a group of about 30 engineers (software and
hardware) and technicians responsible for most of the CERN data
communications infrastructure. We cover local area networks (80
Ethernets with above 4000 connected devices and an FDDI backbone),
about 3000 terminal connections, and wide area networks (about 25
leased lines totalling 12 Mbit/s), as well as the support of
TCP/IP, proprietary, and even OSI protocols.

I was a member of the Networks Subgroup of the European Commission
High Performance Computing Advisory Committee. Until 1992 I was
CERN's member of the HEPnet Requirements Committee, of the CCIRN
(Coordinating Committee for Intercontinental Research Networking)
and of the EASInet Project Committee, and alternate member of the
RARE Council.

In addition to my management job, I have a strong technical
interest in low level protocols, and I have been participating in
two IETF working groups (ATM and TUBA).


Statement of Acceptance

I believe that my experience in an international environment, and
my brief experience in New Zealand, give me a fairly broad
perspective of the Internet user community and I would like to work
towards boosting the influence of users on Internet affairs. The
excellent work of the IETF is driven by technological factors and
requirements perceived by network technologists. I believe that
this vital aspect of ISOC's work should be complemented by a user
forum in which the interests and concerns of Internet users in
every country may be discussed and formulated. This forum should
pass on these concerns to Internet service providers, product
vendors, standardisation bodies including the IETF, and
coordination and operational bodies. As an ISOC trustee I would
work towards creating this user forum.