Computer networking among faculty members: the effects of computer networking on faculty communication and culture

Abstract

noncomputer networking colleagues view them, then subcultures of the discipline and/or institution may fomn. Such factioning of disciplines and/or institutions both in collective philosophy and action will pose great challenges for both discipline and institutional administration. In addition, due to the close relationship between the discipline and the institution, the change of culture in either discipline or institution will impact the other (Ruscio, 1987; Clark, 1987a). 12 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Gavish, 1986). The various types of computer networlts include, company networl<s, commercial networks, research networks and metanetworks (Quarterman & Hoskins, 1986). Many corporations like IBM, DEC, Bell Canada, Xerox and AT&T have internal computer networks which connect employees of the company who are located at geographically diverse locations. These include IBM's VNET, DEC'S Easynet, Xerox's Internet, and AT&Ts USENET. The corporations provide the funding and management for such systems. Commercial networks offer computer networking services to the public for profit. Well-known commercial computer networks include TYMNET, TELENET, CompuServe, and The Source. Fees for the computer networking service are charged for connect time used. Research networks were the first computer networks available and are usually administrated and supported by government agencies and grants. Access to such research networks as ARPANET (the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency), MILNET (Military Network), MFENE (Magnetic Fusion Energy Network), and SPAN (Space Physios Analysis Network) are limited to researchers participating in govemmentally-funded research. However, CSNET (Computer Science Network) and MAILNET (EDUCOM's inter-institutional mail system), are research computer networks which provide computer networking services to researchers who are not funded by military or governmental monies. Users of these nongovernmental networks pay an annual connection fee. International research networks include: JANET (Joint Academic Network of Great Britain), EARN [European Academic Research Network, NetNorth (Canadian network), COSAC (Communications SAns Connections from France), DFN (Deutsche Forshungnetz from Germany), and ROSE (Research Open Systems for Europe) (Pettibone & Roddy, 1987; Quarterman & 15 Hoskins, 1986). One of the Soviet Union's most urgent goals is to organize a computer networking system which would connect the five enormous universities in Moscow, which coordinate and control collaborative research, with and between countries outside the USSR (Pagan, 1987). Cooperative computer networks are networks which have developed through the common interests of their users. The commonality may be the environment and/or type of equipment. BITNET (Because it is Time Network), one of the most popular cooperative networks, originated in the academic environment on IBM equipment. BITNET is a general purpose, academic store and forward data network (Barden & Golden, 1986) which cun-ently links 1,80...