Stamp Column Archives

The Glassine Surfer Column Archive

This column originally appeared in the American Philatelic Society's monthly magazine, "The American Philatelist." Since then some of the information may be out-of-date depending on how far back you're reading.

July 2000

"World Teachers Day Stamps" focuses on 14 stamps issued in 1999, and "Stamps About Education" contains about 100 worldwide stamps in three languages, Spanish, English and French. This is a first-rate professional presentation perfectly suited as an online teachers' resource and a topical display of education on stamps.

To top it off Education International has a directory of about 100 philatelic links on stamp collecting for children, teaching with stamps, the development of philately, useful information for students and philatelists such as maps, flags, multilingual dictionaries, etc.

Stamps and teachers are a perfect combination, for as they also point out, the inventor of the stamp Sir Rowland Hill, was himself a teacher, and this site would be right at home linked to a school's web page.

Philately & Education
http://www.ei-ie.org/phila.htm

The 'Net is not a web  (ed note: small "w")

The 'Net is not a web.  It's centralized data hubs serving millions of spokes.  It's millions of individual desktop computers (spokes) logging onto large commercial web sites and stamps.org (hubs) for information, but innovations are coming that will change that.

The Internet is a telecommunications system of hardware on which people use different software programs to communicate.  The World Wide Web is just the most widely known application.  E-mail is another, as is FTP, and there's room for more.

So it should come as no surprise that there are other applications in the pipeline, one of which is called Freenet.  And it promises to change the face of the 'Net as much as the Web did.

The first innovation lets users share files on their home computer with other users on the 'Net, turning home PC's into a data hub.  Napster is a Web program that lets users check each others home PC files for mp3 files and download them directly from each other, eliminating the centralized huge data bank.  

Though used specifically for these music files, the concept is being applied to other forms of digital information, and before long customizable user networks will be in place.  Napster, however, is still setup on the WWW, and relies on a core Web address to coordinate the hundreds of thousands of individual log ons.  

Freenet is different.  Though Freenet offers the same user file-swapping activity, it's for any type of file or content.  It could be political thought, marketing data, pictures, programming applications or sound files, et al.  But what's really different is that Freenet is not a Web application.  

It's its own independent 'Net application, complimentary to the Web, that could radically alter the way the 'Net is used.  Like the WWW, Freenet was developed by a Brit, Ian Clarke in late '99, and it will probably be ready for prime time by the time you are reading this.  

The impulse for Freenet came in response to governmental censorship in most of the world.  In the early '90's China found that they could not stop e-mail reports about Tienamen Square from reaching the outside world, but today most of the world's governments have strong 'Net censorship policies and security in place.  

The Freenet program turns each user's online computer into a server operating on the Freenet without any centralized hub, authority or oversight so that the valves on this system can't be turned off.

The World Wide Web uses the "Domain Name System" to convert names such as "www.stamps.org" into the required numbered address, and it is this structure that is prone to attack, governmental, legal or otherwise, so Freenet was designed to run freed from a centralized structure.

The original impulse for the Web was to enhance global freedom through the sharing of information, and Freenet carries that mission one step further.  Without a central core server to shut down or log records to track, Freenet offers almost perfect anonymity to users, at least enough to allow an active dissident to escape the firing squad.

This decentralization on the 'Net will not only give all expression free reign, it will also make it exceedingly difficult for lawyers to track down copyright violations and distributors, much less prosecute and prove then in court.  

Already critics have warned that Freenet is blatant anarchy run amuck, and the designers of Freenet ageee, saying "Freenet is a near-perfect anarchy."  Hold on to your hats. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Napster
http://www.napster.com

Freenet on the Web
http://freenet.sourceforge.net/

Freenet currently requires knowledge of servers and code, but before long a more user-friendly version will surely be released.

USPS Looney Tunes

Meanwhile back in April, the USPS launched its Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner stamp on the Web's first "first day ceremony" webcast with the help of Time Warner and America Online from the Time Warner Media Center at the Children's Museum of Manhattan in New York City.

The recorded video stream webcast is still online at the Times Warner site, though the ceremony wasn't as important as the move the USPS has made toward new technologies, partnerships and marketing.  This was also the first time people could buy the stamps via the internet during the first day of issue.

Moving forward, the USPS also has a new book deal with publisher HarperCollins that should put USPS titles into bookstores online and off by October.  I doubt it won't be too long until we can log on to our USPS accounts and buy stamps, books, t-shirts and first day covers online.

We'll just have to see who calls the shots --- The Post Office or some online media giant.

Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Site
http://www.warnerbros.com/beepbeep

Have a Happy Fourth

Thanks for reading the "Glassine Surfer" and remember you can help others by sharing your favorite stamp sites.  Don't take a stamp Web site for granted.  Let them know you appreciate their efforts.  Stay cool and drop into a stamp chat room if you can.  You need to get out more.