This time in '99: Net gurus hold Scottsdale summit

NEWS This is how the original story broke on 22 March, 1999: Internet luminaries from the US and Europe have gathered in Scottsdale, Arizona to discuss the future of the Net. The all-star line-up includes the 'godfather of open source', Eric Raymond, as well as Joel Klein of the US Department of Justice and assorted trailblazers from the IT industry. Revered Internet enthusiast, Esther Dyson is the brains behind the conference. Topics under discussion include online business models, Net-derived cost savings, tackling market hype and virtual communities. For two participants, the forum marks the birth of TrustE - a non-profit organisation designed to address the issue of trust on the Internet. A TrustE spokesman explained how the organisation was formed by Lori Fena, head of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and Charles Jennings, who founded Portland Software, after they were inspired by a PC forum seminar on trust issues. Another TrustE member and Scottsdale attendee, Adrian Friend said: "It's a very important event in the Internet calendar." He added that European companies are also represented, giving the occasion a global rather than purely US feel.