[ih] How the Soviet Union Sent Its First Man to the Internet

[Ian Peter]

Seems like there were a few parallel initiatives underway in late 1980's 
early 1990's - the one I remember was Glasnet from 1991

http://www.friends-partners.org/oldfriends/telecomm/nato/zaytsev.html

And its hard to forget the excitement of "The Tanks are coming, The Tanks 
are coming" newsgroup entries of August 1991 carried on APC networks at the 
time the tanks moved into Red Square.

But yes - as someone mentioned the Tiananmen Square events of June 1989 was 
an earlier example of citizen journalism - and worldwide student activism. 
Although not many students had internet access, many used telephone links 
from around the world to dial in and jam China's "dob in a protester" 
hotline set up by the government.

There was also a substantial global network on line of key rainforest 
activists and organisations by 1987, with capabilities to organise worldwide 
protests.

Ian Peter