In Memphis I chatted with Richard Jimmerson of the American Registry for Internet Numbers . ARIN is a Virginia-based non-profit that "allocates Internet Protocol resources; develops consensus-based
policies; and facilitates the advancement of the Internet through
information and educational outreach" for the US, Canada and parts of the Caribbean.
I already knew a bit about ARIN, but was very happy to get their new comic book, "The Adventures of Team ARIN," which explains in lay terms the various aspects of their work.
Here Team ARIN foils the plot of "Bad Idea Force," operating high above Earth in their "Fully Operational Internet Control Station."
In other sections, Team ARIN is visited by the ghost of Jon Postel, stops a NOC technician from using "classful addressing" and explains the importance of unique names and numbers to a family. Gripping stuff.
No word on where you can get your own copy, but I’ll post it here as soon as I know.
I love seeing non-profits use the comic book form to impart complex technical, political and legal processes. Comic books are readily accessible, fun, attractive to young people, and fairly cheap to produce in large quantities. Some examples:
- The Camp Darfur comic explains the conflict in Sudan and what folks around the world are doing about it
- Superman fights the scourge of landmines for UNICEF
- South African deaf people learn about HIV/AIDS in a comic book done entirely in South African sign language
- A comic book teaches Namibian teachers how to integrate computers into the classroom
- "Bound by Law" explains copyright and Creative Commons licensing to independent film-makers
I’m sure there are many more, but these are all the ones I found from a quick Google search.