To trade unionists, the Korean experience in the last few years has also been full of meaning. First we were inspired by the fighting spirit of the Korean unions and the KCTU in particular, during the general strike of December 1996 - January 1997. This book was written long before that conference, indeed, before the general strike began in December 1996. Nevertheless, I think it retains its relevance for a Korean audience today. And it is certainly not a passing fad, nor a fashion.
Computer networks are here to stay.
The discussion in this book of the different tools we can use, ranging from electronic mail to discussion groups to online chat to the electronic publishing of documents on the World Wide Web is as relevant as ever. In countries like the United States and Canada, many of the pre-Internet technologies, such as local bulletin boards, have disappeared. Their experiences, recounted here in part by the people who created them, may yet be of interest to Korean trade unionists who are not connected to the Internet, but who use online networking tools like the Closed User Groups which have proven so popular in your country. I think that the work of the Korean trade unionists and their supporters in creating a website for the general strike was tremendous, and gave many of us our first view of the Korean labour movement and its struggle. It is not enough to create documents for the World Wide Web.