Nigel Roberts
Nigel Roberts FIoD FBCS FRSA is a British computer scientist. Education. Educated at Wigan and Prescot Grammar Schools, he received his first degree in Computer Science from Essex University. Whilst at Essex, he was one of the group of students who conceived and developed the world's first multi-user computer game (MUD). In 2008 he was awarded a First in law from the OU and the College of Law (now known as the University of Law). Career. His first job was with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) as a software engineer, where (among other projects) he subsequently worked  on the pioneering ALL-IN-1 email and office automation system. In 1996 he founded the Island Networks group of companies, including CHANNELISLES.NET, the registry operator of the .gg and .je top level domains for Guernsey and Jersey. In 2005 he became the first person in the UK to obtain damages in court in a lawsuit against a sender of unsolicited email. ICANN. In 1999, Roberts was one of the original members of the ICANN DNSO Names Council, representing the ccTLD constituency. and has been an active participant at ICANN since its foundation. He was one of the participants in the  US Government's "International Forum on the White Paper" (IFWP) in 1997–1998, which led to ICANN's creation. Roberts later served as one of three elected councillors representing Europe on ICANN's ccNSO Council, one of the two successor bodies to the "Names Council" between 2013 and the end of June 2018. In September 2017 he was proposed to the ICANN board of directors by .PR "(Puerto Rico)", .CI "(Côte d'Ivoire)" and .BE "(Belgium)". In the subsequent world-wide poll, he was elected receiving 67% of the vote. He served as a Director on the ICANN Board between October 2018  and October 2021 Politics. He ran as a Liberal Democrat for the UK Parliament in the Ipswich Constituency in the 1997 General Election and later served as an elected member of the Alderney legislature (the States of Alderney) during 2002–2003. Radio &c. Roberts was a board director and council member of the Radio Society of Great Britain between 1991 and 1996. He holds the amateur radio callsign GU4IJF. He has a weekly music programme on Channel Island local FM and DAB radio station QUAY-FM and serves as a director of its owner, not-for-profit Alderney Broadcasting Co. Ltd.  In November 2021 he joined the board of the Royal Connaught Residential Home. Professional societies. He has been a Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society since 2005. He was granted armorial bearings by Letters Patent of the College of Arms on 1 March 2006. Nigel Roberts was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in 2016 and became a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in 2019. He is a Chartered Engineer, a European Engineer and a Chartered IT Professional.