Over five days, people take part in festive gatherings, fireworks displays, feasts and prayer.ĭiwali is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “a row of lights.” Celebrants light rows of traditional clay oil lamps outside their homes to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated across faiths by more than a billion people in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora. 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.Īnother 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.Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India - and for Hindus in particular. Topics under discussion include online business models, Net-derived cost savings, tackling market hype and virtual communities.įor two participants, the forum marks the birth of TrustE - a non-profit organisation designed to address the issue of trust on the Internet. Revered Internet enthusiast, Esther Dyson is the brains behind the conference. 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. Internet luminaries from the US and Europe have gathered in Scottsdale, Arizona to discuss the future of the Net.

This is how the original story broke on 22 March, 1999:

We'll also cast an eye over the most influential news 'This week in '99' every Friday in the video news bulletin. In our 'This time in '99' series, we take a daily look back at the agenda-setting stories as they were 12 months ago.

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