science

GreenNet

GreenNet is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GreenNet rather than just read about it. In short: GreenNet is a not-for-profit Internet service provider based in London, England. It was one of the first ISPs in the United Kingdom.

Key takeaways

GreenNet belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GreenNet to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GreenNet from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GreenNet is a not-for-profit Internet service provider based in London, England. It was one of the first ISPs in the United Kingdom.

Establishment and operation Established in 1985 "as an effective and cheap way for environmental activists to communicate". In 1987 the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust gave GreenNet a grant to enable it to bring a large number of peace groups online, and "After a few years they became one of the first internet service providers in Britain". GreenNet formed an international link with IGC and was a founder member of the Association for Progressive Communications, established in 1990. The registered charity GreenNet Charitable Trust was established in 1994 and owns GreenNet.

GnFido GreenNet developed a Fido gateway, GnFido, which allowed access to basic internet facilities such as email using a store-and-forward system. Maintained by Karen Banks, it provided the only available cheap and accessible internet access for thousands of individuals and organisations in Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe.

2013 DDoS attack On 1 August 2013, GreenNet and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) suffered an extensive DDoS attack. The attack was later described as a "DNS reflection attack" also known as a spoofed attack Several sources initially suspected the attack was linked to the Zimbabwean Elections, which had been held on the previous day. GreenNet's services were not fully operational again until 10.30 BST on Thursday 7 August. On 9 August there was a second attack, which, while affecting some systems, allowed GreenNet to discover the site which was being targeted. In October 2013, the target was revealed to be the site of investigative reporter Andrew Jennings.

2014 legal action on GCHQ hacking In July 2014 Privacy International, GreenNet and five other Internet service providers took GCHQ, the UK security service, to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, alleging breach of privacy and breaking into their networks. The case ultimately failed, but GCHQ were forced to admit clandestine hacking activities. GreenNet were shortlisted for ISPA's Internet Hero of the year 2015.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GreenNet

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GreenNet claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GreenNet before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GreenNet ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GreenNet

In research: GreenNet appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GreenNet in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GreenNet is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1985 establishments in England, History of the Internet, Internet service providers of the United Kingdom, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GreenNet outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GreenNet in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GreenNet means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GreenNet out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GreenNet in simple terms?

GreenNet is a not-for-profit Internet service provider based in London, England. It was one of the first ISPs in the United Kingdom.

Why does GreenNet matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GreenNet?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GreenNet.