Nigel Roberts

Roberts was born in Liverpool and grew up in Lancashire.

Educated at Wigan and Prescot Grammar Schools, he received his first degree in Computer Science from Essex University. In 2008 he was awarded a First in law from the Open University and the College of Law (now known as the University of Law).

Whilst still an undergraduate at Essex, Roberts was one of the group of students who conceived and developed the world's first multi-user computer game (MUD) along with Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z3VP7MYKqaIC&q=nigel+roberts+mud&pg=PA5 |title=Designing Virtual Worlds |last=Bartle |first=Richard |year=2004 |authorlink=Richard Bartle|page=5|publisher=New Riders |isbn=9780131018167 }}

On 7 June 2022 it was announced that he would be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Essex. The degree of Doctor of the University was conferred at the University's commencement ceremony on 18 July 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2022/06/07/university-of-essex-honorary-graduates-2022|website=University of Essex|title=Outstanding individuals to be honoured at Graduation 2022|language=en|access-date=2022-06-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/bcs-fellow-receives-honorary-doctorate/|website=British Computer Society|title=BCS Fellow Receives Honorary Doctorate|language=en|access-date=2022-06-07}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://icannwiki.org/Nigel_Roberts/|title=ICANN Wiki|website=icannwiki.org|language=en|access-date=2017-10-15|archive-date=24 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024060353/https://icannwiki.org/Nigel_Roberts|url-status=dead}}

In 1996 he founded the Island Networks group of companies,{{Cite web|url=https://guernseypress.com/news/2009/09/11/local-firms-promote-their-island-on-the-internet/|website=Guernsey Press|title=Local Firms Promote Their Island on the Internet|date=11 September 2009 |language=en|access-date=2017-10-24}} including CHANNELISLES.NET, the registry operator of the .gg and .je top level domains for Guernsey and Jersey. Co-incidentally, in the early 2020s .GG became popular with esports players and gamers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurodns.com/blog/gg-online-gaming-community-favourite-tld|website=The Online Gaming's Community's Favourite TLD Press|title=The Online Gaming's Community's Favourite TLD |language=en|access-date=}}

In 2005 he became the first person in the UK to obtain damages in court in a lawsuit against a sender of unsolicited email.{{Cite web|url=http://guernseypress.com/news/2005/12/30/spam-victory-a-first/|title=Spam victory a first|website=guernseypress.com|date=30 December 2005 |language=en|access-date=2017-10-01}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/guernsey/4562726.stm|website=BBC News|title=Businessman wins e-mail spam case|date=2005-12-27|access-date=2017-10-01|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/29/uk_spam_win/|website=The Register|title=Claim back £300 per spam|access-date=2017-10-01|language=en}}

In 1999, Roberts was one of the original members of the ICANN DNSO Names Council, representing the ccTLD constituency.{{cite web|url=http://www.wwtld.org/aboutcctld/history/wwtld1999/elections/nigel.html|title=Election Statement: Nigel Roberts|website=www.wwtld.org}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/09/21/cruzs-claim-that-icanns-transition-will-empower-foes-to-censor-the-internet/|title=Washington Post|access-date=25 October 2017|website=washingtonpost.com}}

He later served as one of three elected councillors representing Europe on ICANN's ccNSO Council,{{Cite web|url=http://ccnso.icann.org/about/council.htm|title=Council Members {{!}} Country Code Names Supporting Organisation|website=ccnso.icann.org|language=en|access-date=2017-10-01}} one of the two successor bodies to the Names Council{{Cite web|url=http://ccnso.icann.org/about/elections/election-report-16dec13-en.pdf|title=Nomination and Election Report Council Nominations and Elections to ccNSO Council 2014|last=|first=|date=16 December 2013|website=ccnso.icann.org|access-date=}} 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).{{cite web|url=http://mm.icann.org/pipermail/ccnso-boardnominations/2017-September/date.html|title=ccNSO Board Nominations, September 2017|website=icann.org}} In the subsequent world-wide poll, he was elected{{cite web|url=https://tally.icann.org/cgi/results?a=pr&e=8173be8bdd2|title=Results for Election 8173be8bdd2|website=ICANN Tally Election Server}} receiving 67% of the vote.{{cite web|url=https://article.wn.com/view/2017/12/04/Nigel_Roberts_Elected_To_ICANN_Board_Of_Directors/|title=Nigel Roberts elected to ICANN Board|website=World News}}{{cite web|url=http://domainincite.com/22353-roberts-elected-to-icann-board|title=Roberts elected to ICANN Board|website=Domain Incite|date=4 December 2017}} He served as a director on the ICANN board between October 2018 and October 2021{{cite web|url=https://ccnso.icann.org/en/announcement-2-08dec17-en.htm|website=ccnso.icann.org|title=The ccNSO Council Nominates Nigel Roberts to fill ICANN Board Seat number 12}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/59582|title=BCS Fellow Nigel Roberts appointed to ICANN's Board of Directors|access-date=1 September 2018|archive-date=1 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901145711/https://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/59582|url-status=dead}}

On 16th April 2025 it was announced that he would be returned unopposed to the ccNSO Council in a Special Election.{{cite web|url=https://ccnso.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16apr25-en.htm|title=ccNSO Council 2025 European region Special Elections|access-date=17 April 2025}}

He ran as a Liberal Democrat for the UK Parliament in the Ipswich Constituency in the 1997 General Election{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/constituency/1044/ipswich|title=Ipswich: Constituency - Politics - The Guardian|website=TheGuardian.com |date=9 December 2013|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209020609/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/constituency/1044/ipswich|archive-date=9 December 2013}} and later served as an elected member of the Alderney legislature (the States of Alderney) during 2002–2003.

He was a board director and council member of the Radio Society of Great Britain between 1991 and 1996.{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00216431/filing-history|title=UK Companies House Annual Returns|website=companieshouse.gov.uk|access-date=2017-10-24}} He holds the amateur radio callsign GU4IJF.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qrz.com/db/GU4IJF|website=QRZ.COM|access-date=2018-09-02|title=QRZ Database}} He presents an occasional music programme on Channel Island local FM and DAB radio station QUAY-FM{{Cite web|url=http://quayfm.gg/team|website=quayfm.gg|access-date=2017-10-24|title=Quay-FM - Meet the Team}} and serves as a director of its owner, not-for-profit Alderney Broadcasting Co. Ltd. Between November 2021 and February 2024 he served on as one of the directors of the Royal Connaught Residential Home, a local Island charity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.connaughtcare.org/meetourteam/|access-date=2022-07-10|title=The Connaught - Meet Our Team}}

He has been a Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society since 2005.{{Cite web|url=http://wam.bcs.org/wam/MemberDirectory.aspx?grade=CBCS|title=BCS Register of Members|website=wam.bcs.org|access-date=2017-10-01}}

He was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in 2016{{cite web|url=http://www.islandfm.com/local-web-pioneer-awarded-for-his-work/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305152944/http://www.islandfm.com/local-web-pioneer-awarded-for-his-work/|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 March 2016|title=Local Web Pioneer Awarded For His Work - Island FM|date=20 February 2016|publisher=}} and became a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in 2019. He is a Chartered Engineer, a European Engineer and a Chartered IT Professional. He is a member of the British Computer Society's Fellows' Technical Advisory Group (F-TAG){{cite web|url=https://www.bcs.org/policy-and-influence/bcs-fellows-technical-advisory-group-f-tag/f-tag-members/|title=F-TAG Members|publisher=BCS}} He is also a member of BAFTA.{{cite web|url=https://gsy.bailiwickexpress.com/gsy/news/local-internet-pioneer-joins-bafta/|website=gsy.bailiwickexpress.com|access-date=2023-09-22|title=Local internet pioneer joins BAFTA}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.channelisles.net CHANNELISLES.NET]
• [http://icannwiki.com/IFWP US Government's International Forum on the White Paper]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Nigel}}

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:States of Alderney Members

Category:British computer scientists

Category:European amateur radio operators

Category:Alumni of the University of Essex

Category:Fellows of the British Computer Society

Category:People educated at Prescot Grammar School