Nigel Roberts is a British computer scientist.
Early life
Roberts was born in
Liverpool and grew up in
Lancashire.
Education
Educated at
Wigan and
Prescot School 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).
Computer Gaming
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.
Honours
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.
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,
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.
He later served as one of three elected councillors representing Europe on ICANN's ccNSO Council,
In September 2017 he was nominated as a candidate for ICANN board of directors by .pr (Puerto Rico), .ci (Côte d'Ivoire) and .be (Belgium).
On 16th April 2025 it was announced that he would be returned unopposed to the ccNSO Council in a Special Election.
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
He 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 presents an occasional music programme on Channel Island local
FM Broadcasting and DAB community radio station
QUAY-FM and serves as a director of its parent, Alderney Broadcasting, which is a Registered Charity. Between November 2021 and February 2024 he served on as one of the directors of the Royal Connaught Residential Home, a local Island charity.
Professional societies
He has been a Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society since 2005.
He was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in 2016
External links
