It's an urban legend that the government launched the Internet. The myth is that the Pentagon created the Internet to keep its communications lines up even in a nuclear strike. The truth is a more interesting story about how innovation happens—and about how hard it is to build successful technology companies even once the government gets out of the way.
Monday, July 23, 2012
In case you wondered ....
... Crovitz: Who Really Invented the Internet? - WSJ.com. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
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A piece referring to "the Ethernet" does not inspire confidence. Ethernet is an excellent protocol, but it is primarily used for building or campus-sized installations, not over the long haul. One might suggest that the boom in ethernet technology during the 1990s had something to do with the general improvements in circuitry, fiber optics, etc.
ReplyDeleteNor is it accurate to say that Tim Berners-Lee invented hyperlinks; he led the team that devised the HTTP protocol and HTML. This team worked, as it happens, at CERN, an entity supported by European governments.
Not to flog a dead horse, but http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/26.94.html#subj1 has more on the subject.
ReplyDeleteStill, the Xerox connection seems the crucial one.
ReplyDelete