"the net"

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Steve Crocker <steve () shinkuro com>
Date: September 10, 2009 2:16:11 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: Steve Crocker <steve () shinkuro com>
Subject: Re: [IP] Internet still reshaping history

For IP.

On Sep 6, 2009, at 1:42 PM, David Farber wrote:

> Why do people say the internet is 40 years old. Is the Arpanet the  
> Internet -- I think not. djf

Dave,

Both the "Arpanet" and the "Internet" are two things at the same  
time.  The Arpanet was a single network with uniform set of routers, a  
single "vendor" (BBN) and a single network operations center (at  
BBN).  At the same time, it was a heterogenous network that connected  
a diverse of host computers with an open ended and growing set of  
protocols.  The Internet was a dramatic breakthrough on the lower  
levels -- a diverse set of routers, multiple vendors, multiple  
operators, operating over multiple media.  The work you, Bob Kahn and  
Vint Cerf, and many others did in the 70s that came to fruition in the  
80s created the technical and operational foundation for today's  
Internet.  At the upper layers, the user community, the open protocol  
architecture and the expansion of applications continued more or less  
continuously.  From this perspective, the Arpanet and Internet are  
part of a continuous arc.  There had been smaller networking attempts  
prior to the Arpanet, but none took root and flowered the way the  
Arpanet did.  In casual conversation with non-technical people, I find  
myself using the term "the net" to cover the whole arc.

Steve





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