Metcalfes "imminent death of the internet" prediction
Tim Bass
George,
Nice observation. ....
> This prediction never made much sense to me anyway. Maybe the man was
> mis-quoted.
Has anyone ever noticed how the Internet is no different than any other
human endeavor. Remember those who justified irrational actions in
the IETF, NANOG, or other organizations predicting "the sky is falling"
the "network will crash and burn if we don't do this or that"?
We have heard so much BS over the past fews years with regard to the
Internet; that many of the BSers would have intelligent people believe
that fundemental sound engineering practices are taboo in the
Internet World Order, just like democracy has fallen to oligarchy
in the name of "doing the right thing".
Who cares what Metcalfe says? Who, of intelligence and wisdom,
really cares who was in the right place at the right time with
regard to hypertext, especially considering the research was
funded by taxpayers, just like TCP/IP.
Hence, maybe it is hard to swallow, but the real heros and parents
of the modern TCP/IP network are the millions of US taxpayers that
contribute up to 35% of their annual pay to Uncle Sam. Regardless
of how sext Mr. Cerf looks on the ISOC magazine <:+, or how much the media
promotes heros in the name of profit; their is an underlying reality
in the world.....
Sorry for the US centric view, but based on my understanding of history,
without hard working average citizens from the farmlands of Kansas,
to the automobile factories of Michigan, to the service worker in
NY City, and all across this innovative land; the blood, sweat, and
tears of the average worker has driven, funded, and built the
Internet.
To choose a few, and suggest a "Internet Hall of Fame" is just another
"brick in the wall", another WWW site to count the number of hits,
another possibility of another "Top 5%" site, etc. ad nauseum.
Then again, this 'sell out the common man' for heros and hyperbola
sound bite, iconographic, 'feel good today' social consciousness
has infected so much of the majority of our society, finding
people who can truly think rationally and independently is
a rare quality.
Anyone got the schedule on the next flight to Mars?
I wonder if galaxies far far away getting our radio signals and
listening in are just rolling over laughing at our ignorant and
shameless planet Earth.
Lamenting Again, (sorry 'bout that) Internet Heros, Gods, Fame,
what will we think of next?
My Link is Bigger Than Your Link.......
Sigh.
Tim
------------------------------
We're just two lost souls
swimming in a fish bowl,
year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
-Roger Waters
Michael Dillon
On Thu, 25 Jul 1996, George Michaelson wrote:
> This prediction never made much sense to me anyway. Maybe the man was
> mis-quoted.
decide for yourself. Go to http://www.infoworld.com/testing/96/data.htm
select any one of the past 12 issues or so, click on the OPINION button
and the the FROM THE ETHER column to read what he actually said. He didn't
cover the imminent collapse of the net in every column but there are quite
a few of them there.
Michael Dillon - ISP & Internet Consulting
Memra Software Inc. - Fax: +1-604-546-3049
http://www.memra.com - E-mail: mic...@memra.com