Ralph, funny you should mention it. That's how I tried to start the
Dobb's article about REBOL to be published next month:
The American Revolutionary War began with a communications
protocol. Our children enjoy telling the story of the advantage
gained by the 1775 service provider who broadcast an encrypted
message using speed-of-light optical technology: one if by land,
two if by sea.
Communications is so fundamental and natural to humans that we
don't give it much thought. Message protocols, such as lanterns
in the old Boston church tower, depend on clearly defined
symbols delivered in a particular order. But, a protocol is
defined as much by what it implies as what it states. If no
lanterns appeared we would assume that the invaders had yet to
arrive (or arrived too soon, and we would not be telling this
story). And, what if three lanterns had appeared that fateful
night? An air invasion? No, but perhaps troops coming both by
land and by sea.
They chopped it and asked me to rewrite it more blandly. Guess they
were worried about exciting the English readers.... Or maybe Pekr?
-Carl
At 5/26/00 11:51 PM -0400, you wrote:
>Maybe it's late on a Friday night (well, it is) but the following REBOLian
>slogan occurs to me:
>
>The REBOLution grows. One if by LAN, two if by C; don�t start coding until
>you see the whites of their eyes!
>
>okay, okay... I'll go to bed now.
>
>Best to all,
>
>--Ralph Roberts
>
