On Wed, 13 Mar 2002, Alan Hannan wrote:
> With regards to the purpose of the internet, I recall reading > in the Prologue to _Where Wizards Stay Up Late_, by Katie Hafner > and Matthew Lyon, a true anecdote about Bob Taylor. The authors > quote Mr. Taylor as refuting that the purpose of the arpanet was > to provide communications in spite of a nuclear attack. The arpanet was an experimental packet-switched network. The Airforce commissioned Rand report (on distributed communications) is about resilient packet-switched networks. They are related but by no means co-terminus. > Rather, it is asserted, the purpose of the arpanet was to > interconnect computers at various research/education facilities > so as to allow researchers to share resources. > > We all heard that story too, but popular media tended to focus > on the sensationalist nuclear story. > > Useful info from history..... > > -alan > > ps -> thanks jeff for the book back in 1996 :-) > -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joel Jaeggli Academic User Services [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- PGP Key Fingerprint: 1DE9 8FCA 51FB 4195 B42A 9C32 A30D 121E -- The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. - James Madison, Federalist Papers 47 - Feb 1, 1788
