[ih] internet-history Digest, Vol 13, Issue 1

[Bob Braden]

Mike Muuss performed an invaluable service in writing the original
Unix Ping program, but he did not "invent" the ping function.

For example, a simple grep for "Ping" in the online IENs finds the
following quote from IEN 145, "Internet Meeting Notes 14,15 May 1980",
29 May 1980, written by Jon Postel:

"V.  GATEWAY PROTOCOLS AND HOSTS

     Jim Mathis presented his procedure for routing.  The main points are
     first pick any gateway, second refine the chance to the best gateway
     and third detect the failure of that gateway should it occur.

      o  Pick a Prime gateway
      o  Poll it at a slow rate
      o  Send to the Prime gateway
      o  Accept and act on a Redirect message
      o  Ping gateway in use if higher level protocol complains
      o  Periodically change the Prime gateway

     Does this procedure get unstable in high load?

     IENs 109 and 131 should be reviewed by host IP implementors."

Note that "Ping" was apparently a synonym for "poll" here.  So the
term was already in use in 1980.  Unfortunately, I don't remember
when it first arose.

One more minor correction: Dave Mills did indeed supply the mnemonic
expansion of PING, but it was "Packet INternet Groper"  (groper, as in,
a person who can't keep his hands to himself! ;-), not grouper.)

Bob Braden