[ih] Fwd: nomenclature

[Richard Bennett]

The term "host" was used for big* time-shared mainframes long before the 
whole networking thing took off.

RB

*by the standards of the day.

On 12/23/2009 11:23 AM, Larry Sheldon wrote:
> On 12/23/2009 11:47 AM, Dave CROCKER wrote:
>
>> I remember that the term 'host' was one of the bits of mind-share that
>> the Arpanet created.. But I don't recall hearing why that particular
>> term was chosen.
>>
>> Do any of you remember why?
>
> I'd have to dig out some old USE documentation (or maybe some UNIVAC 
> or Sperry docs if I can find them) but I think we used the term "host" 
> before we had "networks" as the term is now used.
>
> In the IBM world, what was on the other end of a telephone line from 
> an RJE station?
>
> It seems to me that one end of a word channel cable was the 
> "controller", the other the "host".

-- 
Richard Bennett
Research Fellow
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Washington, DC