[ih] CSNET (was: Re: Quick Question)

[Dave CROCKER]

Modified Subject, since this diverges from the original query:


On 9/30/2011 10:09 AM, Jorge Amodio wrote:
> In the early 80's UUCP was going from mild to wild, CSNET was funded
> by NSF in 1979 but it took a while to get moving, if he can get hold
> of Larry Landweber he may be able to provide more specifics and
> insight.


The wikipedia entry on CSNet is pretty good, though a bit sparse about some of 
the startup details and confused about MMDF:

    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSNET>

It's a bit odd that it mentions my doing an NSF review on the original proposal, 
but not that I developed and ran the email relaying service that finally 
emerged.  In terms of software, MMDF was the name of that overall mail relaying 
package.  Phonenet was the phone-specific channel of MMDF.

CSNet's initial service was pure mail relaying between Arpanet and across phone 
lines and x.25/x.29 terminal lines.  It used MMDF.

I got the first version of MMDF operational in the spring of 1979.  The effort 
was funded by the Army Materiel Command.  The original (rejected) proposal to 
NSFNet from Landweber et al came in after that.  The revised proposal with a 
recombined set of participant schools (e.g., dropping U of Arizona and adding U 
of Delaware) took some time.

So 1981 sounds right for starting service for CSNet.

You can listen to presentation and acceptance of the ISOC Postel Award to CSNET at:

    <http://bbiw.net/recent.html#PostelCSNet>


Also, since this is a history list, I'll also point folks at a geneology table I 
produced, in which MMDF played a prominant part of evolution:

    <http://bbiw.net/articles/rand-email.pdf>

d/

-- 

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking
   bbiw.net