[ih] infrastructure history [was: who invented the Internet]

[Dave Crocker]

On 7/26/2012 10:38 AM, Vint Cerf wrote:
> ARPA and NSF especially are NOT laboratories; they are funding
> agencies. They have strong technical leadership. The involvement of
> individuals working for the USG and funding seems to me
> incontrovertible in the Internet story. This is not to diminish the
> essential role of the contractors (mostly academia but also private
> sector - think of BBN, IBM, MCI among others)  involved in ARPANET and
> NSFNET and Internet. Collaboration theme is strong here along with
> very open processes and institutions.


Exactly.

The distinction I mean to draw is in contrast to a classic model in 
which an independent researcher or organization has an idea and seeks 
government funding to pursue it, which casts the governments role as 
rather passive.  Even when the government decides on an area it wants to 
have work done it, it mostly advertises a general interest and then 
evaluates returned proposals.

The alternative that I believe was present for Arpanet and NSFNet (and 
maybe original Internet) was of an initiative that is formulated in 
substantive ways in terms of organizational or technical approach, and 
then seeks researchers to pursue the work and, yes, tends to continue 
hands-on involvement in the details.

As you say, this does not lessen the importance of the work of the 
researches, but I consider it a far more active and participative role 
on the part of government (or, at least, government workers.)

d/

-- 
  Dave Crocker
  Brandenburg InternetWorking
  bbiw.net