[ih] "The First Router" on Jeopardy

[Dave Crocker]

On 11/24/2021 4:14 PM, Jack Haverty via Internet-history wrote:
> On 11/23/21 6:25 PM, John Shoch via Internet-history wrote:
>> That box (designed and built by BBN), no matter what
>> you call it, was not in 1969 the first to send bits over the Internet.
> 
> I agree, but there are lots of people who think the Internet began with 
> the ARPANET.   I've argued, unsuccessfully, wih a few.  Terms mean what 
> you think they mean...


The Arpanet began a continuous, operational service that we use today. 
All sorts of components have been changed, over the decades, but the 
fact of daily, production-level interoperation among participating 
systems has been continuous, for roughly 50 years.

Email has been in continuous operational service almost as long.  In 
this case, the current, basic message looks almost the same as almost 
the earliest ,essages.  But again, the service has operated without 
interruption, in spite of all its components being changed, too.

We seem to be comfortable with the concept of continuity for telephone 
service and television service, in spite of all their technical changes.

The distinction of the underlying technologies is fundamental, for 
technologists.  But not for users.

d/

-- 
Dave Crocker
Brandenburg InternetWorking
bbiw.net