[ih] A revolution in Internet point-of-view - Was Re: Internet analyses (Was Re: IPv8...)

[Dave Crocker]

On 4/30/2026 7:28 AM, Tony Li wrote:
> Backhoes happen.


Not Internet history, but since it involved Vint and me and your 
reference.,..

Fall of 1983 had the first public demonstration of MCI Mail.  9 month 
project that should have taken 2 years, but we met the deadline.

Massive party afterwards, with champagne -- well, ok, only freixenet 
cava -- flowing even in the street.  (Some of us drank some out on M 
street.)

At one point, I was on the phone back to the Naperville, IL, where the 
servers were based, sharing the feeling with one of the lead operators.  
She was every bit as drunk as I was.

No idea what we were talking about but she stopped and said "oh. it just 
got dark.  and it's so quiet."

Backhoe, only a few hours after massive public demo of the service. And 
as I recall, the generators did not kick in.

d/

-- 
Dave Crocker

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