The government did not make the 'Net.

Story: The Internet May Eventually Be ScrappedTotal Replies: 5
Author Content
Bob_Robertson

Apr 14, 2007
3:14 PM EST 		In 1992, before the "Internet" was allowed to carry commercial traffic, it was a toy for academics.

That was the age of the "Information Superhighway", where 6 government peering points would be the only legal places for anyone to connect their network to other people's networks. Backbone bandwidth between those points provided at taxpayer expense.

Then, at about the time AlGore was elected vice president, the NSF released the routing tables from their own control. They threw open peering, removed the legal restrictions on commercial traffic, and _BOOM_. What we know as The Internet was created, not by government, but only after government got out of the freaking WAY.

They cannot take it back, it doesn't belong to them. It never did.
tuxtom

Apr 15, 2007
7:19 AM EST 		"The government did not make the 'Net."

But your forget, Bob, that the US government has guns. They didn't make the oil deposits lying underneath the Middle East, either.

I've predicted for years that the Internet will become the vehicle for the totalitarian state to maintain control over its population. Every day that goes by I watch my predictions come one step closer toward becoming that reality.

When they come knocking on the door of your NOC you will have two choices: Surrender or Guantanamo.
dcparris

Apr 15, 2007
8:28 AM EST 		Well, with the webcams, the digitalization of the home, etc., we'll have those t.v.'s that never shut off - always watching you. I love Big Brother!
rijelkentaurus

Apr 15, 2007
8:39 AM EST
Quoted:

I love Big Brother!


Rather than the TVs that always watch you, I am inclined to think that we'll have those TVs that never shut off and engage your brain tirelessly with worthless drivel, more along the lines of Ray Bradbury's Far. 451. I can see it happening now, as many people never shut off the TV. That's usually my advice to people: Turn off the *&#(*&# TV!! That stuff will rot your brain if you watch too much of it.
vainrveenr

Apr 15, 2007
8:43 AM EST
Quoted:
In 1992, before the "Internet" was allowed to carry commercial traffic, it was a toy for academics.
Actually, the government's original ARPA/DARPA was *NOT* solely intended to be this so-claimed "toy for academics".
As the DARPA site [HYPERLINK@www.darpa.mil] describes it
Quoted:
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was established in 1958 as the first U.S. response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik. Since that time DARPA's mission has been to assure that the U.S. maintains a lead in applying state-of-the-art technology for military capabilities and to prevent technological surprise from her adversaries. The DARPA organization was as unique as its role, reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense and operating in coordination with, but completely independent of, the military research and development (R&D) establishment. Strong support from the senior DoD management has always been essential since DARPA was designed to be an anathema to the conventional military and R&D structure and, in fact, to be a deliberate counterpoint to traditional thinking and approaches.

Also see the pre-1992 ARPA/DARPA timeline at [HYPERLINK@www.darpa.mil]
nalf38

Apr 15, 2007
8:39 PM EST 		I didn't read the specific article that this discussion is on, but I've read several similar stories in the last few days at CNN and MSNBC. I didn't get the impression that the government wanted to 'take back' the Internet, but that the technology underlying it, which *was* created by DARPA, is a bit outdated and maybe a better mouse trap could be built.

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