h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Of COURSE! Now I know where I read about this internet thing first. Thank you, that's been bugging me for AGES.

Actually, the internet has been around since before
the book was written, I think. When I read the Dirk
Gently novels, I supposed that DNA had heard of
it before, too, because the guy in the first book is a
programmer, or something like that, and there's a
lot of semi-technical stuff about Macintosh computers
in parts of the story. I figured this must obviously be
based on personal experience, so why wouldn't he
know about the internet?

As I understand it, the Internet (does it still begin with
a capital letter?) was originally the ARPAnet (however
that's actually capitalised), and had something to do
with the defense system of the United States, or at
least one of America's armed forces. I've also heard
other stories about the origin of the internet, including
several people who could each be supposed as a
Father of the Internet, and some stories go back at
least as far as the late '60's. (I think Arthur C. Clarke
was even mentioned....) You see, I keep seeing these
things on television documentaries, and since I wasn't
paying close attention, my explanation sounds like a
rumour. I'm sure someone out there could back me up
on this, though!

Yes, the Internet did in fact begin in the sixties with ARPAnet, a way for various US Defense (sic) departments to link their mainframes together. Other networks also came into existence as other organisations sought to do the same sort of thing. Eventually, governments, universities etc. saw a need to access each others' networks. By the late 70s, when shools began to buy the first microcomputers (remember the Commodore Pet?), dial-up access was provided into univerity mainframes. In the early- to mid-eighties, computers had become cheap enough for people to own at home and companies such as Cix and compuserve came into existence, providing transatlantic access to bulletin boards at local call rates. By this time, the term "internet" was widely used in datacommunications circles to describe a network composed of any number of smaller networks. the Internet Protocol (IP) was devised to standardise communications between networks and the rest, as they say, is Home Economics...

*flutter of wings
*curtsies gracefully
So pleased to make your aquaintance
I am not a stranger, I am a friend you haven't met yet.
Eat Grimsby Fish! Preferably in Cleethorpes!

"Defence". That's what I meant. (I think.) (Excuse me, my Americanism is showing.)

So, how does Al Gore claim to have invented the Internet?

And am I right in thinking that Arthur C. Clarke had some ideas on the subject? (And am I right in wondering
why he lives in Sri Lanka?)

ACC's internet.

I remeber reading an article that Clarke wrote in the 60s in which he suggested that communications satelites would be used to create a 'global library'. This would help fight oppression (by letting the oppressed talk to the world), facilitate communications and a global village (although I don't think he used the term).

I think he got many of the features of the internet, but not the mechanics, correct.

If I remember when I next go back up home I'll drag out a copy of the article and give more info here.

Zathras

Al Gore voted on a piece of legislation (the exact nature escapes me at the moment) that somehow affected the internet. From this, he "exagerated" and said he "...led the effort to create the internet."

Of course this is coming from the man who claims his mother sung "Look for the Union Label" as a lullaby to him as he lay in a crib as a child. Fact is that song was written when he was 27. I should point out that this may not in fact be a lie or exaggeration. It is entirely possible that his mother sang him that song as he lay in a crib as a 27 year old "child".