What A Difference Half A Century Makes

There were many paths that led up to the internet, but some feel April 7, 1969, is the proper day to commemorate its symbolic birth.  Why?  Because the Arpanet, which was the essence of what became the internet, published the RFC--Request for Comments--process on that date.  It's still in use today, underlying the internet.

Of course, no one foresaw the change it would bring into our lives.  Indeed, even people heavily involved in the computer world a generation later didn't see how central the internet would become.

I often wonder why so many didn't see how important the internet would be.  They thought people would be happy with their computer doing computer things--maybe it's because they lived their lives soldering stuff in their garage, and didn't want to reach out to others.

That's how innovation often works, and why top-down planning isn't enough.  Look at our phones. Or should I say "phones." Mobile phones were a great advance, but it turned out, after a certain point, what people didn't want was a better phone and email system, but a device in our hands that could do almost anything (and could last a long time on a short charge).  That's why the mighty BlackBerry that dominated the market not so long ago fell on hard times.

Anyway, happy 50th, internet.  I'd wish you 50 more, but who knows what we'll have by then.