[opendtv] Re: Digital Highways article Television Broadcast 12/94
- From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2017 22:44:40 -0400
On Sep 4, 2017, at 9:12 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
First, let me point out, by 1994, the Internet had been operating for many
years. In 1994 is when the WWW began, hardly the beginnings of the Internet.
Because of your job, you were in a position to use the ARPANET in the '80s.
Because of my job I was able to start using the Internet in 1992. During the
80s there were a number of early networked computer services in use, mostly for
computer based gaming system. This is how both AOL and Compuserve got started;
and yes, they relied on phone modems.
But for the general public the Internet did not become a reality until the mid
'90s. The major reason for this was that AOL, Compuserve and Prodigy charged
hourly usage fees. AOL moved to flat rate pricing in December of 1996, the year
they reached 5 million subscribers.
Secondly, I have to point out that this "networks of networks" is one of
those ideas that cause you to add 2 + 2 and come up with 6. You misunderstand
what "networks" they are talking about. It's not TV networks, or radio
networks, or highway networks, or networks of your college buddies. It is
computer center networks that they were tying together. It was mostly
Ethernet local area networks, by far.
Sorry, you completely missed the point. But then you take everything too
literally.
You are technically correct that many of the networks I mentioned are not
limited to internet connectivity. But they are ALL part of the network of
networks that rely on the Internet, and you rarely see an ad anymore without a
URL.
Radio stations stream via the Internet. TV stations have websites, and if
Sinclair has its way will integrate broadcasting and the Internet. Even the
physical highways are part of the internet, as these right of ways also are
used extensively for wide area fiber networks, much as I described in the
article.
Regardless, there is no doubt whatsoever that the public was introduced to
the Internet, or AOL, or Compuserve, or even to their remote computer center
with teletype terminals in the 1970s, over **telephone lines**. There is no
credible way for you to debate this, Craig.
I am not debating this. It is a fact that consumers did not have access to any
other form of communications until the 80s when limited cellular services were
allowed. Well no access other than amateur radio, walkie talkies, and "breaker
breaker" CB radios.
But you cannot debate that this was just the early adopter phase of the
commercial internet for consumers. Businesses that could afford it used more
advanced capability lines from the telcos. I endured modems until AT&T
introduced DSL in Gainesville. I could send e-mail, download JPEG images, look
at web sites, and upload files to my publishers.
It would be equally relevant to say that horse drawn carriages were the early
users of public highways, but that crap was replaced by the automobile, which
in turn led to the our physical highway system, and ultimately the Interstate
highway system.
Thanks for completely missing the point of the article, and turning it into
another "the regulated phone system led to the development of the Internet"
canard.
Regards
Craig
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