Computer Networks: The Heralds of Resource Sharing

Computer Networks: The Heralds of Resource Sharing is a short documentary film from 1972, produced by Steven King and directed/edited by Peter Chvany, about ARPANET, an early packet-switching network and one of the first networks to implement the protocol suite TCP/IP.

Content

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The 30 minute film features many of the most important names in computer networking, especially J. C. R. Licklider and others from MIT's Project MAC who had connected a computer to ARPANET the year before.[1] According to a history of computing equipment by Columbia University it "begins with a montage of equipment ... and then has interviews with ARPANET creators."[2] The film discusses "the potential that this network has for revolutionizing so many industries and institutions".[3]

Participants

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Speaking parts:

  • Fernando J. Corbató (Corby):[1] (voice 0:45-1:15, face 1:00-1:15, 15:10-15:40) Turing Award winner, implementer of multitasking operating systems.

Non-speaking:

  • Daniel L. Murphy: (Behind the titles, several other times including about 15:44)

Unidentified:

  • (8:27-8:32, with beard and glasses): previously misidentified as Jon Postel

Reception

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Cory Doctorow called the documentary a "fantastic 30 minutes of paleo-nerd memorabilia".[6] Matt Novak of Gizmodo said "When you hear a man like J.C.R. Licklider describe the information age before it had even begun to trickle into the public consciousness, we understand how forward-thinking these people developing the ARPANET in the late 1960s and early 1970s truly were."[3] Mark Liberman described it as "amazing".[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Multics History". multicians.org. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  2. ^ da Cruz, Frank. "Films Depicting Vintage Computing Equipment in Action". Columbia University Computing History. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b Novak, Matt (July 23, 2013). "Internet Pioneers Discuss the Future of Money, Books, and Paper in 1972". Paleofuture. Gizmodo.
  4. ^ Eckardt, Frank (1 January 2008). Media and Urban Space: Understanding, Investigating and Approaching Mediacity. Frank & Timme GmbH. ISBN 9783865961426. Retrieved 30 October 2016 – via Google Books. ISBN 3-86596-142-8
  5. ^ a b Liberman, Mark (March 19, 2006). "Heralds of Resource Sharing". Language Log.
  6. ^ Doctorow, Cory (March 18, 2006). "Documentary on the state of the Internet in 1972". Boing Boing.
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