Preface
Most writing about the Internet tends to focus, quite reasonably, on computing. But the big picture is, well, bigger -- and far more spectacular. It is certainly true that the Internet is an evolution in the computer science field. But it is equally a development in telecommunications. It is equally an evolution of mass media. And as any NASDAQ watcher knows, the Net is also big business. The Internet is a unique creature, sharing some attributes with print publishing, others with telephones and mail, still more with television -- and in other respects it is unlike any system that has preceded it.
Many texts have focused on the technological side of the Internet or, even more commonly, the commercial side. This book will try to steer a somewhat different course, weaving together -- a la Lady Byron's Jaquard loom -- the many strands that make up the history of the Internet: technological, military, educational, corporate, and civilian. The cast of characters is as varied as the Internet itself -- captains of industry and alienated 15-year-old boys, engineers and philosophers, law officers and law breakers, and, for good measure, the occasional mad genius.
The first seven chapters of this book trace the evolution of the Internet in chronological entries. Each entry describes a key event in Net history, including background information and an assessment of the event's place in the big picture. The final chapter will introduce you to a few of the issues and innovations that will shape the Internet's future. Alongside the chronological history, special features and sidebars highlight historical, biographical, cultural, and ethical aspects of the story. These recurring features cover topics such as: insider stories from the hacker culture; the development of the Internet as a medium of mass communication; highlights of philosophical and scholarly thought on the digital revolution; and the relationship of the Internet to broader events in society and politics.
That the Internet is changing the world has reached the level of cliché, and it is not all happening on Wall Street. So if it is your impression that the most interesting part of the Net is the latest Initial Public Offering, you've been misled.
Any attempt to write history as it happens is, speaking of clichés, truly a fool's errand. The authors endeavored to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible, knowing full well that we were bound to fall on our faces somewhere or other. Every piece of computing technology could not possibly be covered in a book of this size, nor could every Silicon Valley boy (or girl) who made good. So if your favorite moment in the history of the Internet is not included here, we apologize in advance -- perhaps we'll be able to patch the problem in a debugged version 2.0.
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