Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NSFnet — 20 Years of Internet Obscurity and Insight

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the thanks-for-all-the-fish dept.

coondoggie writes "The National Science Foundation (NSF) reissued the words that started the Internet revolution 20 years ago today: 'The NSFnet Backbone has reached a state where we would like to more officially let operational traffic on.' That was the email sent to users of the NSF's fledgling NSFnet to announce that the network's backbone had been upgraded to a 'blazing T-1 speed.' NSFnet was created by NSF a few years earlier in an attempt to create a computer network similar to the Department of Defense's ARPANET. When the original six-node, 56 kilobits-per-second NSFnet backbone went into operation in 1986, NSF made the decision to allow any academic, governmental or commercial entity to hook up to this network of networks. Within a few weeks of going online, traffic on the new network began doubling every few weeks. The network's backbone of core 56 kilobits-per-second connections were considered fast, but they were not fast enough to satisfy the demands of all the new users who were coming online, according to the NSF."

18 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. DoubleTake by StyxRiver · · Score: 5, Funny

    NSFWnet. Anyone else read it that way?

    I really should get to bed earlier...

    1. Re:DoubleTake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      NSFWnet. Anyone else read it that way?

      I really should get to bed earlier...

      No. Because I can read.

    2. Re:DoubleTake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      NSFWnet. Anyone else read it that way?

      I really should get to bed earlier...

      ..or just jerk off more.

    3. Re:DoubleTake by ubrgeek · · Score: 2, Funny

      The actual, unedited comment went something like this:

      The NSFnet Backbone has reached a state where we would like to more officially let operational traffic on. Specifically porn. We feel that would provide an actual representation of bandwidth load.' To which someone responded: 'Heh. You said, 'load.'

      And thus the tubes were born. ;)

      --
      Bark less. Wag more.
  2. Pffft. by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wannabe internet.

    1. Re:Pffft. by Divebus · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wannabe internet

      Really. You can get 56 kilobits-per-second at home now.

      --

      Most of the stuff on /. won't survive first contact with facts.
    2. Re:Pffft. by jacquesm · · Score: 2, Funny

      you should move :)

      --
      MP3 Search Engine
  3. Re:So thats it by HairyNevus · · Score: 2, Funny

    And prevent the rise of "leave Britney alone" guy(/girl?). I think not!

    --
    You were critically hit for no damage. The bruise will look nice, and maybe the scars will make good party talk.
  4. Re:I was at one of the earliest Internet sites... by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    You might have to wait several days for your file to show up...

    Birth of Comcast also, eh? ;-)
         

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  5. The rest is history by GroeFaZ · · Score: 3, Funny

    It was only a small step from NSF to NSFW.

    --
    The grass is always greener on the other side of the light cone.
    1. Re:The rest is history by cdrudge · · Score: 3, Funny

      And with that small step comes the explanation why network traffic doubled every couple of weeks.

  6. Fake Bill Gates Says... by gbulmash · · Score: 4, Funny

    640 Kilobits should be fast enough for anyone.

    --
    Start a happiness pandemic
  7. NSF by Kallahan · · Score: 3, Funny

    pffbt, NSFnet, all you had to do to hack the network is type NSF001 for the username and smashthestate for the password and you got admin acess.

  8. You'll pry me 110 baud from me dead corpse laddy! by 3t3rn4l · · Score: 1, Funny

    P.S. Race you to the 9600 admin line.

    P.P.S GET OFF MY LAWN!

    --
    Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt. (When catapults are outlawed, only outlaws will
  9. Re:I was at one of the earliest Internet sites... by aproposofwhat · · Score: 2, Funny
    Whoop de doo!

    I'll be 44 this year, and my first piece of kit of note was a Casio Mini in 1973.

    Get off my lawn.

    --
    One swallow does not a fellatrix make
  10. Re:Beautifully phrased (not) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Ending sentences with prepositions is something up with which I shall not put!"

    - Nobody really knows for sure

  11. Re:I actually thought of doing this back in the da by nfk · · Score: 2, Funny

    "When I was a kid I had the idea of networking every BBS together."

    Seriously? I feel so inadequate. I just played with Legos.

  12. Re:oh noz! by TheSeventh · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, back in the mid-80's we actually could stream text in realtime. Although with a 300 Baud Modem (.3kbps) you could read the text faster than it could be sent to your computer, but with 1200 Baud (1.2kbps) the text would come too fast to read and you'd have to scroll through it.

    These low speeds made the pr0n really bad and of such low-quality that I switched over to interacting with real women. If we had better technology then that was affordable, I might never have left the basement . . .

    --
    Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.