Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

20th Anniversary of the Dawn of Dot-Com

Posted by kdawson on from the fanfare-of-woodwinds dept.

btempleton writes "It was 20 years ago today when I posted to USENET the public launch of ClariNet, my electronic newspaper service delivered over the Internet. By finding a way around the NSFNet acceptable use policy, ClariNet was the first business founded to use the Internet as its platform for business, and the era of the 'dot-com' had begun. For the anniversary I have written a history of the founding of ClariNet and early internet business, which outlines how it all came down. Readers may also enjoy the included anecdote about what I term 'M5' reliability, where the news system was so robust that, like the M5 computer on Star Trek, even those authorized to do so were unable to shut it off; and a story of the earliest large SF eBook effort."

8 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Nonsense! by The+Pirou · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's all just a series of tubes!

  2. So we should blame you? by caerwyn · · Score: 4, Funny

    So in other words, we should ultimately blame you for the commercialization and spamming of the internet?

    I'm not sure you should have told us that...

    --
    The ringing of the division bell has begun... -PF
    1. Re:So we should blame you? by hondo77 · · Score: 3, Funny

      So in other words, we should ultimately blame you for the commercialization and spamming of the internet?

      Wrong guy.

      --
      I live ze unknown. I love ze unknown. I am ze unknown.
  3. Sgt. Salt by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    "It was 20 years ago today..."

    Beatle plagiarist! I'm tellin' the RIAA!

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  4. so you're the one, huh? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 3, Funny

    By finding a way around the NSFNet acceptable use policy, ClariNet was the first business founded to use the Internet as its platform for business, and the era of the 'dot-com' had begun.

    Oh, so *you're* the asshole who started the commercialization, by shady interpretation of a use policy you agreed to, no less.

    I bet next you'll tell us that you're also the asshole who sent the first spam.

    jk... mostly.

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  5. let's see how long 'first' lasts... by Josh+Coalson · · Score: 4, Funny

    the best way I know to find out you were not first at something is to post on slashdot that you were.

    --
    FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec
  6. NSF by Korbeau · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... so these Non-Suitable-For pictures and videos started in the 80ies!

  7. Re:It just ain't fair! :-P by thoughtspace · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not typos, just those bloody bit errors on your acoustically coupled 300 baud modem