Computer_Networks:_The_Heralds_of_Resource_Sharing

<i>Computer Networks: The Heralds of Resource Sharing</i>

Computer Networks: The Heralds of Resource Sharing

1972 documentary film

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

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

Speaking parts:

Turing Award winner, implementer of multitasking operating systems.
  • J. C. R. Licklider (Lick):[1] (1:00-1:40), and many times throughout the film. Licklider discusses how, despite the invention of the printing press being a revolution, the transmission of information on paper was slow.[4] He also discusses collaboration, access to digital libraries, the transition to electronic information and the social processes involved in this.[5]
  • Lawrence G. Roberts: (voice 1:40-2:25) SIGCOMM Award winner.
  • Robert Kahn: (2:25-2:35, 3:15-6:25, 6:55-) Turing Award winner.
  • Frank Heart: (2:35-3:15, 6:25-6:55)
  • William R. Sutherland (Bert): (13:50-15:10)
  • Richard W. Watson: (17:34-18:30, 25:05-25:15) mass storage researcher
  • John R. Pasta: (18:30-19:25)
  • Donald W. Davies: (19:25-21:55)
  • George W. Mitchell: (21:55-24:05, voice only)

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

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

References

  1. [1]
    "Multics History". multicians.org. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  2. [2]
    da Cruz, Frank. "Films Depicting Vintage Computing Equipment in Action". Columbia University Computing History. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  3. [3]
    Novak, Matt (July 23, 2013). "Internet Pioneers Discuss the Future of Money, Books, and Paper in 1972". Paleofuture. Gizmodo.
  4. [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. [5]
    Liberman, Mark (March 19, 2006). "Heralds of Resource Sharing". Language Log.
  6. [6]
    Doctorow, Cory (March 18, 2006). "Documentary on the state of the Internet in 1972". Boing Boing.
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