Computer Networks: The Heralds of Resource Sharing explained

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:

• 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.
• 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) packet switching inventor.
• 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

• History of the Internet
• List of Internet pioneers
• Nerds 2.0.1 – 1998 documentary about the development of the ARPANET, the Internet, and the World Wide Web
• Protocol Wars
• Resource sharing

External links

• Web site: Computer Networks - The Heralds Of Resource Sharing (Arpanet, 1972) . 30 October 2016. Internet Archive. - full film
• Transcript

Notes and References

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