Inventing the Internet

Citation

Fourie, I. (2001), "Inventing the Internet", Online Information Review, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 271-279. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir.2001.25.4.271.2

Jane Abbate, a lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Maryland, College Park, has succeeded in writing probably the most thorough and interesting history of the Internet. Against this historical background the development of the Internet is projected in the finest detail, and with a strong human touch. The key players feature along with the technological developments, with a strong emphasis on the social and cultural influences that shaped the Internet’s design and usage. Inventing the Internet covers the co‐operation between individuals, organisations and other players, as well as the elements of competition and the individual agendas: “The history of the Internet is not, therefore, a story of a few heroic inventors; it is a tale of collaboration and conflict among a remarkable variety of players.” This history is traced from its first developments in the early 1960s to the latest Web developments and the commercial nature of the Internet.

The purpose and context of the book are explained in the following comment by Abbate: “That is what the title of this book … is meant to evoke: not an isolated act of invention, but rather the idea that the meaning of the Internet had to be reinvented – and constantly reinvented – at the same time as the technology itself.” The history of the Internet is depicted against its social agenda.

The publication consists of six chapters, including an introduction. Chapter 1 deals with the early days of the Internet starting off with the Cold War and the origins of packet switching. Chapter 2 describes the creation of ARPANET and the significance of its unique system‐building strategies. In Chapter 3 the transformation of ARPANET and the active role played by its users is described. This affected the Internet’s infrastructure, and eventually the availability of electronic mail. Chapter 4 deals with the developments that took ARPANET to the Internet, including the convergence between military and civilian interests, while Chapter 5 considers the Internet and the international technical standards, and how these can be used as social and political instruments. Chapter 6 covers the popularising of the Internet, including the transformation of the Internet into a commercially‐based popular medium.

The publication is well bound and includes a detailed five‐page index plus an extensive 18‐page bibliography. The sources date back as early as 1960, and are as up to date as 1998. It also includes an extensive list of notes for each chapter. Hardly any typographical errors were spotted. It is an easy and interesting text to read, with many extra bits of information provided along the way. Inventing the Internet is highly recommended to everybody interested in the history of the Internet. It should also be recommended reading to all students of the Internet, from the computer science fields as well as from the social sciences and humanities.