Galactic Network Interweb
~ 05 April 2007 ~
In “A Brief History of the Internet” (tripped over it doing related research yesterday) authors Barry M. Leiner et al. write:
The first recorded description of the social interactions that could be enabled through networking was a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962 discussing his “Galactic Network” concept. He envisioned a globally interconnected set of computers through which everyone could quickly access data and programs from any site. In spirit, the concept was very much like the Internet of today.
Love that term, “Galactic Network.” Part of me wishes it would have stuck, if merely to refer to myself as Galactic Network Architect.
In fact, I propose we rechristen the internet as the Galactic Network Interweb. Very Web 3.0, is it not?
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Ohhh, very catchy…”Galactic Network Architect”, when can I put “Galactic Network Interweb designer” on my business cards ;).
I honestly miss the term Cyberspace. Go William Gibson.
Do you think someone would have the stones to name something “Galactic Network” today? Perhaps maybe a big Trekkie fan, but…
yes, yes, but once we have bases on the Moon and Mars, and Hilton hotels in Earth orbit, then the term won’t seem so silly, now will it?! ;)
Who said anything about it being silly?
:)
“The internet is a long line of intertangled tubes” - George W. Bush
If you want a new name, I’d stick with GW and just call it “The Intertangled Tubes”.
I like your thinking, but I think we need to take it up to the next level.
Based on this, I motion we rename the internet the “interblagosphere.”
It might be a bit far by current standards, but it’s a move towards the future that needs to be made now!
Before we do any renaming, we need to get Al Gore in on the discussion. It is his baby, after all.
Coincidentally, you can read (albeit briefly) about Al Gore’s interweb involvement in that same document.
Just don’t call it SkyNet.
“The internet is a series of tubes!” - Sen. Ted Stevens.
All I know is that “gni” is easier to say than “www” - three times easier! So let’s make all of our sites redirect to GNI.foo.com - I’ll expect results by the end of the day.
I think we can take this a little further and call it the “Intergalactic Tube Network”
@Jemaleddin, where I come from (Oklahoma) you most likely here people calling ‘www’ just ‘dub-dub-dub’, ha…it’s our accent. I enjoy ‘dub-dub-dub’ more than gni!
My boss has recently taken to calling it “The Intergoogle Wikitubes”.
“Just don’t call it SkyNet.”
… or the U.M.N. (for those Xenosaga fans).
Jdjohnson - the series of tubes comment was Senator Stephens of Alaska, not the President. If you are going to make fun of people, get your facts straight. But yeah, all old white Republicans blend together, I guess.
@Cameron Moll - You might be on to something very real! Given the rapid evolution of technology, I do see myself using “gni (Galactic Network Interweb)” or “ign (interplanitary galactic network)”> in the future!
The term “Internet” has a lot of depth if you really think hard about it, “Galactic Network” has more depth without even thinking about it!
Wait..what the heck is an Internet…
I like it. Galactic Network Interweb.
The last book I read by Fred Turner is just packed with historical overviews and thorough analysis: From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism. A must read for people that get thrilled by the history (of the web) and networking (the life hub).
http://zoic.be/reviews/from_counterculture_to_cyberculture_Fred_Turner.html
I never use the internet anyway. America Online has everything I will ever need. Why not just call it “America Online?” That sounds very patriotic.
I heard they have the internet on computers now!
Thanks for the interesting post! Tim Berner Lee, the inventor of the Internet mentioned a while ago that the Internet that we are playing with is one the 1st step in his vision. It is moving towards something called the Semantic Web. A network that can link anything to anything. http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/podcast/dwi/cm-int082206.txt
If you are interested in Quantum Mechanics then it is easy to envision that this ‘Galactic’ network is even closer then we think. Imagine a network that can communicate with any other network point with no time delay and no concept for distance.
We are moving towards something very interesting here!
In the Interplanetary Galactic Network, each planet would be similar to an individual company’s network. Think earth.homestarrunner.com. Since we are still planetary and not galactic, our network does not extend into the stars yet… So technically it should be called The Intranet.
“Where do you want to go today?”
“Probably somewhere local.”
I don’t think I’ll ever say “www” again.
Thanks ;)
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1 Josh Blount ~ 05 April 2007
I love it! I’ve taken to calling it the interweb at work, it just feels better.