October 2, 2000

10:37 AM

Al Gore and the Internet
A post to nettime from Vinton Cerf, someone who knows a little something about the development of the internet (he led the development of TCP/IP), giving Al Gore props for taking initiative for creating the Internet. Al never said he "invented" the internet. But he's had a lot of influence in creating the internet we all know and love.

I have no interest in toadying for Gore, but it does bother me how people parrot the misattributed quote, and seemingly have no desire to know how things really developed.
posted by peterme (4 comments total)

Relevant link (I think): this article (which I have admittedly not yet read) on the history of Gore's comment.
posted by tingley at 12:54 PM on October 2, 2000

Also, this piece from Washington Monthly about Gore's supposed "lies".
posted by bradlands at 3:16 PM on October 2, 2000

Finally some good well-researched articles which provide some balance to Gore's "lies". While seem people might say that "create" and "invent" are the same, they are not. The words would be deliberately switched as the symbolism attached to invent is greater than create.In his book on propaganda, Ellul says that the best lie is not necessary the biggest lie, but is best when you mix it with some facts and make it sound true.

posted by jay at 10:05 PM on October 2, 2000

Think of poor old King Canute, who wasn't trying to hold back the tide, but proving to his toadies that he couldn't. That's what Al Gore has to deal with.
posted by holgate at 2:17 AM on October 3, 2000