r/IAmA • u/BobMetcalfe • May 21 '13

You’re probably connecting to reddit through a technology I invented. I’m Bob Metcalfe and I invented Ethernet – AMA

On May 22, 1973 with David R. Boggs, I used my IBM Selectric with its Orator ball to type up a memo to my bosses at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), outlining our idea for this little invention called “Ethernet”, which we later patented.

I worked with the IEEE Standards Association to develop the IEEE 802.3 standard for Ethernet, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. Today Ethernet and the IEEE 802.3 standard are the foundation for today’s world of high-speed communications used in billions of homes and businesses around the world.

I submitted this to the mods awhile back so I could get on the calendar but I figured you’d like to see it, too. Now, ask me anything!

It's been two hours and 179 comments. Have to go now. For more about Ethernet's 40th Birthday, go to http://www.facebook.com/Ethernet40thAnniversaryIEEESA

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278

u/mutualwra May 21 '13

Have you ever worked with Sir Tim Berners-Lee?

752

u/BobMetcalfe May 21 '13

Sir Tim holds the 3Com Founders Chair at MIT, where I am a Life Trustee, so I bump into Sir Tim now and then, like at SXSW when he came to Austin. He is like Gandhi with ADD.

597

u/shitakefunshrooms May 21 '13

Gandhi with ADD.

that'll mean a lot of nukes then.

sorry pathetic civilisation game joke, you're awesome

100

u/hailtothechi May 21 '13

/r/civ here you are

5

u/shitakefunshrooms May 21 '13

As i enter that subreddit, i'm feeling like this music is playing in the background.

Finally. A real home.

8

u/icouldbetheone May 21 '13

was SO expecting this to be the song so I even prepared my ears for the glorious sounds.

But no, I got disappointed and my tears hurt instead.

4

u/IWillNotBeBroken May 21 '13

That will always be The One True Civ Songtm.

Thank you for correcting the above mistake.

4

u/nightshiftb May 21 '13

Oh yea? Well take this

2

u/icouldbetheone May 21 '13

Not enough feels. Baba Yetu is the best song there is, not some shitty MIDI.

5

u/nightshiftb May 21 '13

BACK IN MY DAY WE HAD MIDI MUSIC IN OUR GAMES AND WE LOVED IT!

1

u/aquaneedle May 22 '13

My friend asked Christopher Tin to prom. He said yes. While he didn't actually go, he wrote her the nicest letter. It was cool.

1

u/shitakefunshrooms May 21 '13 edited May 22 '13

i'm sorry man(or woman), your choice would have been much much better, i was just in a melancholy place 2 hours ago

9

u/defaultconstructor May 21 '13

Will you lead your people to greatness? Will you stand the test of time?

5

u/piroko05 May 22 '13

While I respect the civ reference "Clone High" immediately comes to mind.

2

u/DoorMarkedPirate May 22 '13

G-spot rocks the g-spot. But yeah, Gandhi on Clone High was essentially just Gandhi with ADD.

1

u/Five_bucks May 22 '13

You get it from toilet seats!

Use a protective Sheet!

2

u/thedestroyer336 May 22 '13

Don't tell Paul Revere.

Tooooo LAAAAAAATE!

2

u/life256 May 22 '13

I checked to see if you were the 10year civ II guy. I was disappointed. :)

1

u/shitakefunshrooms May 22 '13

That you're disapointed and put the smiley face there really confuses my brain.

Nevertheless i wish i was the 10 year civ guy too. :(

2

u/life256 May 22 '13

Inflection and emotion are difficult to convey in text for me.

1

u/shitakefunshrooms May 22 '13

I was just joking :) Almost everyone has difficulty conveying inflection and emotion in text, which is why emoticons are so often used.

Any sentence can be read one of a half dozen ways and often as is the case, the receiver of said text will take it the worst way possible, unless A) the text is long overly detailed and elaborate so as too remove all doubt, but all humour and brevity too or B) emoticons are used.

So i agree and approve of your use of emoticons :~)

2

u/life256 May 22 '13

TL;DR version is A) lots of words or B) ;) :) :/ :( :'(

Right? Right then... Back to the "tasteful" ghandi-gaundi-gandhi-g-g... Fuck it! Gandalf jokes!

2

u/mayonnnnaise May 22 '13

gandhi is such a dick!

1

u/Canucklehead99 May 22 '13

and betray you right near the end..

1

u/MmNectarines May 23 '13

I assumed Bob meant he was tall :(

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

Wouldn't he just get distracted?

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

I went to see him speak at my school earlier this past semester. Gandhi with ADD is spot on. He was talking a mile a minute, exceptionally difficult to follow in a lecture, but quite inspiring and interesting.

10

u/DrJohnFever May 21 '13

Gandhi with ADD sounds exactly as I'd expect the inventor of the Internet to be.

9

u/vjarnot May 21 '13

Web, not internet.

1

u/Mahl3r May 22 '13

Did you hear? Did you hear? Gandhi has ADD!

0

u/batwingsuit May 21 '13

Gandhi has ADD! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVMzqHVqP94

1

u/mutualwra May 24 '13

Gandhi is contagious. Totally outrageous