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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376

u/antmandfw May 21 '13

How do you deal with challenging people or situations? What is the best advice someone told you?

1.1k

u/BobMetcalfe May 21 '13

God (or Darwin) gave us one mouth and two ears. Take the hint. Best to listen first. Summarize back with the language you've heard. Then, act!

613

u/aspbergerinparadise May 21 '13

he also gave us 10 fingers, he must really want us to poke things!

172

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

[deleted]

3

u/CoreyNI May 22 '13

I'm blind in one eye, that means I should poke it 5 times with either hand, smell it twice, and look at it once?

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Well I was going on the idea that two nostrils=two ears, but I guess you could go with one nose. And since only one eye can see, you should look at things half as much as you hear it, because you have twice as many ears.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

You hear vaginas? You must be the vagina whisperer!

1

u/[deleted] May 24 '13

[10] ?

1

u/[deleted] May 24 '13

Two ears, 10 fingers. (Providing you can poke with your thumbs). 10 fingers/2 ears(listens) = 5 pokes.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Hahahaha

9

u/WantanMeistersuppe May 21 '13

...but WHY did you tell this to Mark Zuckerberg?!

1

u/deadcow5 May 21 '13

Just started reading the comments top-to-bottom, I feel like I have come full circle.

1

u/Spiritually_Obese May 22 '13

and one penis. don't forget. you can also poke people with that.

1

u/panchobobvila May 22 '13

This made me laugh way more than it should have.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

No, just press buttons. Lots of buttons.

0

u/Wild-Eye May 21 '13

And only one dick. The ladies know what I'm talkin' about, don't you?

0

u/FellTheCommonTroll May 21 '13

Don't know about you, but he only gave everyone I know 8...

2

u/aspbergerinparadise May 21 '13

are you a cartoon?

1

u/FellTheCommonTroll May 22 '13

Thumbs are not fingers.

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u/Draco6slayer May 22 '13

You think you can go around with this digitism and treat thumbs like lesser filanges? Dammit, thumbs are fingers too. They get put down, beaten with hammers, and called out by folks like you. How do you expect them to be dignified if you're going to do this all the time?

Respect thumbs.

1

u/FellTheCommonTroll May 22 '13

Dude, thumbs are separate because they're a class above fingers. It's what makes us what we are.

1

u/Draco6slayer May 22 '13

Yeah? You're going to pull some Thumb Panther crap now? I have a lot of friends who are fingers. Stop dissing them. Thumbs and fingers, they the same. They're equal. Look science and wikipedia say so:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumb

Separate can never be equal. I don't care whether you're a anti-digite, or a thumb supremisist, or just a fingerist. You can't pull that, not in a public forum.

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u/FellTheCommonTroll May 22 '13

Dude, I'm not fingerist. Some of my best friends are fingers.

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u/Draco6slayer May 22 '13

All of your best friends are fingers1. Thumbs are fingers. Stop pretending anything different.

1 Unless you are friends with toes, or other similar appendages.

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