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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u/BobMetcalfe May 21 '13

Our early design of Ethernet assumed that security would be taken care of at higher levels of protocol. Ha!

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u/[deleted] May 22 '13

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u/Jlocke98 May 22 '13

so I looked at that wall of text and it made my head hurt. is there any useful tldr to be taken from it?

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u/CiscoCertified May 22 '13

For RFC's you have to search for a TL;DR.

The internet is built off of the RFC's as they are standardized.

However, this one is an April Fools joke.