Re: Metcalfes "imminent death of the internet" prediction

["Kent W. England" <[e-mail]>]

At 04:50 PM 7/25/96 +0200, Per Gregers Bilse wrote:
>
>No, don't forget Dr. Metcalfe's definition of a collapse: "... when
>more than 50,000 people are denied their Internet access for more
>than an hour, let's call it an Internet collapse, ...".  By that
>definition the Internet has died when 100k people get no response
>from IBM's WWW servers.
>

I liked Jack Ricard's response to Metcalfe's imminent demise prediction  in
his Boardwatch editorial in the April 96 issue.

"InfoWorld columnist Bob Metcalfe notes it [the Internet] is going to crash
and burn this year anyway, after the fashion of the Hindenberg. Having
survived the 327 deaths of FidoNet, I don't doubt it. I just don't think
anyone will be able to tell without test instruments."

I love his irony. It's a shame that Jack doesn't get the press play that Bob
Metcalfe does, because Rickard has been pretty quick to understand the
Internet. You should read his monthly editorials, especially the May 96
issue where he discusses bandwidth versus capacity.

Have a look at < http://www.boardwatch.com/mag/96/may/bwm1.htm > to read the
bandwidth editorial. You may need to register at the Boardwatch site first.

He's worth a read.

--Kent