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Claude L Bullard wrote:
> We were building hypertext systems using SGML in the
> 1980s on the Apollos
In the same FAQ [1] at W3.org where TBL mentions my Memex
project, you'll also find an explanation for the origin of the "//" in
HTTP. He says it came from the Apollo syntax for file names. That
syntax was, I believe, strongly influenced by VMS since VMS came first
and was a dominant operating system as Apollo was being designed. TBL
says: "[Apollo] had extended the filename syntax to allow
//computername/file/path/as/usual. So I just copied Apollo."
> STimBL deserves the knighthood. So does James Clark.
> Perhaps so did Mick and Paul
While you're handing out knighthoods, don't forget Tasmania's
Peter Tattam. Somehow, I don't quite understand why so few people
recognize his contribution... Peter was responsible for Trumpet
Winsock which was widely used by people who wanted TCP/IP (PPP and
SLIP) support on Windows before Microsoft finally supported it.
Trumpet Winsock was a big reason why the BBS crowd suddenly all
switched over to TCP/IP back in '94 or so. While there were others who
had similar offerings (most for free), Trumpet began to sweep up
marketshare like mad. Also, the Trumpet newsreader offered people
immediate access to content -- giving them an added incentive to go on
line or switch from BBS's (many of the BBS's were just front-ends for
newsgroups anyway...). I firmly believe that it was Trumpet that
finally motivated Microsoft to release their own Winsock download
which was code-named "wolverine." (The idea was that the "wolverine"
would beat the "Tasmanian Devil"...)
[1] http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html#etc
bob wyman
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