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The document describes the early days of email on the ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, and the challenges faced in its development. The author begins by telling the story of Len Kleinrock, a computer scientist who used the network to retrieve his forgotten razor from a colleague in England. This was a somewhat unauthorized use of the network, as it was intended for resource-sharing rather than personal communication.
The author then explains that email arose as a popular use of the ARPANET, despite not being its intended purpose. Early users discovered that sending messages through the network was a convenient and efficient way to communicate, and the volume of email traffic quickly grew. However, the early systems were difficult to use, and improvements were needed to make email more user-friendly.
One of the key challenges faced in the development of email on the ARPANET was the standardization of message headers. Different email programs had their own formatting rules, which meant that messages sent from one system might not be readable or correctly processed by another system. This led to conflicts and confusion, particularly between the dominant Tenex systems and the minority of non-Tenex systems on the network.
To address this issue, an ad hoc committee led by MIT’s Abhay Bhushan attempted to standardize email headers. They proposed a syntax that would make headers easier to read and process, and their recommendations were included in a new version of the Message Transmission Protocol. However, this led to a dispute between the Tenex and non-Tenex groups, with some accusing the standards of being too Tenex-oriented.
The conflicts over email headers highlighted a broader tension between different groups within the ARPANET community. The Tenex systems, led by BBN, formed a dominant culture on the network, while the non-Tenex systems represented a diverse and potentially rebellious countermovement. This conflict became known as the “header wars” and continued into the following decade.
Despite the challenges and conflicts, email on the ARPANET continued to grow in popularity and usage. It became a fundamental tool for communication and collaboration among computer scientists, and its development paved the way for the modern email systems we use today.
Overall, the document provides a detailed account of the early development of email on the ARPANET and the challenges faced in standardizing its usage. It highlights the tension between different groups within the network, as well as the creativity and innovation that accompanied the growth of the email system.
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