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The document begins by describing a group of scientists and engineers who designed and built the ARPANET, the computer network that eventually became the Internet. They gather together in Boston for a reunion to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of their achievement. Many of them had not seen each other in years and were excited to reconnect and reminisce.

Bob Taylor, the young director of the office overseeing computer research at the Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), attends the reunion with the goal of correcting a long-standing myth about the purpose of the ARPANET. Rumors had circulated that the network was built to protect national security in case of a nuclear attack, but Taylor knows this is not true. The ARPANET was actually created to facilitate information sharing among scientists at different research labs.

At the reunion, Taylor sees his former boss, Charlie Herzfeld, who can corroborate the true story of the ARPANET’s origins. Taylor is relieved to be back among the people who understand the reality of the network’s purpose and hopes that they can finally set the record straight.

The narrative then shifts to Taylor’s time working at ARPA in the 1960s. He commutes to the Pentagon each day and has a prestigious office on the third floor. His office is located in the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO), which is responsible for supporting advanced computer research projects.

Taylor’s office is well-furnished and equipped with three different computer terminals connected to mainframe computers at different locations. These terminals allow him to access various computing environments and communicate with researchers and graduate students working on funded projects.

However, Taylor finds the process of using multiple terminals cumbersome and time-consuming. He realizes that there needs to be a way to connect all these different machines. This realization plants the seed for the development of the ARPANET.

Overall, the document provides an introduction to the story of the ARPANET and sets the stage for the journey that led to the creation of the Internet. It establishes the backdrop of the reunion and Taylor’s mission to correct a myth about the network’s purpose. Additionally, it provides some insight into the early days of computer research at ARPA and the challenges faced by Taylor in communicating with researchers across different computing environments.

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