This is slightly off-topic, but seeing the history of an important networking technology may be interesting for Bay Area cypherpunks. Apologies to the rest of the list. John * please forward this announcement within the Bay area * * and post to any appropriate internal aliases * Bay Area Computer History Perspectives "Ethernet 20th Birthday---Early History of the Ethernet" A panel discussion with David Boggs, Ron Crane, Robert Metcalfe, and John Shoch 5:30 PM, Tuesday, May 25 Stanford Room Sun Microsystems Bldg. 6 2750 Coast Ave. Mt. View May 22, 1973, was the birthday of the Ethernet. On that date, Bob Metcalfe used the word Ethernet in a memo to describe a project previously known as the Alto Aloha net. And Ethernet has been a major part of Local Area Networks ever since. In this panel discussion, four of the most influential individuals in the history of Ethernet will come together again, to look back at the situation and events of 20 years ago. Among other possible topics: - What were the initial goals? How did they change over time? - What were Ethernet's main competitors in 1973? Why didn't they succeed? - Why was the intial data transfer rate fixed at exactly 2.94 Mbit/sec? How did it eventually get set at 10 Mbit/sec? - How did Intel and DEC get involved? - How did Ethernet become a standard? Where there any compromises? - And a glimpse at the future of Ethernet today Topics such as these can suggest some of the value of learning from history. The lessons can be useful right now, today, and also in the future. After you take a look back into the past of the computer industry, you may look at your own work differently the very next day. Bay Area Computer History Perspectives is a series of programs organised by Peter Nurkse and Jeanie Treichel, of Sun Microsystems, to explore and record our local Bay area computer history. Programs are videotaped for the archives of The Computer Museum in Boston, which maintains collections on the history of the international computer industry. This program is open to the public and free of charge. Copies of the new ACM History of Electronic Computing poster, a full color timeline 5.5 feet long, will be available at the cost price of two dollars (cash only). After a summer break, the next program in this series will be on the ERMA project at Bank of America, on Sept. 28 (ERMA may have been the first major Bay area contribution to the history of computing). Suggestions for further programs are welcome, and can be faxed to Jeanie Treichel at 415/691-0756, or e-mailed to nurkse@eng.sun.com. If you are willing to appear on a panel, or can contact someone whom you suggest be included, that additional information would be very helpful. Directions to Sun Building 6 in Mt. View: take San Antonio Road North exit from highway 101 in Mt. View. Go a block past the traffic lights at the intersection, and then - turn right on Casey Ave. - go one block on Casey Ave., then turn right again on Marine Way - go one block on Marine Way, then turn left on Coast Ave. - go down to the end of Coast Ave., and Building 6 is on your right