Architects of Modern Communication - Internet/Email/Digital Camera Creators
Why is it that for three
of the most revolutionary communication tools in today’s society, most people
have no idea who invented them? First of all, I discovered who
invented all three of these communication tools on a show called The Henry Ford Innovation Nation that comes
on early Saturday morning on CBS hosted by Mo Rocca. These
inventions have become such an integral part of our everyday existence that you
would think we would have no problem naming who invented them. Just
like we can easily associate Steve Jobs with Apple, Bill Gates with Microsoft
and Jeff Bezos with Amazon. However the average person, could not
begin to tell you who invented the internet, email and the digital
camera. We just acknowledge that they just came into existence and
role with that. Hmmm!
First of all the internet was thought of by J.
C. R. Licklider who is largely responsible for the
theoretical basis of the Internet, an “Intergalactic Computer Network.” His
idea was to create a network where many different computer systems would be
interconnected to one another to quickly exchange data, rather than have
individual systems setup, each one connecting to some other individual
system. He thought up the idea after having to deal with three
separate systems connecting to computers in Santa Monica, the University of
California, Berkeley, and a system at MIT. The platform mentioned
by Licklider, ARPANET was based on these ideas and was the principle
precursor to the Internet as we think of it today. It was installed and
operated for the first time in 1969 with four nodes, which were located at the
University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of California at Los
Angeles, SRI at Stanford University, and the University of
Utah. Henceforth, the next time you hop on the Information Highway,
give thanks to Mr. Licklider for his innovative thinking which led to what we
now use.
Email came about
because in 1978, a 14-year-old named V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai developed a
computer program, which replicated the features of the interoffice,
inter-organizational paper mail system. He named his program “EMAIL”. In the
summer of 1978, Shiva had been recruited for programming assignments at the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark, New
Jersey. One of his supervisors recognized his abilities and challenged him to
translate the conventional paper-based interoffice and inter-organizational
communication system (i.e., paper-based mail and memoranda) to an electronic
communication system. So thanks to the desire of a 14 year old to replicate a
general office system through the computer we now have email. Who da
thunk!
The Digital Camera
was created by Steve Sasson from parts from other cameras. The device had
parts that were taken from other cameras as the body and other Kodak pieces
used for the rest. The whole device weighed over 8 pounds and was as large as a
toaster of the time. The device was nowhere as quick or compact as modern
digital cameras or camera phones.
The protocol digital camera took 23 seconds to take a photograph and only
produced images that were a tenth of a modern pixel. It then took 23 seconds
for the image to process on to a cassette tape.
These innovators should
be acknowledge more for their contributions to some of modern societies most
used conveniences that have shaped how we communicate on a regular
basis. However, they go largely unrecognized. So the next
time you hop on the information highway to send an email or perhaps Instagram a
photo, give thanks to these unknown pioneers, I know I will.
The Female Perspective
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