Of Soap and The Internet (1)
In 1989, Danny Cohen, a contributor in building the Internet, said in a speech, "In the beginning ARPA created the ARPANET. And the ARPANET was without form and void. And darkness was upon the deep. And the spirit of ARPA moved upon the face of the network. And ARPA said, 'let there be a protocol' and there was a protocol. And ARPA saw that it was good. And ARPA said, 'let there be more networks,' and it was."**
ARPA or Advance Research Profect Agency was formed by President Dwight Einseinhower in 1958 during the United States national crisis following the launching of the "Sputnik" satellite by the Soviet Union in October 1957. It was conceived by Einsenhower's Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy. McElroy gave birth to American soap opera to sell soap on radio and tivi when he was a promotion manager at P&G; he was known to have said, "The problem of improving literary taste is one for the schools. Soap operas sell lots of soap." The ARPA was directed by the Secretary of Defense to prevent competion among the branches of the military for programs and budgets in Research & Development (R & D).
Ray Johnson, ARPA's first director left an annual $160,000 job with General Electric to head ARPA for $18,000. He defined ARPA's mission as, "outlining such space projects as global surveilance satellites, space defense interception vehicles, strategic orbital weapon systems, stationary communication satellites, manned space station, and a moon base."**
However, in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was enacted into law and ARPA's mission was changed. It mainly concerned with technical research and attracted "hard-charging R & D" scientists, mostly from universities and research laboratories. These scientists aimed to turn ARPA into a community of the best technical scientist minds in America. And the enthusiasm was heightened with President John F Kenedy proclaiming that Science (is) The New Frontier.
The relationship between the military and computer establishments began with the modern computer industry itself. During World War II the military funded for development of faster calculating machine. The Navy funded Howard Aiken to build the Mark I, a 51-ft long, 8-ft tall switchboard. The Army funded the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator". The first rays of the dawn in computers as a common commodity for ordinary citizens were the first minicomputer that interact directly with the user and the concept of time-sharing.
(**"Where Wizards Stay Up Late-The Origins of the Internet"
Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon)
