[ih] Ken Olsen's impact on the Internet

[galmes at tamu.edu (Guy Almes)]

   I just read the NYT obituary on Ken Olsen.
   I know very little about Olsen's life, but his (and Digital's) 
particular style of computer building had several impacts on the Internet.
   One is the prevalence of PDP-10s as hosts on the ARPAnet.  If memory 
serves, DEC used to run an advertisement on the back cover of the CACM, 
and on one, they bragged about DEC computers showing up so much as 
ARPAnet hosts.  At least the ad writer seemed to understand the 
significance of this, using cartoon techniques to suggest the 
idea-sharing and collaborations that were happening because of this.
   Another, more mixed, is DEC's lukewarm support for the IP-based 
Internet, preferring the proprietary DECnet product line.  While, 
technically, the DECnet work deserves much praise, the business dynamics 
of pushing DECnet in preference to the Internet are illustrative of 
blindspots that led to Digital's demise.

   I'd be interested in comments from others on the list,
	-- Guy