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Did Al Gore really invent the Internet?

asked in History, internet, America

Answers

whiskeygirl answers:

No, and in all honesty, he didn't claim to have invented the internet himself - the quote from his interview with Wolf Blitzer in 1999 was that he "took the initiative in creating the internet" - which is partially true. A synopsis from his 2000 bio gives more detail about how he co-sponsored a great deal of the legislation that provided funding for the original military intranet system developments that eventually evolved into the world wide web.

"In 1989, Gore introduced the National High-Performance Computer Technology Act, a five-year, $1.7 billion program to expand the capacity of the information highway to connect government, industry, and academic institutions. Signed by President [George H. W.] Bush in 1991, the bill supported research and development for an improved national computer system, and assisted colleges and libraries in connecting to the new network. While Gore is not, as he suggested in 1999, the father of the Internet, he can credibly claim credit as the wealthy uncle who stepped up to provide funds at an important moment."

The bio in question can be seen here: http://www.issues2000.org/Inventing_Gore_Technology.htm


3 years ago / reply

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