| Event Review - The Internet Birthday Party |
Posted: 31-Oct-06
That really was an event with a difference! The 37th birthday of electronic messaging was celebrated this morning at The Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch. Delegates had the opportunity to tour the bunker as far as reaching coffee and the 'conference' room. Afterwards they continued up through the bunker to the lunch, birthday cake and party bags!
So why were they there? To hear the TRUE story of the development of the Internet from researcher and historian, Dr Andreu Vea from Stanford University, California.
Reinforcing this most amazing story about the development of the largest network of people ever created we were delighted to welcome Dr Peter Kirstein - chief pioneer in the UK and Peter Wilkinson, another UK pioneer was able to join us.
So, internationally recognised top experts and researchers packed into a room with over 84 interested people all 100 feet under the ground in the Secret Nuclear Bunker! The Internet is always written to have been a military invention and the Bunker built as a government communication centre for use during the Cold War was therefore in keeping..... Or was it?
Andreu Vea carefully informed us that this history has been admitted to be myth! The Arpanet (mother of the Internet) was an academic development and was not designed for military use nor has been used as such! He also plotted the real history complete with pictures of many of the main pioneers. The project that Andreu is involved in is detailed at http://wiwiw.org/
Graeme Badenoch from HP told us about developments in wireless technologies and demonstrated the developments in the 3G technology since it's development.
This was followed by our Q&A Forum with all the presenters, chaired by Peter Banks who ended the event with a brief summary drawing on the irony that in an internet enabled society we seek to reduce paper, and yet the first diagram of the Internet was on a white paper napkin!
The Bunker did us proud and was a superbly interesting place to hold this event. Thanks go to them, 3C Technology and HP who made this event possible, our speakers, our camera man Tony Bramley of Storm Photography, our lads and lasses who helped out and last of all to the weather that kept the rain off so the path was not muddy!
Thanks to all those who have sent us messages after the event. Here are a sample:
From Peter Wilkinson - Internet Pioneer:
'Just to say thanks for your hospitality and organising today's event, it was both interesting and enjoyable. It was good to see Peter Kirstein again and to hear his remarks and of course Andreu's talk, which I thought gave a very good overview of Internet history and people. The venue was fascinating - and very spooky (in both senses)!
Also many thanks for making it possible for Andreu to visit the UK and to interview Donald Davies' NPL Network team (Derek Barber, Keith Bartlett, Roger Scantlebury and myself). I suppose Andreu would have had to come over at some point, but who knows when? - it had begun to seem to me that we were in danger of becoming the "forgotten men" of the early days of the Internet!!'
Mike Kendall - Mid Essex Enterprise Agency
'A really memorable day, thanks to you and all concerned.'
Nigel Morgans - ABC Computer Services
'Thank you for a well organised day yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyed it for being in an underground nuclear bunker for all the wrong reasons. I look forward to more unusual future events.'
Gloria Hicks - Metro Eyewear
'I felt I had to drop you a line to thank you for yesterday's internet birthday party. The location was brilliant and the speakers were excellent, especially Andreu Vea who was captivating.
You certainly put a lot of hard work into getting it organised.
This is the third event I have been to that you have held and each one I have found very useful and informative.
Thank you to you and all your team!'
Mikail Mokuena - Highlands Corporate Solutions Ltd
'I was so much impressed beyond my expectations. This was my first attendance to any of your events being a new member. I left the event with a wealth of wisdom and a belief in a brighter business future, in perspective of the spirit of networking and mutual support I'd experienced with all those I had a moment to talk to. I shall certainly be looking forward to your next event, time and all circumstances permitting.'
Val Rozga - Business Adviser COLBEA
'Your birthday celebration event was a real triumph!
Really interesting presentations - what a coup to get such hi-profile speakers!'
Katrina Longmuir-Davis
'I must take this opportunity to thank you and your team for the fabulous Birthday Party yesterday at the Secret Bunker. The venue, which told a lot about the history of communication in times of great threat, was just the right venue to celebrate the Internet which has made communication so much easier for us today. The tour was wonderful, and then the speeches second to none, followed by lunch which was first class. All in all a day to remember.'
View the slide show on Google at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5334266161684098500&q=ebusiness&hl=en or search for 'ebusiness' in Google Videos.
NB. To improve the quality of the video, look for the down arrow at the right hand corner of the video screen. Click on the arrow and choose 'Original size'.
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