RFC1300

Network Working Group S. Greenfield Request for Comments: 1300 Ziff-Davis

                                                       February 1992

                  Remembrances of Things Past

Status of this Memo

This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does not specify an Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Discussion

            When Shannon was a river
               and Turing was a car
            When Banyan was a tree
               and buses travelled far

            dBase was where you ran to
               after you hit the ball
            Often we were ANSI
               RISC aversive not at all

            Windows were for looking out of
               in a Tandem, two could take a spin
            Bridges were for crossing
               a frame was to keep pictures in

            A semi-conductor was a maestro
               not in the big time yet
            A port you sought in a storm
               fishermen used a net

            Woody Guthrie sang of "My LAN"
               WAN was a despairing mood
            LATAs were for high places
               menus featured food

            If a cursor used four letter words
               a sensor cut them out
            The sight of a mouse in an office
               was sure to raise a shout

            Haloid perfected photocopying
               and thereby made a hoard
            Then came Japanese competition
               and its "ox" was gored

            Frequency was measured in cycles
               Hertz referred to multiple pain
            Modem was a harvesting command
               for bringing in the grain

            Modelling was at fashion shows
               bauds were ladies of the night
            Prompting was helping actors
               contesting for resources, a fight

            Walking and chewing gum concurrently
               requires considerable skill
            We called it multi-tasking
               and by gosh we always will

            We had no electronic calculators
               just slide rules by Keuffel & Esser
            I am still a true believer
               Keufel & Esser war besser

            Chips were used for gambling
               von Neuman was a pup
            Monte Carlo a place to visit
               squaring the circle ... well, we gave up

            A Sprint was less than 880
               a relay was a team
            Greene was just a color
               breaking up AT&T a dream

            Coherent was applied to speech
               not a spectral line excited
            Multi-media meant prose and song
               and Noel Coward was knighted

            Cerf was found at the beach
               a Rose was a Rose was a Rose
            Jobs were to look for
               and Gates were to close

            "2B" was an elementary school class
               and "D" a failing grade
            A router was a tool
               a server was a maid

            Lotus was a flower
               adobe was a brick
            Postscript was an afterthought
               joy a popsicle stick

            We called a plotter a CAD
               a token ring a sham
            A buffer was for buffing
               a male goat was a ram

            The best noise supressor was ... ssh
               we knew little of egos and ids
            For archival storage and encryption
               we looked to the pyramids

            Now in accordance with Greenfield's Law
               in voice both loud and clear
            Here's to exponential growth in memory
               & operating speed next year.

                                    --srg

Security Considerations

Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Author's Address

Stanley R. Greenfield Ziff-Davis One Park Avenue New York, NY 10016

EMail: [email protected]