Hard Lesson Ahead
        After reading the essay authored by two of the most
          knowledgeable people on the subject of the Internet,
          consider the questions: If ability, foresight and
          dedication evident in Al Gore's effort on our behalf
          are rewarded with ridicule instead of recognition, what
          interest in virtue can we claim? What might be the
         consequences of our having formed our opinions based on
          the distortions of radio talk show hosts and entertainers?
            [Links to source and biographies]

28 September 2000
Al Gore and the Internet
By Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf
Al Gore was the first political leader to recognize the
importance of the Internet and to promote and support
its development.
No one person or even small group of persons exclusively
"invented" the Internet. It is the result of many years of
ongoing collaboration among people in government and
the university community. But as the two people who
designed the basic architecture and the core protocols that
make the Internet work, we would like to acknowledge VP
Gore's contributions as a Congressman, Senator and as
Vice President. No other elected official, to our knowledge,
has made a greater contribution over a longer period of
time.
Last year the Vice President made a straightforward
statement on his role. He said: "During my service in the
United States Congress I took the initiative in creating the
Internet." We don't think, as some people have argued, that
Gore intended to claim he "invented" the Internet. Moreover,
there is no question in our minds that while serving as Senator,
Gore's initiatives had a significant and beneficial effect on the
still-evolving Internet. The fact of the matter is that Gore was
talking about and promoting the Internet long before most
people were listening. We feel it is timely to offer our
perspective.
As far back as the 1970s Congressman Gore promoted the
idea of high speed telecommunications as an engine for both
economic growth and the improvement of our educational
system. He was the first elected official to grasp the potential
of computer communications to have a broader impact than
just improving the conduct of science and scholarship. Though
easily forgotten now, at the time this was an unproven and
controversial concept. Our work on the Internet started in
1973 and was based on even earlier work that took place in
the mid-late 1960s. But the Internet, as we know it today, was
not deployed until 1983. When the Internet was still in the early
stages of its deployment, Congressman Gore provided
intellectual leadership by helping create the vision of the
potential benefits of high speed computing and communication.
As an example, he sponsored hearings on how advanced
technologies might be put to use in areas like coordinating
the response of government agencies to natural disasters and
other crises.
As a Senator in the 1980s Gore urged government agencies to
consolidate what at the time were several dozen different and
unconnected networks into an "Interagency Network."
Working in a bi-partisan manner with officials in Ronald
Reagan and George Bush's administrations, Gore secured the
passage of the High Performance Computing and
Communications Act in 1991. This "Gore Act" supported the
National Research and Education Network (NREN) initiative
that became one of the major vehicles for the spread of the
Internet beyond the field of computer science.
As Vice President Gore promoted building the Internet both
up and out, as well as releasing the Internet from the control
of the government agencies that spawned it. He served as the
major administration proponent for continued investment in
advanced computing and networking and private sector
initiatives such as Net Day. He was and is a strong proponent
of extending access to the network to schools and libraries.
Today, approximately 95% of our nation's schools are on the
Internet. Gore provided much-needed political support for
the speedy privatization of the Internet when the time arrived
for it to become a commercially-driven operation.
There are many factors that have contributed to the Internet's
rapid growth since the later 1980s, not the least of which has
been political support for its privatization and continued
support for research in advanced networking technology.
No one in public life has been more intellectually engaged
in helping to create the climate for a thriving Internet than
the Vice President. Gore has been a clear champion of this
effort, both in the councils of government and with the public
at large.
The Vice President deserves credit for his early recognition of
the value of high speed computing and communication and
for his long-term and consistent articulation of the potential
value of the Internet to American citizens and industry and,
indeed, to the rest of the world.

To register thanks for Al Gore's foresight and effort click here.
source of misquote
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/13640.html
Robert E. KahnICANN | Biographical Data on Vinton G. Cerf
IEEE Awards Alexander Graham Bell Medal to Vinton Cerf, Robert Kahn
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