RFC 2468 (rfc2468) - Page 1 of 4

I REMEMBER IANA

Network Working Group                                          V. Cerf
Request for Comments: 2468                                         MCI
Category: Informational                                   October 1998


                            I REMEMBER IANA

                            October 17, 1998


Status of this Memo

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

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998).  All Rights Reserved.

Remembrance

   A long time ago, in a network, far far away, a great adventure took
   place!

   Out of the chaos of new ideas for communication, the experiments, the
   tentative designs, and crucible of testing, there emerged a
   cornucopia of networks.  Beginning with the ARPANET, an endless
   stream of networks evolved, and ultimately were interlinked to become
   the Internet.  Someone had to keep track of all the protocols, the
   identifiers, networks and addresses and ultimately the names of all
   the things in the networked universe.  And someone had to keep track
   of all the information that erupted with volcanic force from the
   intensity of the debates and discussions and endless invention that
   has continued unabated for 30 years.  That someone was Jonathan B.
   Postel, our Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, friend, engineer,
   confidant, leader, icon, and now, first of the giants to depart from
   our midst.

   Jon, our beloved IANA, is gone.  Even as I write these words I cannot
   quite grasp this stark fact.  We had almost lost him once before in
   1991.  Surely we knew he was at risk as are we all.  But he had been
   our rock, the foundation on which our every web search and email was
   built, always there to mediate the random dispute, to remind us when
   our documentation did not do justice to its subject, to make
   difficult decisions with apparent ease, and to consult when careful
   consideration was needed.  We will survive our loss and we will
   remember.  He has left a monumental legacy for all Internauts to



Cerf                         Informational