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







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RFC 1300              Remembrances of Things Past          February 1992


               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





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RFC 1300              Remembrances of Things Past          February 1992


               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









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RFC 1300              Remembrances of Things Past          February 1992


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]







































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