Jake Feinler: She Named the Internet's First Streets
Jake Feinler: She Named the Internet's First Streets
Before browsers existed, one woman kept the internet's address book by hand and helped invent the names we still type every day.
There was once a librarian who loved the order of things.
There was once a librarian who loved the order of things.
She believed that every piece of information deserved a proper home and a clear label.
She believed that every piece of information deserved a proper home and a clear label.
Her name was Elizabeth Feinler, but everyone called her Jake.
Her name was Elizabeth Feinler, but everyone called her Jake.
One day, a new kind of network arrived.
One day, a new kind of network arrived.
It was called ARPANET, and it connected computers at universities and research labs across the country.
It was called ARPANET, and it connected computers at universities and research labs across the country.
Nobody could agree on how to find anything on it.
Nobody could agree on how to find anything on it.
Jake stepped in.
Jake stepped in.
She ran the Network Information Center.
She ran the Network Information Center.
Her team kept a master list of every computer on the network.
Her team kept a master list of every computer on the network.
It was called the host table.
It was called the host table.
If your name was not in Jake's table, the network did not know you existed.
If your name was not in Jake's table, the network did not know you existed.
Researchers called Jake's office when they were lost.
Researchers called Jake's office when they were lost.
Students called when connections failed.
Students called when connections failed.
She and her small team answered every question and fixed every mix-up by hand.
She and her small team answered every question and fixed every mix-up by hand.
Then the network began to grow faster than any table could track.
Then the network began to grow faster than any table could track.
Jake's team helped design a better system.
Jake's team helped design a better system.
They proposed dividing names into groups.
They proposed dividing names into groups.
Some would end in .com for companies.
Some would end in .com for companies.
Some in .org for organizations.
Some in .org for organizations.
Some in .edu for schools.
Some in .edu for schools.
Those three letters changed everything.
Those three letters changed everything.
They became the skeleton of the modern internet.
They became the skeleton of the modern internet.
Jake eventually retired.
Jake eventually retired.
The web exploded.
The web exploded.
Domain names sold for millions.
Domain names sold for millions.
Business empires rose on addresses that ended in .com.
Business empires rose on addresses that ended in .com.
Most people never thought about where those letters came from.
Most people never thought about where those letters came from.
But somewhere in an old notebook, there were pages covered in careful handwriting, and a woman named Jake who once kept the whole internet in a binder.
But somewhere in an old notebook, there were pages covered in careful handwriting, and a woman named Jake who once kept the whole internet in a binder.
Moral: The person who names things shapes the world, even if the world forgets the name-giver.
Moral: The person who names things shapes the world, even if the world forgets the name-giver.