Overprotective Parents

A map illustrating one of the first networks on the internet. The National Science Foundation invested public money to connect a handful of universities. They called their network NSFNET, and it launched in 1986.

In the 1980s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) knew the internet would be a thing. They saw an opportunity for scientists to share information faster.

If it worked, a scientist at Princeton could easily share cool new ideas with a scientist at the University of California, San Diego.

We could speed up innovation, which would be good for America. And the world. So the NSF decided to invest some public money to link really big computers at universities.

A network.

The first large network on “the internet” connected researchers at Princeton, The University of Illinois, Cornell, The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and The University of California, San Diego.

But there were rules. The NSF created an Acceptable Use Policy. It said universities could use the network, and so could the military. But definitely not “commercial” profit-seeking organizations.

In other words, .edu was cool. So was .mil. But no .coms allowed.

But private companies wanted in. They wanted to connect the rest of us. Not just scientists. And the National Science Foundation’s network was the only game in town. In the late 80s, there was no Comcast, Google Fiber, or Xfinity.

The private companies lobbied, but the NSF dug in their heels. No way they were letting the masses use their network to do bad stuff, like distribute spam and porn.

“Not as long as you’re living under my roof!” - NSF

It was a battle. And for a few years, the internet grew slowly. More scientists and researchers started using it. But no wide adoption.

By 1991, the NSF gave up and let the .coms in. And you know what, their concerns were well founded. The masses used their network to distribute spam and porn.

But something else happened too… the masses used their network to create private email addresses. And websites that taught people how to play the guitar and write software. They created The Hampster Dance. And then came eBay and Yahoo! And eventually, Google, Lyft, Airbnb, and Khan Academy.

You know the rest.

When we have something powerful. Or special. It’s reasonable to restrict access and protect it. To keep it out of the hands of bad guys. No one wants more biological weapons or nuclear bombs.

But sometimes the benefits of sharing access outweigh the risks.

We can wrap our kids with bubble wrap and make sure they never break a bone. We can forbid them from riding bikes down hills or playing in creeks. That may keep them out of the hospital, but at what cost?

There are still bad guys on the internet. But there are lots of good guys too. Good guys with a .com email address who make the world better.

The NSF’s Acceptable Use Policy was well-intentioned. They were trying to protect the masses from bad guys. But they were wrapping us in bubble wrap.

If the NSF never gave in, I may never have written this and shared it with you.

Or here’s a more compelling argument…

If the NSF never gave in, you may never have seen that 2007 video of Charlie biting his big brother’s finger.

And that would be tragic.