33 champions make inaugural Internet Hall of Fame

Prof. Leonard sending first message.

These comprise of Paul Baran, Vint Cerf, Danny Cohen, Steve Crocker, Donald Davies, Elizabeth Feinler, Charles Herzfeld, Robert Kahn, Peter Kirstein, Leonard Kleinrock, John Klensin, Jon Postel, Louis Pouzin, and Lawrence Roberts. 

A total of 33 Internet champions made the inaugural Internet Hall of Fame organized by the Internet Society (ISOC) at the 2012 Global INET conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The event made up of Internet pioneers and luminaries from around the world marked the Internet Society’s 20th anniversary, and attend an awards gala to honour the 2012 inductees categorized into three, namely pioneers circle, innovators and global connectors.

The pioneers circle has 14 awardees, the innovators were 10 and global connectors were nine.

For the Pioneers Circle, those recognized, according to the president and chief executive officer, Internet Society, Lynn St.Amour include individuals who were instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet.

While for the early innovators who were recognized for their outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances, which assisted in the expansion of the Internet’s reach; namely Mitchell Baker, Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau, Van Jacobson, Lawrence Landweber, Paul Mockapetris, Craig Newmark, Raymond Tomlinson, Linus Torvalds, and Philip Zimmermann.

Equally, the Global Connectors, ISOC said were those individuals from around the world who made significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet including Mr. Randy Bush who coordinated Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name .ng at the global end.

Also among the awardees in the Global Connectors were Mr. Kilnam Chon, Al Gore, Nancy Hafkin, Geoff Huston, Brewster Kahle, Daniel Karrenberg, Toru Takahashi, and Tan Tin Wee.

St. Amour described the 2012 Internet Hall of Fame inductees as “historic assembly of Internet visionaries, innovators, and leaders represents an extraordinary breadth of vision and work.”

ISOC president also said that while the inductees have extremely diverse backgrounds and represent many different countries, each individual has an incredible passion for their work.

“We all benefit from their outstanding contributions to a global Internet, making it one of the greatest catalysts of economic and societal development of all time,” St. Amour said.

Chairman, Internet Society’s Board of Trustees, Raúl Echeberría said the Internet has connected more than two billion people around the world as of today, and is the result of many important contributions from creative and visionary individuals over the past several decades.

The 2012 Internet Hall of Fame, Echeberria said, celebrates the accomplishments and advancements of 33 talented people who have made significant contributions to the design, development, and expansion of the Internet.

ITRealms Online gathered that to further eulogise these individuals, ISOC has launched a website at www.internethalloffame.org that will showcase the inductees and their contributions on an ongoing basis.

Remmy Nweke
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