'Rough Consensus and Running Code' and the Internet-OSI Standards War
Abstract
Internet historians recognize the technical achievements but often overlook the bureaucratic innovations of Internet pioneers. The phrase, "We reject: kings, presidents, and voting. We believe in: rough consensus and running code," was coined by David Clark in 1992. This article explains how the phrase captured the technical and political values of Internet engineers during a crucial phase in the Internet's growth.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
- Pub Date:
- 2006
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2006IAHC...28c..48R
- Keywords:
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- Internet;
- Code standards;
- IP networks;
- TCPIP;
- Access protocols;
- Voting;
- ISO standards;
- Standards publication;
- Computer architecture;
- Satellite broadcasting;
- organizations;
- Internet standards;
- history of computing