One can hardly imagine the feeling I had when the email came in end of April, “Internet Hall of Fame, congratulations.” And reaching somebody who is five years retired, nearly forgotten, with project works thirty years ago… In the profile, I read that I was entitled “partisan.” And I really admit I became partisan shortly after the first email came in, exactly on today’s date, August 3rd, 1984 because of the fact that the prolongation of our project was denied. Because universities were looked as to be not the right place to deliver network services or provide network services. But in reality I think they foresaw that I would very soon organize an opposition against a strict [?] policy. What actually happened. So from a partisan thirty years ago to an inductee in the Internet Hall of Fame. What a change.
For me it is a fairy tale quite similar to that of the ugly duckling. Perhaps you know. And from the ugly duckling we can learn if you are in such a miserable situation what to do. And what did the little ugly duckling [do]? It went into the world and look for birds of the same feather. And I found my first boss in Larry Landweber’s workshop, as a few of you as well, and later in the Internet Society. Without their help I would not stand here. So it was, for example, Dave Farber’s software we used. It was Stephen Wolff who gave the okay to our China connection. And its was Steven Goldstein who gave okay to the connection to the NSFNET. So I want to thank you all, including my former staff, who might watch this ceremony today or even later. Thank you.
Further Reference
Werner Zorn profile, Internet Hall of Fame 2013