Vinton Cerf: I refuse to take responsibility for those who abuse my beautiful internet'

"Well, it wasn't a discovery: it was an invention. Q. Given how it has developed, it certainly made history. A. I have the privilege of having been [involved] from the beginning. That is to say, I experienced everything, including the initial period in the early 1960s, when packet switching was first conceived [a method that divides data into small fragments to send them independently along the most efficient route. Upon reaching the final node, they're reassembled to form the complete message]. I've had the privilege of living through that ent"

"Vinton Cerf is the most elegant man in the office. He wears an impeccable three-piece wool suit and proudly displays gold cufflinks, which depict the solar system. At 82, he looks like a character from one of Amor Towles' novels: a gentleman with distinguished style. With his lively eyes and neatly trimmed white beard, no one would guess that he's one of the most important computer scientists in contemporary history."

"Cerf was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1943. Along with Robert Kahn, Lawrence Roberts, and Tim Berners-Lee, he's one of the fathers of the Internet the global network of interconnected devices that allows data to be transmitted, in order to share information and services worldwide. His creation the foundational networking protocols, which have just turned 50 has changed society, the way in which we communicate and interact, and even how we think."

"He receives EL PAIS in his office at Google's facilities in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington. He has worked there for two decades, acting as the chief internet evangelist. The office isn't very big, but considering that the tech giant's layout is mostly open-concept, the fact that he has his own space is already a mark of distinction."

Vinton Cerf, born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1943, is recognized as one of the key figures behind the Internet. Along with Robert Kahn, Lawrence Roberts, and Tim Berners-Lee, he is credited with foundational networking protocols that enable interconnected devices to transmit data and share information worldwide. His work has influenced how people communicate, interact, and think. For decades, he has focused on improving the network used by billions. He works at Google’s facilities in Reston, Virginia, where he serves as chief internet evangelist. He emphasizes that the Internet was an invention rather than a discovery, and he describes experiencing early packet switching concepts in the early 1960s.

Read at english.elpais.com