Linux and growth of Internet

[Brad Parker]

Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
...
>concede that my original comment was perhaps a bit too strong, but I am
>convinced that the whole movement that developed from the seed of Linux
>propelled adoption of the Internet that before was primarily a tool of
>universities and research institutes and some large corporations.

I don't really want to continue this thread, but I think you are mistaken.

The earlier comment by Steven Jones was more accurate, IMHO.  Lots of
small ISP's opened up and offered POP and shell accounts.  Lots of folks
at home using mac's and pc's dialed in using PPP.  This was the start of
the swell.  Microsoft started paying attention because several companies
were making a lot of money selling tcp/ip stacks.  I remember when they
started showing up at IETF meetings.

Linux was around but it was not the driver or the grease.  If anything
it was people like UUNet and the hoard of small 56k, T1 and frame relay
box makers.  Heck, for that matter I'd give serious credit to AOL also.

-brad