The Internet has become important on the world's stage.

The initial organisation, we called ourselves the Network Working Group, consisted of 6 to 10 people. We then quickly grew to 30 people and then to 50 people.

E-mail also changed things in that you don't have to write a full document to discuss something. You can just send an e-mail to a list.

We are having Internet Governance discussions and meetings and a very large number of people are discussing the future of the Internet who have no clue as to what the Internet is except that it is important and that they have to be involved.

The Internet has become important on the world's stage.

Seriously, we are in the midst of the convergence of voice and data and that is challenging the infrastructure of the telephone companies. There are huge commercial interests in the basic technology, but even more so in content delivery and control of content.

An elegantly organized tour of the Internet, both fun and informative, a rare combination!