Getting to Know the Internet God: Jon Postel

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Jonathan Bruce Postel, more commonly known as Jon Postel, may sound unfamiliar to some individuals. However, it is noteworthy that this American figure has made significant contributions to the world of the internet. Eventually, he earned the epithet "The Internet God" due to his substantial contributions.

Perhaps some of us are still unfamiliar with this figure. Therefore, let us delve into a summary of his life journey.

Early Life and Education

Born on August 6, 1943, Postel grew up in Southern California. After completing his secondary education at Van Nuys High School, he continued his academic journey at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Jon Postel pursued a major in Computer Science and graduated in 1966. Two years later, he earned a master's degree, and in 1974, Postel obtained his Ph.D.

Joining a Major Project

Shortly after earning his doctoral degree in the course of his education, Jon Postel became involved in the early development project of the Internet known as ARPAnet. In this project, Postel also played a role as a Post-Graduate Research Engineer.

Contributions to Internet Protocols

Throughout his tenure in the ARPAnet project, Postel extensively studied and developed internet protocols and standards. Postel's focus was on the connectivity of data within the network (online).

Some Key Contributions of Jon Postel

As previously mentioned, Jon Postel focused on the development and management of internet protocols. These can be considered as the guiding principles that have played a crucial role in shaping the internet as we know it today. Here are some examples of his contributions:

Drafting Internet Protocols: Postel was one of the key architects of the fundamental protocols used in the internet, including the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). These protocols form the foundation for communication and data exchange across the entire internet.
Domain Addressing System: Jon Postel also played a crucial role in the development of the Domain Name System (DNS), which is used to associate numeric IP addresses with easily memorable domain names, such as www.example.com. DNS is an integral part of the internet we use every day. We no longer need to remember long strings of numbers to access online sites; instead, we simply use domain names.
RFC (Request for Comments): Postel was the first editor of RFC, a series of documents that define various standards, protocols, and concepts used in the internet. RFC has served as the foundation for the development and implementation of internet technologies.
Management of IANA: Jon Postel was the first manager of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). This role involved overseeing and managing the use and allocation of unique numbers and parameters in the internet, such as IP addresses and TCP/UDP port numbers. This responsibility granted him significant influence in ensuring the coordination and regulation of the internet.
Commitment to Internet Security: Postel consistently prioritized the security and stability of the internet.
Role in the Expansion of the Internet: Jon Postel played a significant role in ensuring that the internet grew and evolved in an open and decentralized manner, allowing all parties to access and contribute to this global network.

Postel’s Law

Jon Postel is also known for his unique thoughts and principles. One of them is the Robustness Principle, also known as Postel's Law.

Postel stated: "Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept." Another commonly used translation is: "Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept." This principle is also known as Postel's Law, named after Jon Postel who included this statement in the initial specifications for TCP.

By applying the above principle, programs that send messages to other machines (or to other programs on the same machine) should make every effort to adhere strictly to the specifications. On the other hand, programs that receive messages should still accept inputs that do not strictly conform to the specifications as long as the meaning is clear.

The Courage of Jon Postel

Not only recognized as a computer expert working behind the scenes, Jon Postel also possessed a spirit of advocating for humanitarian values and freedom of expression. His passion was evidenced by his courage to voice protests against the United States government.

The conflict between Jon Postel and the United States government regarding the internet occurred in 1998. This conflict originated from differences of opinion between Postel and the U.S. government regarding the management of the internet.

Postel was a computer scientist who played a crucial role in the development of the internet. He served as the Director of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), an organization responsible for managing IP addresses and internet domains.

The U.S. government has an interest in controlling the internet, primarily because it is a critical technology that can be utilized for military and national security purposes. The U.S. government is concerned that if the internet is not managed effectively, it could pose threats to national security.

In 1998, the U.S. government proposed placing IANA under the control of the U.S. government. Postel opposed this proposal, arguing that the internet should be managed independently by the internet community.

Postel argued that the internet is a globally-oriented technology and cannot be controlled by any single country alone. He also contended that independent management of the internet would ensure freedom and openness on the internet.

This conflict persisted for several months. Ultimately, the U.S. government decided to withdraw the proposal, largely due to pressure from the internet community that supported Postel.

It is important to note that this conflict was a significant moment in the history of the internet. It demonstrated that the internet community has the power to defend the freedom and openness of the internet, and Postel was a key figure in that movement.

Here are several points of disagreement between Postel and the U.S. government regarding the management of the internet:

Postel argued that the internet should be managed independently by the internet community, while the U.S. government contended that the internet should be under the control of the U.S. government.
Postel argued that the internet is a globally-oriented technology and cannot be controlled by any single country alone, while the U.S. government contended that the internet is a critical technology for military and national security purposes.
Postel argued that independent management of the internet would ensure freedom and openness, while the U.S. government was concerned that independent management could pose threats to national security.

This conflict was ultimately resolved peacefully. The U.S. government withdrew its proposal, and the internet continued to be managed independently by the internet community.

Interesting Events During the Conflict

On a day in January 1998, Jon Postel sent an email to eight out of the 12 organizations that managed the entire internet address book (DNS). He instructed them to reconfigure their computer servers so that they would obtain addresses not from the government-supported operation in Herndon, Virginia, but from the machines in the computing facility he helped manage at the University of Southern California. And they did so!

According to news reports at that time, Postel made these changes without obtaining approval from anyone. Some described it as a mere "experiment" intended to demonstrate that the internet directory infrastructure could be positioned as needed. However, others argued that Postel was sending a message — that he was trying to show the White House that they could not control the internet from the community of researchers who had built and maintained the network for three decades prior. The White House was just days away from announcing plans to reorganize the way the internet directory system was governed.

The Passing of Jon Postel

On Sunday, October 16, 1998, after years of quietly contributing to the development of the internet, enduring multiple heart surgeries, and resolving his disputes with the United States government, Jonathan Bruce Postel finally drew his last breath.

Postel passed away at the age of 55, a relatively young age. However, in his relatively short lifespan, Postel made significant contributions to the development of the Internet, shaping it into what we can enjoy today—a more decentralized internet, accessible to everyone.

A month later, following Postel's passing, some of his staunch supporters symbolically launched paper airplanes into the air as a final gesture of gratitude and homage to the Internet God.

As a closing to this legendary true story, I include one of the iconic quotes from Jon Postel:

"Of course, there is no such thing as the Internet God. The internet exists because many people are willing to collaborate to develop it."