We all know Al Gore is liar..

[bornl33t]

...but this british judge finally spells it out for us.

[Warwitch]

What do you expect from a guy that claimed to invent the internet?

Friggin' Michael Moore wannabe. (and who the hell would want to be Michael Moore?)

[robnix]

What do you expect from a guy that claimed to invent the internet?

Friggin' Michael Moore wannabe. (and who the hell would want to be Michael Moore?)

I despise Al Gore, but the "Inventing the Internet" thing has been taken WAY out of context. He actually said:

"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."

Did he have any influence? Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn seem to think so:

http://web.archive.org/web/20011224215207/www.cluebot.com/articles/00/09/29/0711253.shtml

Al Gore and the Internet
By Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf

Al Gore was the first political leader to recognize the importance of the Internet and to promote and support its development.

No one person or even small group of persons exclusively �invented� the Internet. It is the result of many years of ongoing collaboration among people in government and the university community. But as the two people who designed the basic architecture and the core protocols that make the Internet work, we would like to acknowledge VP Gore�s contributions as a Congressman, Senator and as Vice President. No other elected official, to our knowledge, has made a greater contribution over a longer period of time.

Last year the Vice President made a straightforward statement on his role. He said: �During my service in the United States Congress I took the initiative in creating the Internet.� We don�t think, as some people have argued, that Gore intended to claim he �invented� the Internet. Moreover, there is no question in our minds that while serving as Senator, Gore�s initiatives had a significant and beneficial effect on the still-evolving Internet. The fact of the matter is that Gore was talking about and promoting the Internet long before most people were listening. We feel it is timely to offer our perspective.

As far back as the 1970s Congressman Gore promoted the idea of high speed telecommunications as an engine for both economic growth and the improvement of our educational system. He was the first elected official to grasp the potential of computer communications to have a broader impact than just improving the conduct of science and scholarship. Though easily forgotten, now, at the time this was an unproven and controversial concept. Our work on the Internet started in 1973 and was based on even earlier work that took place in the mid-late 1960s. But the Internet, as we know it today, was not deployed until 1983. When the Internet was still in the early stages of its deployment, Congressman Gore provided intellectual leadership by helping create the vision of the potential benefits of high speed computing and communication. As an example, he sponsored hearings on how advanced technologies might be put to use in areas like coordinating the response of government agencies to natural disasters and other crises.

As a Senator in the 1980s Gore urged government agencies to consolidate what at the time were several dozen different and unconnected networks into an �Interagency Network.� Working in a bi-partisan manner with officials in Ronald Reagan and George Bush�s administrations, Gore secured the passage of the High Performance Computing and Communications Act in 1991. This �Gore Act� supported the National Research and Education Network (NREN) initiative that became one of the major vehicles for the spread of the Internet beyond the field of computer science.

As Vice President Gore promoted building the Internet both up and out, as well as releasing the Internet from the control of the government agencies that spawned it. He served as the major administration proponent for continued investment in advanced computing and networking and private sector initiatives such as Net Day. He was and is a strong proponent of extending access to the network to schools and libraries. Today, approximately 95% of our nation�s schools are on the Internet. Gore provided much-needed political support for the speedy privatization of the Internet when the time arrived for it to become a commercially-driven operation.

There are many factors that have contributed to the Internet�s rapid growth since the later 1980s, not the least of which has been political support for its privatization and continued support for research in advanced networking technology. No one in public life has been more intellectually engaged in helping to create the climate for a thriving Internet than the Vice President. Gore has been a clear champion of this effort, both in the councils of government and with the public at large.

The Vice President deserves credit for his early recognition of the value of high speed computing and communication and for his long-term and consistent articulation of the potential value of the Internet to American citizens and industry and, indeed, to the rest of the world.

Gore's 1994 speech on the internet:

http://artcontext.com/calendar/1997/superhig.html

Hate him for his politics, his global warming fear mongering, whatever else you want, but Gore was a key player in making the internet a public resource.

Reposted from a post of mine on another forum.

[maxama10]

I was under the impression that Sir Tim Berners Lee was the "creator" of the internet, more or less.

[Warwitch]

I thought Billy Gardner invented the internets?

[robnix]

I thought Billy Gardner invented the internets?

He just patented it.

[Warwitch]

He just patented it.

Does that mean Al pays him royalties?

He must have read George Lucas' book " No, I thought of that already."

[robnix]

I was under the impression that Sir Tim Berners Lee was the "creator" of the internet, more or less.

Cerf and Kahn were behind TCP/IP, which is what really allowed disparate networks to communicate. Tim Berners Lee's contribution was viewing html over tcp.

[Anjin3515]

Not that Al Gore is qualified....but how is a British judge qualified to say what is right or wrong science? When judges tell us what is correct or incorrect in science......I think that is scary. It hearkens back to a time when the Catholic church threw Galileo in prison.

[Mind'sEye]

Not that Al Gore is qualified....but how is a British judge qualified to say what is right or wrong science? When judges tell us what is correct or incorrect in science......I think that is scary. It hearkens back to a time when the Catholic church threw Galileo in prison.

The judge is probably more used to examining both sides of an issue than are the administrators and teachers in the British public school system. He's seems to be attempting to keep education fair and balanced, but it's going to be a losing battle ^.

[warbeak2099]

Not that Al Gore is qualified....but how is a British judge qualified to say what is right or wrong science? When judges tell us what is correct or incorrect in science......I think that is scary. It hearkens back to a time when the Catholic church threw Galileo in prison.

The judge in most court systems relies on testimony from experts. In this case, I think the only "scientists" that agree with Al Gore are those who have already lost credibility with everyone else in the scientific community.

[Anjin3515]

You don't find even a little disturbing that a judge is dictating what is or is not to be considered science?

I don't care what scientific question is...evolution, global warming, quarks, black holes, string theory ...I personally find it scary when a judge decides these things. IMHO...its up to the scientists to hammer it out.

[warbeak2099]

You don't find even a little disturbing that a judge is dictating what is or is not to be considered science?

I don't care what scientific question is...evolution, global warming, quarks, black holes, string theory ...I personally find it scary when a judge decides these things. IMHO...its up to the scientists to hammer it out.

And since all legitimate scientific evidence from the scientific community points to Al Gore's theories being incorrect, the judge has every right to make sure people are not being fed misinformation. It's the same thing as the law protecting people from being swindled by companies using false advertising. Calm down, you're trying to make it like 1984. It's so far from that it's not even funny.

[Anjin3515]

There is hardly a consensus in the scientific community about the topic. If there were it wouldnt be such a "hot button issue"

Al Gore's theories? I did not know he actually came up with them.
I guess after he "invented" the internet he stayed awake at night testing the weather himself? Or....maybe he is just a figure head for a number of scientists that do believe in global warming....hummm

Calming down...lol..I am not hyped up...

1984....every slippery slope has a first step

[MANN]

There is hardly a consensus in the scientific community about the topic. If there were it wouldnt be such a "hot button issue"

The problem with the issue is that the drive-by media picks up on unconfirmed stories, and tells them as truth. It has been proven that the "weather stations" that the temperature has were taken at in many instances is not up to par. Some have been found next to ac units, airplane hangers, next to fans etc.

All you have to do to make something popular these days is get it on the news, get a few celeberties to back you, and poof it must be a delima. My grandparents remember fears of "Global cooling in the 60s. Of course back then the media is not what it was now so most people didnt hear about it like today.

Now if all of the numbers are correct (doubt they are) and the earth is warming 2 degrees F what does that mean? ABSOUTELY NOTHING. Last thursday it was 77 where I live, Yesterday it was 80 , and today it was only 74. What does this mean? global cooling/warming/cooling?

The fact is that the earth has been changing for millions/billions of years. It has been proven that the earth has been hotter, and cooler than what it is today. If I had to bet I would guess that there is some sort of cycle that it is on, and we cannot control it. BTW I dont think we had cars millions/billions of years ago when those cycles peaked/started.

What people dont realize is that these scientest that are "studing" global warming are getting paid. If they can prove that research is needed then they will get a job. NO highly respected Engineer/scientist will say that we are causing global warming.