World Copywriting Blog

The Man Who Envisioned The Internet

So much of our lives are wrapped up in the Internet, one way or the other, that I think it would be interesting to know where it all came from.

I just found out. And I'd like to pay huge homage to a little-known engineer, a Polish immigrant to the United States, who dreamed up the idea that eventually led to the very network that allows you to read this blog post.

His name was Paul Baran, and he wrote a 24-page paper for a think-tank in 1960 that laid out the foundation for the Web we know and love (and sometimes hate and curse) today.

Mr. Baran died last month in Palo Alto at age 84.

Here's a guy who was a practical visionary, right up to his very last breath.

"... [S]itting in bed before he died, Paul Baran sketched out an idea and sent it to Wheeler [a friend a business partner] for a look. It was a detailed plan on how to run a better hospital."

If you're interested in how ideas become pervasive reality (and to me, that is one of the most important aspects of how copywriting ultimately works), see this terrific appreciation of Mr. Baran by Bloomberg Businessweek's Brendan Greeley.

And, on a personal note, thank you, Mr. Baran.

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter

 

 

Satire and Spoof Hit Internet Marketing

The Internet, April 1, 2011

The way you know an industry has made it to the big leagues is when it has its own niche version of The Onion mercilessly making fun of it.

So by that yardstick, you could say today April 1, 2011, Internet Marketing has arrived.

“The Moron Letters” (a blatant takeoff on the late mega-copywriter Gary Halbert’s “Boron Letters,” which he wrote to his son while serving a prison term) has a trumped-up female jester named “Casey Porter-Pierce.” She writes preposterous emails to such Internet Marketing icons as John Reese, Jeff Walker and my old friend Marlon Sanders.

“Moron” in this case means “idiotic on purpose” (referring here to the person who purportedly wrote the letters... not the Internet Marketers!).

If you have a little too much time on your hands – and you don’t mind some rude, juvenile humor – then you might get a giggle or two out of this foolishness.  (I did.)

Head on over to:

www.themoronletters.com

_______________________________

In other April Fool's news, Google's at it again with Gmail Motion.

This almost believable spoof (it had me going for a while) professes to let you write your email with hand signals and body postures.

To quote:

"The mouse and keyboard were invented before the Internet even existed. Since then, countless technological advancements have allowed for much more efficient human computer interaction. Why then do we continue to use outdated technology? Introducing Gmail Motion -- now you can control Gmail with your body."

Goll-ee!

Who woulda thought Big G woulda had such a good sense of humor?

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter