"first" computer on the internet

[Ray Arachelian]

Eric Smith wrote:
> Ray Arachelian wrote:
>> I think it goes back to the original idea of using a separate server 
>> for each service.
>
> That certainly was NOT the original idea.  When the protocols were 
> being developed, computers were big and expensive, and you generally 
> only got one, which you had to use for all your services.
>
Yes, you've gone back further than I have, so your version of original 
is older than mine, good for you.  :-)

If that were the case, there would be no reason to name hosts (or cnames 
to hosts) based on their role.  Somehow I doubt that any large company 
used a single machine to handle all if their internet traffic which most 
certainly included an ftp support site, usenet, mail, etc.  Whether 
Apple, DEC, Xerox or Sun.   Yes, perhaps in the very early days that was 
feasible, but not a bit later, not right around 1994 when we started 
seeing www.domainname.tld hosts.