What is his Internet thing?
As I wrote about theh Western Union patent goof every company has their moments that they regret.
During the early, early, days of the Internet, I was one of a few employees in our area of Bell Labs who downloaded and used a browser. I would click around on the hypertext links and just check out the content. At this point it was mainly research material and a few, very early, commerce and search sites. While I was having my own epiphany about the future, The frustrating part was to get interest in this game changing technology through the higher leadership of Bell Labs and AT&T. You would think this would be easy.
Here are a couple strange but true examples –
Back in 1993, I convinced a couple of “bigwigs” to come to my office. I showed them “the Internet”. Imagine a conversation – “hey we are going to Steve’s office, he has the Internet in there” We clicked around and explored the content. I explained that this would really change everything – voice, video, music, imaging, advertising, and commerce.
The Internet was a distraction, at best, to the real company real goal of hat era -To rewire America with fiber optic company. The fact that the service “raison d’etre” fo fiber investment would have to be new services other than voice was and interesting academic discussion, but not the top priority.
They left my office with the words, “I don’t get it, this will never take off, never be big”. The person who said those words has gone on to become very successful. He is a CEO of a major corporation that makes most of its revenue from – Internet technology.
A couple of years later, AT&T decided to form a task force to understand the Internet and its impact on the core AT&T business. I was one of a dozen employees tasked with charting this course. We met regularly in the big, walnut lined, boardroom at corporate headquarters.
At one fateful meeting the head of AT&T walked in theroom with his entourage. He sat in the back and listened intently to our conversations for 
about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes he stood up. The collective heartbeats in the room stopped, sweat and nervousness were on every brow.
He then said something that I cab still here ringing in my mind today. “This Internet thing, I am now convinced that it is important and can be really big”
Hearts began to pump blood again. Subtle smiles were exchanged among the group. Maybe our careers would last through 5:00 pm.
He then continued “ I just have one question for you guys”
Hearts stopped again, eye contact was avoided like a New York Subway car at 3:00 am.
“Who owns the Internet and how can we buy it?”
At that point you could here pins dropping from a mile away.
The silence grew to a deafening roar. Seconds seemed like an eternity.
Someone would have to say something.
I decided to end the torture, and perhaps my career.
I said, “Sir, most Internet traffic uses AT&T facilities…and…”
I was cut off in mid-sentence. He said, good, great! , and walked out.
The task force was disbanded later that week, having seemingly fulfilled its mission.
