Lukasik

“The way Larry worked was the quintessential argument in favor of a computer network,” Lukasik said.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

One of the first things Lukasik had done upon being named head of the agency was get Roberts to give him an e-mail address and access to the ARPANET.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

Lukasik and Roberts had an excellent relationship, partly because they were both analytical thinkers, and partly because Roberts was always quick to answer any questions Lukasik had about his projects.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

Then Lukasik discovered what was happening, and the utility of e-mail became clearer than ever.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

A frequent flier, Lukasik seldom boarded a plane without lugging aboard his thirty-pound “portable” Texas Instruments terminal with an acoustic coupler, so he could dial in and check his messages from the road.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

“I really used it to manage ARPA,” Lukasik recalled.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

Lukasik, who hated throwing anything away, was beginning to get frustrated by the volume of e-mail piling up in his in-box.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

Lukasik had begun his career in the 1950s working for BBN and MIT as a graduate student.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

Director Stephen Lukasik called it “the American equivalent of being banished to Siberia.”

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001

In 1973, Lukasik commissioned an ARPA study that found that three quarters of all traffic on the ARPANET was e-mail.

Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001