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→Beginnings of the Internet
While a graduate student and researcher at UCLA, Jon became one of the primary developers involved with the [[ARPANET]].<ref>[http://www.postel.org/remembrances/iana-pr102098.html Postel.org]</ref><ref>[http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/spring99/Postel/postel.html USC.edu]</ref> After UCLA he briefly worked at Mitre and SRi, before coming to the [[ISI]], where he spent the remaining 21 years of his career, attaining the position of Director.<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/webcast/archive/events/postel/ USC.edu]</ref> As a researcher at ISI, Jon made many achievements regarding protocol design and verification, multimedia computing and communications, electronic commerce, the domain name system, and specific Internet protocols. These protocols include the [[TCP/IP]], the [[SMTP]], and the [[DNS]].<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/awards/postel/memory.shtml ISOC.org]</ref> While Mr. Postel was primarily a researcher he immediately recognized the need for organization to make the network of packet-switching into a medium of universal communication. Thus, he became the [[RFC Editor]], who is responsible for issuing documents that specify how Internet computers interoperate, and founded [[IANA]], the central coordination hub of the Internet.<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/webcast/archive/events/postel/ USC.edu]</ref> Jon was known for doing the extremely important, but equally unglamorous, administrative and organizational work that was necessary to create and maintain the Internet. He was not one to seek out fame and glory, and much of his life he received neither, but he was trusted by those around him to manage some of the most important network developments and standards.<ref>[http://www.postel.org/remembrances/crocker-story.html Postel.org]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/196487.stm News.BBC.co.uk]</ref>
While a graduate student and researcher at UCLA, Jon became one of the primary developers involved with the [[ARPANET]].<ref>[http://www.postel.org/remembrances/iana-pr102098.html Postel.org]</ref><ref>[http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/spring99/Postel/postel.html USC.edu]</ref> After UCLA he briefly worked at Mitre and SRi, before coming to the [[ISI]], where he spent the remaining 21 years of his career, attaining the position of Director.<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/webcast/archive/events/postel/ USC.edu]</ref> As a researcher at ISI, Jon made many achievements regarding protocol design and verification, multimedia computing and communications, electronic commerce, the domain name system, and specific Internet protocols. These protocols include the [[TCP/IP]], the [[SMTP]], and the [[DNS]].<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/awards/postel/memory.shtml ISOC.org]</ref> While Mr. Postel was primarily a researcher he immediately recognized the need for organization to make the network of packet-switching into a medium of universal communication. Thus, he became the [[RFC Editor]], who is responsible for issuing documents that specify how Internet computers interoperate, and founded [[IANA]], the central coordination hub of the Internet.<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/webcast/archive/events/postel/ USC.edu]</ref> Jon was known for doing the extremely important, but equally unglamorous, administrative and organizational work that was necessary to create and maintain the Internet. He was not one to seek out fame and glory, and much of his life he received neither, but he was trusted by those around him to manage some of the most important network developments and standards.<ref>[http://www.postel.org/remembrances/crocker-story.html Postel.org]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/196487.stm News.BBC.co.uk]</ref>
The level of control he had over the burgeoning Internet was underscored months before he past away; he redirected half the Internet's 12 directory-information computers to his own system. Jon later told authorities that he was only testing how such a transition would run.<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/postel/lat.shtml ISOC.org]</ref> Despite this level of power and authority, Jon was a soft-spoken man who undertook his work in an open and transparent manner.
The level of control he had over the burgeoning Internet was underscored months before he past away; he redirected half the Internet's 12 directory-information computers to his own system. Jon later told authorities that he was only testing how such a transition would run.<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/postel/lat.shtml ISOC.org]</ref> He undertook the transfer at a time when the Internet community was debating the number of domain names and how they should be distributed, and his actions challenged the registrar monopoly of [[Network Solutions]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/196487.stmNews.BBC.co.uk]</ref> Despite this level of power and authority, Jon was a soft-spoken man who undertook his work in an open and transparent manner.
===RFC Editor===
===RFC Editor===
Mr. Postel acted as the RFC Editor from its inception in April, 1969, until his death in 1998;<ref>[http://www.postel.org/postel.html Postel.org]</ref> thus, he was in charge of documenting and facilitating the technical, engineering-based discussions that the Internet's pioneers were having. The term [[RFC]] was coined by Jon's friend and [[ARPANET]] colleauge, [[Steve Crocker]]; Steve did not know what to call his first technical proposal regarding the network's development, and this he referred to it as a "Request For Comments". Postel led a small group of people who were expected to create consensus on hundreds of technical proposals that keep the Internet unified and functioning; the work he accomplished in this role continues to allow the Internet to flourish to this day.<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/spring99/Postel/postel.html USC.edu]</ref>
Mr. Postel acted as the RFC Editor from its inception in April, 1969, until his death in 1998;<ref>[http://www.postel.org/postel.html Postel.org]</ref> thus, he was in charge of documenting and facilitating the technical, engineering-based discussions that the Internet's pioneers were having. The term [[RFC]] was coined by Jon's friend and [[ARPANET]] colleauge, [[Steve Crocker]]; Steve did not know what to call his first technical proposal regarding the network's development, and this he referred to it as a "Request For Comments". Postel led a small group of people who were expected to create consensus on hundreds of technical proposals that keep the Internet unified and functioning; the work he accomplished in this role continues to allow the Internet to flourish to this day.<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/spring99/Postel/postel.html USC.edu]</ref>