Ask HN: Why are we all connected to the same network? - user321
======
detaro
So we can talk to each other over it?

I don't really get what you are asking?

~~~
user321
I mean why are we all connected to the same network? And why not on another
network?

~~~
Malic
It was that way back in the 80s - there were other networks. BITNET connected
some universities but not all of them. ARPANET connected some government
contractors and researchers but not all of them. There were others but my
memory gets fuzzy after that.

The Internet is _an_ internet (note the capitalization difference) connecting
some of these older networks and became the surviving entity of all of them.

------
gushie
Why are we all living on the same planet?

------
brudgers
Metcalf's law, if it is a law, would be a strong force in that direction.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metcalfe%27s_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metcalfe%27s_law)

