Let’s dispel some myths, before we cause a ruckus.
Back in 2000, when Y2k didn’t end the world, and I was wasting time in my computer science class playing “Slime Volleyball” (at one point this game was freaking sweet), a man named Al Gore was competing with a guy named George W. Bush for a job.
During the agonizingly long job application and interview process, both men said a lot of stupid things, and we should have reopened the offered up the job to new talent… but we didn’t and it’s not really important for the purposes of this post.
Anyway, one of the stupid statements that was uttered by Mr. Gore during a CNN interview was:
“During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.”
The truth is that Al Gore did do a lot to promote telecommunications technology, and lay a legal foundation for the creation of the Internet.
He also grossly overstated those facts when he uttered the aforementioned statement. Wired picked up the quote, and just like any pack of angry geeks, they ripped Mr. Gore to shreds. At that point Mr. Bush and his notorious pack of cronies ran wild with Gore’s dumb proclamation.
Did Gore mean to say that he “created the Internet?”
Probably not… but like most politicians, he couldn’t just take credit for his actual efforts, and he got spanked for it. Repeatedly.
If you care to know more about the Gore and the Internet, you can read all about on this old Register article.
Now that the facts are out of the way, let’s have some fun.
I love freedom of speech. I love that I live in a country where I can mock my leaders, because everyone should be mocked… especially the powerful. With that in mind, I give you…
“Thank You Al Gore Thursday”
For the foreseeable future, I will take some time every Thursday to thank Mr. Gore for something that lives on the Internet (since everything on the Internet is ultimately his doing).
Why?
Mostly because it amuses me. I hope it entertains you.
“Thank You Al Gore Thursday” come complete with a custom graphic that a good friend made. I would credit this individual, but he or she does not wish to have his or her name attached to this in any capacity… something about fearing an IRS audit.
Without further adieu, I present you with my first “Thank You.”
* * * * *
Al Gore, Thank You For BitTorrent!
The ability download data, be it music, movies, books or software, from multiple sources simultaneously all over the world, was nothing short of revolutionary.
BitTorrent was/is a total game changer.
I know that the music, movie, publishing and video game industries absolutely love you for it. Without BitTorrent, how would anyone view early cuts of blockbuster movies before they even hit the silver screen?
In the immortal words of George Carlin, “The status quo sucks.”
Mr. Gore, you sir, annihilated the status quo when you created the Internet.
The Geek Whisperer 
Yes, thank YOU Al.
Beautiful. Looking forward to these.