Welcome to Geek History

My lifelong love of history and technology comes together at GeekHistory.com, a project that I have had rattling inside my brain for many years.

I am fascinated by the origins of things. I am also fascinated by how little the average person knows about history, not just political history, but the history of everyday things.

There are so many urban legends and so much folk lore surrounding the internet. I have read so many articles where the history of the internet is so mangled.

Technology Inventions: Who invented what?

One of the biggest misconceptions of any type of history is when a single person is credited for a discovery we often fail to realize that the discovery was not the work of a single person done in a void of any outside influence.  Many times the person given credit for an invention is one of a number of persons who can easily be credited for the invention.

History is often a matter of perspective, as it is seen through different eyes the answer to the question changes. Before you can answer the question as to who invented something, you need to define invention.

Does the first person to theorize the concept on paper get credit for the invention?  Is it the first person to build a working prototype really the person who invented it? 

Is it the person who got credit for the concept at the US Patent office really the owner of the invention?  Is it the person who first commercially marketed the product really the one who gets credit for the invention?

Who invented the internet?

The internet was an evolution of many different communications and technology tools coming together to create the communications system we now call the internet. There are many key players in this evolution, to give any single one credit for inventing the internet does not do justice to the many contributions that were so significant.

Who invented the television?

Next to the internet, arguably the next most significant invention, as far as impact on the life of the average American, is the television.  But how many Americans can actually tell you who invented it?  There are many arguments here as well, as to who should get credit for inventing the technology used in the first commercial televisions.

Welcome to Geek History, where we explore the origins of all things geek!

Geek History is not meant to be an authoritative source for technology history. It is mean to increase awareness, educate, and entertain.  To put this site in its proper context let me quote Walt Disney, "I'd rather entertain and hope that people learn, than teach and hope that people are entertained."