Back in the early 2000s (because I can’t bring myself to say “oughts”), I used to play a little online game with celebrities called “5 for the Famous.”
Back then it was easy to get people’s email addresses (before all of you became stalkerish creeps). I used to write and ask random celebrities to play along. They would get 10 questions and had to choose 5 to answer.
Here is one of those interviews:
May 03, 2003
Vinton Cerf
Vinton Cerf is widely known as one of the “Fathers of the Internet.” Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet. In December 1997, President Clinton presented the U.S. National Medal of Technology to Cerf and his partner, Robert E. Kahn, for founding and developing the Internet.
Vinton is senior vice president of Architecture and Technology for WorldCom. Cerf’s team of architects and engineers design advanced networking frameworks including Internet-based solutions for delivering a combination of data, information, voice and video services for business and consumer use. He also holds an appointment as distinguished visiting scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he is working on the design of an interplanetary Internet. Many other distinguished awards and degrees dot his highly polished landscape.
In addition, Cerf has served as a technical advisor to production for “Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict.” He also made a special guest appearance on the show in May 1998. Cerf has also appeared on other television programs such “NextWave with Leonard Nimoy” and on “World Business Review” with Alexander Haig and Casper Weinberger.
His personal interests include fine wine, gourmet cooking and science fiction.
So I figured, with all that confidence, why not throw 5 questions at him?
So do you really think this Internet thing will ever become popular?
Well I suppose 600+ million users, estimated today, suggests it already has.
In a “death match” who wins…you or Tim Berners-Lee?
We aren’t competing. The WWW is an application of the Internet, as is email and voice telephony, to say nothing of instant messaging and group games.
If cameras followed you around like a reality television show, how many seasons would the show last?
About one episode – most of the time I would be seen typing at a keyboard until I fall asleep.
What is the oddest thing you ever did with your U.S. National Medal of Technology?
The original is in a bank vault. The bronze duplicate is on display. And I have a nice lapel pin for those formal occasions when they say “black tie, with decorations”. Nothing very odd, I guess.
Do you have any weapons of mass destruction that Hans Blix should know about?
Yes, a serious cache of Lutfisk.
