BITNET, n.
Forms:
19– BITNET, 19– Bitnet.
Etymology: < BIT, acronym < the initial letters of ‘b ecause i t's t here’ (later, ‘b ... (Show More)
Computing and Telecomm. An electronic communication
network founded in 1981 to link academic institutions, initially in
North America and then more widely, and to interconnect with other
information networks.A proprietary name in the United States.
An electronic communication
network founded in 1981 to link academic institutions, initially in
North America and then more widely, and to interconnect with other
information networks.A proprietary name in the United States. bitnet
uses a communications protocol of a ‘store-and-forward’ type, whereby
information sent from a computer connected to the network is received by
an intermediate node before being forwarded to its destination.
1981 Edunet News Winter 7/1
In March of 1981, the City University of New York sent a letter to
50 universities in the east to find out if they were interested in
cooperating in the formation of a new network of university computer
centers... The response..resulted in the creation of bitnet.
1983 I. H. Fuchs in Perspectives in Computing Mar. 16
(heading)
bitnet—Because it's time.
1983 I. H. Fuchs in Perspectives in Computing Mar. 17/1
It is anticipated that within a few years, bitnet will encompass most major universities in the United States and Canada.
1988 Network World
(Nexis)
18 Apr. 17
The goal of the project is to make bitnet more compatible with tcp/ip based research networks already in place across the U.S. and Europe.
1991 Profession
(Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer.)
42/2
bitnet offers direct connections to listserv—a program that stores files for the network and distributes them over it.
1994 Internet World July 15/4
Resources on the major global networks, including the Internet, Usenet, bitnet, Fidonet, CompuServe, and others.
2000 World & I
(Nexis)
1 May 289
At its peak in 1991 and '92, the bitnet consisted of approximately fourteen hundred organizations in forty-nine countries.
