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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello SIGCIS,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Perhaps predictably, Ray Tomlinson’s recent death has prompted a new publicity push by Shiva Ayyadurai, the self-proclaimed “inventor of email.” (Backstory at <a href="http://www.sigcis.org/ayyadurai">http://www.sigcis.org/ayyadurai</a>). Here are some recent tweets from his wife Fran Drescher, best known as “The Nanny”: “<span lang=EN style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#292F33'>Thank you. Raytheon are plagiarists and liars. Big biz w/o integrity! The worst of the worst! Low roadsters,” and “PO'd! Ray Tomlinson WRONGLY credited 4 email whn EVERY1 honest knos Shiva Ayyadurai <a href="https://twitter.com/va_shiva"><span style='color:#1B95E0;text-decoration:none'>@va_shiva</span></a> invented, has copyright &is a victim of racism.” Also “Th larger issue is the oppression of people of color. There is a narrative in America that white washes innovation. That's the real issue!” Ayyadurai himself has tweeted “White journalists since 2012 have joined in the lynching and whitewashing of facts on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/email?src=hash"><span style='color:#1B95E0;text-decoration:none'>#email</span></a>. I challenge all and any to a f2f debate !!”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The new push is reported in a Fortune blog piece, <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/03/07/who-really-invented-email/">http://fortune.com/2016/03/07/who-really-invented-email/</a>, which quotes SIGCIS at length. (I like its description of us as “an organization comprised of many prominent Internet historians and college professors” rather more than the “internet cabal” description used by Boston Magazine).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ayyadurai seems to be getting almost entirely uncritical coverage in leading Indian publications, including<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/who-invented-email-ray-tomlinson-or-shiva-ayyadurai/article8323987.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/who-invented-email-ray-tomlinson-or-shiva-ayyadurai/article8323987.ece</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/On-Mahashivaratri-email-pioneer-Shiva-Ayyadurai-prays-for-recognition/articleshow/51297305.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/On-Mahashivaratri-email-pioneer-Shiva-Ayyadurai-prays-for-recognition/articleshow/51297305.cms</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/the-inventor-of-email-is-still-alive-says-india-born-scientist/">http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/the-inventor-of-email-is-still-alive-says-india-born-scientist/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There’s a somewhat more nuanced, but still not entirely accurate, report (quoting SIGCIS) at <a href="http://thewire.in/2016/03/08/did-shiva-ayyadurai-invent-email-it-isnt-simple-and-youre-probably-missing-the-point-24149/#disqus_thread">http://thewire.in/2016/03/08/did-shiva-ayyadurai-invent-email-it-isnt-simple-and-youre-probably-missing-the-point-24149</a>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So there’s fascinating story of historical techno nationalism developing here, in that Ayyadurai’s new focus on alleged racism as the only reason for disputing his claim to have invented email seems to be enough to win him widespread acceptance in India despite the obvious reality-based problems with claiming to have invented something that was already in widespread use.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><br>Tom<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>