[Gllug] [OT] "The Matrix"

[Richard Turner]

When Tet posted the URL for a quick Google for 'netiquette' the other
day I took a look, just to see if there was any amusing material that
jumped out.  I saw a link to the book 'Netiquette' by Virginia Shea and
have just started scanning it, again looking for pearls of humour.

I've just found this
(http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/0963702513p20.html):

> The terms "cyberspace," "the net," and "the Matrix" are used
> interchangeably in this book. John S. Quarterman, an expert in
> computer communications who coined the term "the Matrix," defines it
> as all the networked computers in the world that can exchange
> electronic mail. (Endnote #2) It includes both the Internet and
> commercial online services like Prodigy.

Now, all malediction for the terms 'cyberspace' and 'The Matrix' aside,
does anyone know who actually coined the term 'The Matrix'?  Endnote #2
(http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/0963702513notes.html) refers to
[Quarterman, John S. The Matrix: Computer Networks and Conferencing
Systems Worldwide. Bedford, MA: Digital Press, 1990], but William Gibson
was using the term 'The Matrix' in the same sense in Neuromancer, which
was published in 1984.

I quite like the idea of such terms originating in SF writings, but was
the term knocking about before Gibson wrote Neuromancer?

Cheers,

Richard.

PS. Apologies if I've contravened any netiquette dicta ;)

-- 
"Racing turtles, the grapefruit is winning..."

B53 8184 E61F 3604 FBF3  4CCB EF07 2942 30F2 739E
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