ICANN Board Chairman and Internet Hall of Fame inductee Steve Crocker has been working with computer networks since before the internet existed, first as a UCLA graduate student and eventually as CEO of tech startup Shinkuro. Drawing on his early experience working with military network and internet precursor ARPANET in the 1960s and 1970s, he's written a long and thoughtful response to L. Gordon Crovitz's claim that government research begetting the internet was a "myth." While Crocker is clear that he doesn't think the internet could have been created without government funding and help, his piece is also a fascinating look into how early systems get built, regardless of who's paying for them. You can also read "father of the internet" Vint Cerf discuss the internet's creation in this CNET interview.