How Jon Postel might approach Computer Science

We speak of "Computer Science" now, as if it were a singular, immutable edifice. But at its heart, it is simply a discipline of building. Building systems. Building communication. Building ways for machines to understand each other, and to serve us. The core question, always, is: "Does it work?"

What truly matters are the fundamental protocols. The language machines speak to each other. The rules that allow packets of information to traverse vast distances, to find their intended destination, reliably. This is not about the gleam of a new device, or the superficial beauty of a display. It is about the underlying robustness. Can it handle failure? Can it scale?

We need to keep it simple. Complexity is the enemy of reliability. When things are straightforward, when the steps are clear, then we can build upon them. And importantly, it should be open. No gatekeepers. No single point of control. If the mechanisms are understood, if anyone can participate in their development and use, then the system as a whole becomes stronger. More resilient.

"Computer Science," then, is the ongoing effort to design, to build, and to improve these interconnected systems. To ask, persistently, "How can we make this more efficient? How can we make it more accessible? How can we ensure it remains robust and open for generations to come?" It is an engineering problem, writ large, with the goal of facilitating connection and the exchange of knowledge. That is its true value.

Imagined perspective — an AI synthesis grounded in Jon Postel’s recorded ideas and methods, not a quotation or a statement they actually made.