A 2017 inductee into the Internet Hall of Fame, Jaap Akkerhuis, spent time with Carnegie Mellon University’s Information Technology Center, Mt. Xinu, and Bell Laboratories before returning to the Netherlands in 1995 to join NLnet, the first Dutch Internet service provider. The research engineer has also served on ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee since its inception.
In a recent video interview, Akkerhuis acknowledged that the Internet has rapidly grown beyond its research roots to encompass decidedly more lightweight fare.
“When we started out, we were…just playing around,” he said. “We had no idea it wound end up where it is today. Today, it seems like it has become way more (of an) entertainment and media vehicle than just exchanging information about research.”
