The MAIL Command. June 20, 2011 AT 9:27 am This is one of the most fascinating stories you’ll read.
Erroll Morris, the director of (among other films) the Stephen Hawking documentary “A Brief History of Time”, talks about his brother Noel, and how Noel and Tom Van Vleck created the original MAIL command for the MIT CTSS. Inbox Victory. Lost in E-Mail, Tech Firms Face Self-Made Beast. It's all about me: Why e-mails are so easily misunderstood. Michael Morris and Jeff Lowenstein wouldn't have recognized each other if they'd met on the street, but that didn't stop them from getting into a shouting match.
The professors had been working together on a research study when a technical glitch inconvenienced Mr. Lowenstein.