Pigeon-powered internet packet goes under the hammer at Christie's

A physical artifact representing an early internet experiment, delivered by pigeon, is now valued in the thousands of dollars.

A surviving IP packet from a 2001 experiment in which Norwegian Linux enthusiasts attempted to transmit data using carrier pigeons has surfaced at Christie's auction house. The experiment, based on RFC 1149 published in 1990 as an April Fools' joke, aimed to test avian carriers for internet data transmission. On April 28, 2001, the Bergen Linux User Group (BLUG) attached printed IP packets to the legs of racing pigeons and flew them between two lofts 5km apart. The experiment resulted in a 56% packet loss rate, with only four out of nine packets returning. The auctioned item is a small scroll of paper, measuring 41mm by 210mm, creased from its time on the pigeon's leg, and is now framed. It was presented to David Waitzman, the author of RFC 1149, in 2002. Christie's initially estimated the packet to fetch between $2,000 and $3,000, but current bids have already reached $4,000, with the auction closing on October 13. The auction house views the item as a celebration of the internet's early community's ingenuity and humor.

This auction highlights the enduring value placed on early internet history and 'artful hacks,' moving beyond purely functional components to collectible artifacts. It suggests a growing market for tangible representations of digital evolution, appealing to collectors interested in the foundational, and at times whimsical, ingenuity of the internet's pioneers. The high bids indicate a premium on unique pieces that encapsulate a specific moment of technological experimentation and cultural commentary.

The event underscores how unconventional, even impractical, early internet projects can gain historical significance and market value. It signals that the narrative of internet development is increasingly including non-mainstream innovations that showcased the community's creative problem-solving and humor. This artifact's journey from a failed experiment to a high-value auction item demonstrates how unconventional historical pieces can become sought-after by collectors.