Christie’s is auctioning an original RFC1149 packet—a printed IP ping datagram physically transmitted by carrier pigeon during a 2001 experiment by the Bergen Linux User Group. The framed scroll, inscribed to RFC author David Waitzman, represents a real‑world implementation of the famous 1990 April Fools’ joke standard.
Background
RFC1149 is a humorous IETF standard proposing IP datagram transmission via carrier pigeons, originally published as an April Fools’ joke in 1990. It became a piece of internet folklore and was famously implemented in 2001 by the Bergen Linux User Group, who sent nine packets with four successful replies.
- Source
- Lobsters
- Published
- Oct 2, 2026 at 10:17 PM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10