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Right. The key innovation of the internet was the invention of TCP/IP for the purpose of inter-network communication. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_protocol_suite#Early_...

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I'd say the kernel of that was the idea of encapsulation and separating functions by layer (really the same idea, from packet and flow perspectives, respectively).

I'd say the core is that anyone could link up and start talking with other parts of the network; the arp/ip technology was the stepping stone of course, but a key differentiator from previous machine networks[1] is that you can just hook up to the internet, it was truly decentralized from its ideation.

[1] ie. stock tickers, terminals of time share mainframes, or see plan 55-A for a wider interconnected switched network this russian idea

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