What's the oldest protocol that's still regularly used?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudot_code#ITA2
> In 1924, the CCITT introduced the International Telegraph Alphabet No. 2 (ITA2) code[14] as an international standard, which was based on the Western Union code with some minor changes.
> ITA2 is still used in telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD), Telex, and some amateur radio applications, such as radioteletype ("RTTY").
It's interesting that the fundamentals of this were invented in 1870s. Who needs semiconductors when you have gears and levers?
Morse code from 1840s. Ham radio still uses it when signal took weak fir voice. Proficiency was required for a ham license until 2006.
Each team of four came up with their own signaling method, trying to balance how many bits were transmitted with each symbol with how quickly we could encode/decode the message.
Binoculars were not allowed. We were outside, so we didn't know how windy it would be.
I seem to recall on my team, we were sending two bits per symbol. I think it was just a large cardboard box, we colored each of the four flaps visually distinct, then unfolded one of the flaps for each symbol.
I don't recall a single team thinking to re-purpose naval flags.
Duh.
Naval flags would be higher bandwidth if you could pre-arrange a modest-sized dictionary of the words and phrases you’d need.
https://www.navalgazing.net/Signalling-Part-1 is a good read.
[1] Sometimes it seems like every interesting discussion boils down to definitions, doesn't it?
Or maybe morse code counts as a protocol?, Still around in VOR (VHF omnidirectional range) and NDB (Non-directional beacon) in the aviation world.
People are answering with old telephone codes and British naval signals, etc.
You should be thinking:
- The muslim call to prayers.
- The affirmation of faith, as it is spoken in mass or (protestant) church ... or the first and second readings, followed by a Gospel reading.
- The Jewish rite of circumcision (which is, among other things, almost certainly a signaling mechanism).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_(diplomacy)
> The term protocol is derived, via French and Medieval Latin, from the Greek word πρωτόκολλον protokollon "first glued sheet of or onto a papyrus-roll".
> The rules of protocol to create space where meetings can take place.
https://www.protocol.dubai.ae/About/Protocol-History
> The diplomatic relations that existed between Egypt and Babel, which started in 1450 B.C., included highlights on the application of standards for Protocol and Etiquette that were related to both diplomatic immunities as well as receptions and ceremonies.
FTP predates Ethernet, Token Ring and ARCNET. It predates TCP/IP. For an actual protocol, and not just a simple format specification like ASCII, it doesn't get older than that in current use.
In 5th grade, I had the attention span of a fruit fly. Probably would have tried drawing phalluses in ascii if I had known about it.
...which is an unlikely contender for oldest protocol!