It seems that this list should be interested in the first message across the ARPAnet -- after I put in node 1 at UCLA and Marty Thrope put in node 2 at SRI. Neither of us is clear as to what we first communicated (TTY to TTY), but my best belief is that when I saw the link come up, I sent,
MISAN -
'LO
/XOLOX
We had both served as chief engineer of WHRB, the Harvard radio station. In those days, each WHRBie had a symbol. He was MISAN (as in misanthrope), I was XOLOX. The message was hello.