It seems that the error 404 that we have all seen comes from the room number on the 4th floor at CERN (where the internet was born) in which file requests would be sent where two or three people would manually locate the requested files and transfer them, over the network, to the person who made that request
As the database grew people would make mistakes and request invalid files at which point an error was returned stating 'Room 404: file not found'
the full story can be read at the above link but as a side note, I always find it interesting that while working at various DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) sites around Europe and Australia in the early 80's, but specifically at Ferney Voltaire in France just across the border from Geneva, and also in the Geneva office, I and colleagues frequented CERN on many a lunch time where a cheap and cheerful meal could be had in the sunny patio settings of their canteen. Meanwhile below ground there was the particle accelerator happenings we all knew about but unkown to us in the offices nearby the internet phenomenom being born!
-- Posted: 2006-02-15 22:53:37 Edit :
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. Great reading.