Ray Tomlinson, the inventor of email, has died aged 74.
“A true technology pioneer, Ray was the man who brought us email in the early days of networked computers,” Raytheon spokesman Mike Doble said in a statement confirming his death.
Tomlinson was also responsible for picking out the @ symbol for addresses.
Harking back to his first messages, reportedly sent between two computers that were side by side, Tomlinson said the test messages were “entirely forgettable and I have, therefore, forgotten them”
We have a feeling you will have received more memorable emails. For a potentially ephemeral medium, email has become a crucial part of our communication arsenal and, thus, our miscommunication arsenal.
From inspired rants and awkward accidental work reply-alls to toe-curdling love notes, we’re pretty sure you can recall emails you would love to be able to delete from the inbox of your mind.
To commemorate Tomlinson’s life, we’d like you to share the stories of the best - and worst - emails you’ve ever received. Share your stories via the form below, and we’ll collect together a selection of the most entertaining.
