GoKawiilChristie's to auction original RFC 1149 pigeon-carried internet packet
Christie's is auctioning a physical scroll that was transmitted by carrier pigeon in 2001 as part of a real-world implementation of RFC 1149, the 1990 joke internet standard written by David Waitzman. Members of Norway's Bergen Linux User Group printed IP packets as hex strings, attached them to pigeons, and flew them roughly three miles between lofts, sending nine packets and receiving four replies. This particular packet was later framed and given to Waitzman himself.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The auction turns a piece of internet folklore into a collectible artifact, reflecting how early hacker culture's humor and technical playfulness have gained lasting cultural value. It also highlights how joke technical standards like RFC 1149 can inspire genuine engineering experiments that later become celebrated as historical curiosities.
- The item is an actual physical IP packet carried by pigeon in a 2001 experiment.
- RFC 1149, written in 1990 by David Waitzman, humorously specified sending internet data via birds.
- Bergen Linux User Group successfully implemented the protocol, sending nine packets with four replies.
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B — If RFC 1149's whimsical pigeon-based networking tickles your inner hacker, a Raspberry Pi is the perfect playground for building your own goofy protocol experiments and networking projects. It's affordable, versatile, and beloved by exactly the kind of tinkerers who'd appreciate avian carrier packets as serious engineering humor.
See Raspberry Pi 4 Model B on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: onlineonly.christies.com, 2026-10-02
Published there as: “The first packet sent via RFC1149 avian carrier is up for auction at Christie's”
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