# Take out the TCP

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 23, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567 "2000-07-23T20:26:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/1 "2000-07-23T20:26:16Z")

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With regards to the correspondent who asks:

\>\>I am confused about the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take out T-C-P”  
\>\>part. What exactly happens when you take out T-C-P?

I was wondering if the said millionth stopped to consider the possiblity that Otis was providing his comment on RFC  
793, the TCP/IP protocol, in which case the effect of taking out the TCP would be to provide raw IP capabilities, or the opportunity to use an alternative transport protocol.

As any network engineer knows, TCP/IP is a tranport-oriented protocol with error-handling capabilities in the transport layer. Perhaps Otis was expressing his preference for UDP, User Datagram Protocol, which unlike Transport Control Protocol, avoids the costly overhead of error-handling code in the packet header. Understandable considering the small bandwidth of networks in the 1960’s.

Of course, they did not have RFC 793 implemented back then: however, they did have RFC 1149 (cf. ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1149.txt ) implemented in some MANs (metropolitan Area Networks.)

HTH,  
Ludovic

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/2 "2000-07-24T00:48:19Z")

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I like your answer better.

- Jill

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/3 "2000-07-24T00:59:21Z")

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Well, I still like **JillGat** ’s answer better, on accoun t of it being true and all, but **Ludovic** , you are seriously my new favorite person! Get yer butt over to [General Questions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3) and pick a thread.

Come, come to the dark side.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/4 "2000-07-24T12:51:28Z")

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The column to which this refers is [What exactly is Aretha singing in “Respect”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrespect.html)

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/5 "2000-07-24T16:13:09Z")

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(Laughing silently at the fact neither Jill nor Manny managed to add a link, leaving it to poor **bibliophage** ) 😉

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/6 "2000-07-24T16:31:49Z")

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**Ludovic** you are still sitting on one post. More is desired from you.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-out-the-tcp/26567/7 "2000-07-24T18:14:14Z")

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**Ludovic** : ROTFL! That was excellent.

**DSYoungEsq** : you don’t need to chuckle silently, let the laughter come forth in great billowing waves! You made an excellent point. 😃