In 1974, Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn designed the TCP/IP protocol suite, foundational to internetworking different networks. Adopted by ARPANET, it enabled reliable data transmission across heterogeneous systems. This architecture underpins today's internet, revolutionizing information sharing and digital creativity including online poetry.

The development of the TCP/IP protocol suite in 1974 enabled global digital connectivity, which became central to contemporary poetry. Poets like Kenneth Goldsmith and others utilized the internet as a platform for their work, creating digital poetry that engaged with themes of connectivity and fragmentation.