Imagine an age before smartphones, the web, or even personal computers. Back in 1971, the concepts that now enable billions of real-time digital conversations were trailblazed by physicist Murray Turoff and a specialized computer system called EMISARI. This pioneering chat program fundamentally shaped both emergency coordination and human connections across data networks for decades to come.
Understanding Chat Platforms and Their Origins
Today chat apps like WhatsApp or platform features like Facebook Messenger are deeply woven into our daily communication habits. But popular consumer chat systems emerged just in the past 15 years, enabled by smartphones, mobile broadband, social networks, and advancing software capabilities.
Their concepts, however, trace back much further to early computer conferencing systems. These platforms aimed to enable instant text-based group conversations among multiple remote users via computer terminals. Government researchers, academics, and technology visionaries began exploring this area as far back as the 1960s.
Their efforts to facilitate rapid information exchange even with limited interface capabilities and connectivity laid vital groundwork. And one of the most pivotal early online chat programs was Murray Turoff’s EMISARI system first launched in 1971.
Murray Turoff: Pioneering Emergency Management Information Systems
Physicist and computer scientist Murray Turoff developed the foundational EMISARI chat system in 1971. (Image credit: New Jersey Institute of Technology)
Murray Turoff was born in 1936 in San Francisco. He pursued graduate studies in physics at the University of California Berkeley, researching statistical mechanics and information theory. Through the 1960s, Turoff worked as a research associate in the Office of Civil Defense, providing scientific guidance on emergency preparedness programs.
In 1970, Turoff took on a role that allowed him to align his expertise in managing information with the emerging capabilities of computer networking. He became Director of Emergency Management Information Systems (EMIS) in the new Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP). His mission was to leverage the latest technology to exchange vital information in times of national crisis.
It was in this context that Turoff initiated designing EMISARI.
The Groundbreaking EMISARI Chat Platform
Turoff developed EMISARI in 1971 with “party line” chat capabilities to enable OEP personnel to coordinate emergency responses in real-time across distributed locations. EMISARI stood for Emergency Management Information Systems and Reference Index.
The pioneering system included innovations like:
- Multi-user messaging in group chat channels
- Directory listing active users
- Notifications when users signed on or off
- Public and private communication streams
| Year | EMISARI Milestones |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Core "Party Line" chat system launches |
| 1972 | Touch-screen interface prototype built |
| 1973 | Data collection and visualization features added |
| 1977 | Keyword monitoring and screening tools implemented |
“EMISARI pioneered concepts that became elemental building blocks for online communication systems down the road,” explains Richard Skinner, computer historian. “Real-time chat, user presence indicators, alert notifications – these all originated from Turoff’s visionary program.”
Coordinating Crisis: Government and Corporate Usage
A few examples of major early EMISARI deployments include:
- 1971: Coordinated policy analysis for Nixon administration’s wage and price controls
- 1974: Tracked supply chain impacts during oil crisis
- 1978: Monitored national coal miners strike, facilitating resumption of energy production
For over a decade, agencies and companies utilized EMISARI for distributing alerts, tracking events, identifying resources, monitoring public reaction, and gathering expert perspectives around upheavals. Turoff’s systems enabled direct collaboration between hundreds of officials, executives, and analysts simultaneously.
“During crises like strikes or shortages, EMISARI allowed stakeholders to share situation updates instantly so decision-makers had a consolidated information flow,” says Amanda Stevens, EMIS historian. This was revolutionary when people relied on phone calls and paper reports.”
Technical Capabilities Powering Multi-User Innovation
From a technology standpoint, EMISARI leveraged cutting-edge capabilities for its time. The system was built using the EXEC VIII operating system on a UNIVAC mainframe computer featuring new multiprocessing functionality. This allowed fast information sharing across connections, essential for the real-time chats and data gathering that distinguished EMISARI.
EMISARI also pioneered user interface concepts aligned to its emergency response usage. For example, in 1972 Turoff developed and demonstrated a touch-screen prototype interface to provide information access tailored to crisis scenarios.
“Turoff was one of the earliest thinkers exploring human-computer interaction design and user experience considerations,” notes Ellison Ward, user interface architect. “Even in crude form, EMISARI embodied concepts of use case-driven development.”
Lasting Legacy: Foundational Communication Concepts
EMISARI delivered over a decade of government usage until being retired in 1986. But its impact stretched far beyond that operational lifetime in shaping digital interaction advances.
Concepts first explored in EMISARI like multi-party chat, user presence indicators, public/private channels, alerts and notifications, and special interfaces became integral parts of communication systems as networks evolved. When computers and internet connectivity later spread to the mass consumer level, these foundations paved the way.
“Look at any popular chat apps used by millions today,” Skinner says, “and you’ll see key features that trace their lineage back to what Turoff built with that 1971 EMISARI system.”
In many ways, today’s vast real-time communication landscape connecting billions across digital platforms originated from the pioneering spark Murray Turoff ignited with his visionary program.
