I had been teaching Computer Studies as a GCSE and then at O'level  since I started teaching in 1973. When Portsmouth opended a 6th Form College in 1984 I was appointed "Director of Computer Based Learning"  (if you can't do the job, wear a big hat!).

This role included teaching A'level Computer Science, managing cross curricular IT resources, and eventually, running the MIS office and managing the College's admin and curricular network and resouurces.

As IT developed, we joined the Internet and started to make resources available to the College. 

We had a principal at the time who I struggled to get on with. There in lies a very long story that I'll save for another time.

In our early days of Internet access he decided he wanted me to speak at a staff meeting and explain to the staff what "an intranet" was.  I tried to explain that we didn't quite have "an intranet" yet. We did have accees to the Internet, and we were making shared resources available over the network, however, in the strict definition of the word, we didn't have an intranet! He was adamant that I should tell the staff about our intranet (I think it was probably a "target" from the corporation).

Reluctanly I prepared half a dozen OHP foils (remember those - no PowerPoints in those days) to explain what the Internet was, how we were making resources available, etc.

The talk went well. No one was particularly interested - not because they didn't want to know, but because my colleague and I has already run several workshops and had a regular stream of people asking advice and help.

When closing I simply added "thank you, any questions?" and put a foil up with "INTRAFNET" on. 

A member of the staff - unprompted I must add - called "Hey, there's no "F" in intranet!"  - to which I replied - "Exactly, that's what I've been trying to tell people!"

I had a long chat with the principal the following morning and reiterated that we still didn't have an intranet!