Longboards, Shortboards, etc

When did the clash between shortboarders and longboarders begin?
Was it in 1966 with Nat Young’s short 9'4 "Sam"?
Was it in the 70's when board size dropped to the low 5-foot range with the development of the Fish.
Maybe it was in the 80's when the three fin design of the Thruster took off.
Or possibly the 90's when Longboarding was considered obsolete and archaic.
Whenever it was, it will probably never go away. But that doesn't mean we have to pick one over the other necessarily.
Longboarders are typically older, more nostalgic, and want to take from the past and apply to today’s technologies.
Shortboarders are more aggressive, and push the boundaries of what is possible in surfing today.
I'm not saying one is better than the other, but I ask you one question: Aren't we all out in the water doing the same thing? Theoretically?
Why can't we learn to take turns, or be just plain old nice?
This is the best solution, in theory, but realistically, it probably won't happen.
But until then, I will try my best to share waves, and be as nice as possible to each and every surfer in the line up; both shortboarders and longboarders.