The World Wide Web has come a long way since its inception in 1989. Designed by Tim Berners-Lee, the first version of the web was a platform for sharing information between scientists. It was primitive by today’s standards, but it was a start.
In the early days of the web, there was no such thing as a website. In fact, the first website didn’t go online until 1991. Called info.cern.ch, it consisted of nothing more than a few paragraphs of text and a few links to other websites.
The early days of the web were characterized by slow download speeds and primitive browsers. There was no html5 or css, no youtube or facebook. The only way to share information was through text-based pages that were hosted on servers around the world.
One of the most popular websites from this era was Geocities, which allowed users to create their own websites for free. Launched in 1995, Geocities grew to become one of the largest websites in the world, with over 38 million users at its peak.
Moving to the 2000’s the web starts to look more like what we know today.
The late 1990s and early 2000s were a time of great innovation for the web. Websites began to incorporate multimedia elements like photos and videos, and new technologies like flash allowed designers to create more sophisticated websites.
In 2003, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook, which would go on to become one of the most popular websites in the world. Other popular websites from this era include Google, Amazon, and eBay.
The early 2000s were also a time of great transformation for the web. In 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP, which included Internet Explorer 6, the first version of IE with support for css and javascript. This led to a surge in popularity for css and javascript, which would eventually become two of the most important technologies on the web.
In 2004, Google released Gmail, which introduced the world to AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript And XML). AJAX is a technology that allows web pages to load content dynamically without having to reload the page. This led to the development of “Web 2.0” applications, which are characterized by their interactive user interfaces and dynamic content.
Here comes web 2.0!
The term “Web 2.0” was first coined by Tim O’Reilly in 2005, and it refers to a second generation of web applications that are based on AJAX and other new technologies like HTML5 and css3. Web 2.0 applications are typically more user-friendly and responsive than traditional web applications.
A move to Mobile First Occurs
The late 2000s and early 2010s saw the rise of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. As a result, many websites have been designed specifically for mobile devices. In 2010, Apple released the iPhone, which popularized the use of apps (applications that are designed specifically for mobile devices).
Not to be outdone by their rivals, Google released the Nexus 7, the first tablet to run on the Android operating system. Since then, tablets have become increasingly popular, with sales of iPad and Android tablets exceeding those of laptops in 2013.
The rise of mobile devices has led to a decline in the popularity of desktop computers. In 2014, Microsoft released Windows 8, which was designed specifically for touch-screen devices. However, the operating system was met with criticism and failed to gain traction with consumers.
The year 2016 saw the release of the iPhone 7, which introduced a new generation of smartphones with faster processors and better cameras. 2017 was also a big year for the web, with the launch of the first ever Augmented Reality app, Pokemon GO.
As we enter the 2020s, it’s clear that the web has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the early 1990s. Who knows what the next decade will bring?
If you are interested in my thoughts about web 3.0-check out this article, here!
