The internet has a birthday – WWW turned 30 years old!
The technology that changed the world
Remember life before the internet? When you had to use a phone book to find a number, a regular map for a street, or a library/encyclopedia to find information? Before social media, memes, e-mails, video streaming and online games…
If so, then you were probably born before 2000 and you know very well how much life has changed in recent years thanks to the internet, which…celebrates! A few twenty-four hours ago it was 30 years since the World Wide Web (English: World Wide Web or www) was delivered to humanity , free of charge, by a generous group of scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
The World Wide Web was the brainchild of Tim Berners-Lee, a 37-year-old researcher at CERN, who wanted to create a way for people to share information between different computers and networks. He proposed “a concept of linked information systems” in 1989 and developed the first web browser and editor in 1990.
But it wasn’t until April 30, 1993 that CERN decided to make the Web publicly available, meaning that anyone could use it, modify it, and redistribute it without paying fees or royalties. This was a remarkable act of generosity that without exaggeration changed the course of human history.
The World Wide Web has made it simple for anyone to surf the web. All users had to do was launch a browser, type in a URL, and hit return. They could also create their own web pages, with images, video and audio, and connect them to other pages using hyperlinks. This created a living online canvas that we still use today for everything from education and entertainment to commerce and communication.
In 1993, there were only about 500 servers in the world. Today, there are millions. According to the International Telecommunication Union, more than 5 billion people, or two-thirds of the world’s population, rely on the internet regularly.
The World Wide Web has also sparked countless innovations and revolutions in fields such as science, art, media and entertainment. It has enabled us to access vast amounts of information, connect with people around the world, and express ourselves creatively.
Of course, the internet isn’t perfect. There are challenges such as privacy, security and disinformation. It is up to us, however, to use it responsibly and ethically, but also to protect its open and free nature.
Happy birthday, internet!
