Invention of WWW and E-commerce

Tim Berners-Lee, a software engineer at CERN, proposed the idea of the World Wide Web in March 1989 through a document titled "Information Management: A Proposal." His initial proposal was not immediately accepted, but he was given time to work on it in September 1990 using a NeXT computer. The web was never an official CERN project, but Tim continued to work on it and developed the first web browser and web server, as well as the first web page, which was published in August 1991. His invention revolutionised the way people access and share information and transformed the world in countless ways.



Tim’s original proposal. Image: CERN

Tim Berners-Lee wrote the three fundamental technologies that form the basis of the modern web in October 1990. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a markup language that is used to create web pages and format content on the web. URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is a string of characters that uniquely identifies a resource on the web, such as a web page, an image, or a file. It is also commonly referred to as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a protocol that enables the retrieval of resources, such as web pages and files, from servers on the web. These three technologies are still widely used today to create and access content on the web.

Tim's creation of the WorldWideWeb.app and httpd were crucial in making the web accessible to a wider audience beyond CERN. The first web page, which was served on the open internet, provided information about the World Wide Web project and how to access and use it. This paved the way for the explosion of the web and the development of web browsers, web servers, and other technologies that we take for granted today.

The decision to make the underlying code of the web available on a royalty-free basis forever was a key factor in the global success of the web. It allowed for an open and collaborative development environment, where anyone could contribute to the growth and evolution of the web. Today, the web is an integral part of our lives, and its impact on society and the economy is immeasurable.

Tim Berners-Lee founded the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1994 to standardize and develop the technologies and protocols of the World Wide Web. W3C is an international community that includes member organisations, full-time staff, and the public, all working together to develop open web standards. Tim Berners-Lee still serves as the Director of W3C.

Amazon and eBay are two of the biggest success stories in the world of e-commerce. They paved the way for countless other online marketplaces and retailers to follow, changing the way we shop and do business forever.

Indeed, the dot-com collapse was a tough time for the internet economy, as many businesses that had raised millions of dollars in funding suddenly found themselves without a viable business model or a path to profitability. Many dot-com companies went bankrupt, including well-known names like Pets.com and Webvan.

However, some companies survived and even thrived in the aftermath of the collapse. For example, Amazon emerged as one of the strongest players in the e-commerce space, thanks to its strong focus on customer service and its ability to weather the storm by cutting costs and diversifying its business. Similarly, eBay continued to grow and evolve, expanding beyond its original auction format to include fixed-price listings and even opening its platform to large retailers.

Reference

Devin, H. (2020) History of the web, World Wide Web Foundation. Available at: https://webfoundation.org/about/vision/history-of-the-web/ (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

Kiriakidis, D. (2019) History of e-commerce, Fleximize. Available at: https://fleximize.com/articles/006970/history-of-ecommerce#:~:text=E%2Dcommerce%20is%20often%20believed,date%20back%20a%20lot%20further&text=With%20the%201997%20public%20launch,exciting%20world%20of%20e%2Dcommerce. (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

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