Today marks the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web (WWW), and Google is commemorating the occasion with a special doodle. Tim Berners-Lee, while working at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in 1989, invented the World Wide Web.
The WWW is essentially a network of online content presented in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the language used for creating web pages. Online content is accessed through the HTTP or HTTPS protocols.
It’s crucial to note that the World Wide Web is distinct from the internet. The term refers to the interconnected HTML pages accessible over the internet. Here are five lesser-known facts about the World Wide Web:
1. **Alternative Names:** Tim Berners-Lee contemplated naming the World Wide Web as ‘Information Mesh’ or the ‘Mine of Information.’ Had he chosen either, the familiar ‘www.’ in web addresses might have been different.
2. **Internet vs. WWW:** Often colloquially referred to as the internet, the World Wide Web is just a part of it. While the internet encompasses a global network of computers, including servers and data centers, the World Wide Web specifically refers to interlinked HTML pages.
To simplify, communication tools like emails and messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.) operate through the internet, not the World Wide Web.
3. **First Website Still Active:** The world’s first website, created for the World Wide Web project, went live in November 1990. It was hosted on Tim Berners-Lee’s NeXT Cube computer at CERN. In 2013, CERN initiated a project to restore and make the first-ever website accessible at info.cern.ch.
4. **Public Domain Entry:** In April 1993, Tim Berners-Lee released the source code of the World Wide Web into the public domain. This decision ensured that it remained free and open, facilitating the development of various tools and platforms.
5. **Browser Evolution:** Tim Berners-Lee developed the first web browser called WorldWideWeb (without spaces). However, the popularization of the World Wide Web was driven by the Mosaic web browser. Many features from Mosaic, such as the URL bar, back button, forward button, and refresh button, still influence modern web browsers today.
The celebration of the World Wide Web’s 30th anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on its evolution, impact, and the ongoing innovations shaping our online experiences.