Today we celebrate 30 years of the World Wide Web, the hypertext interface applied to the tubes of the Internet. Without it, we wouldn’t have streaming, social media, online shopping, endless comedy cat videos or the hourly tweets from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Yet it’s not an entirely happy birthday: Tim Berners-Lee, the British CERN engineer who’s 1989 proposal led to the creation of internet browsers and the dot-com revolution, has major concerns about the web’s development.
“While the web has created opportunity, given marginalized groups a voice, and made our daily lives easier, it has also created opportunity for scammers, given a voice to those who spread hatred, and made all kinds of crime easier to commit,” Berners-Lee wrote to commemorate the anniversary.“
Despite this, one thing’s for sure: Life wouldn’t be the same without it. Moreover, web users have been sharing their memories of the early days on Twitter under the hashtag #Web30, and it’s a real throwback:
And so it began… In 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, changing the world forever. Today we're joining in with #web30, sharing the best of British internet moments to celebrate the 30th anniversary.Https://t.co/0v71CplnMU#ForTheWeb InnovationIsGREAT 💻🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/m0ZC1FUjSx
— GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign (@GREATBritain) March 12, 2019
In 1990, I coded up the foundational technologies for the World Wide Web.
To celebrate the web’s 30th birthday, will you add to a crowdsourced Twitter timeline of the web’s milestone moments? Https://t.co/7sGBdFyE6Q#Web30#ForTheWebpic.twitter.com/AzfjmpvZYX
— Tim Berners-Lee (@timberners_lee) March 12, 2019
In 1994, I was proud to be part of the first Presidential email exchange with another head of state, @carlbildt, then-Prime Minister of Sweden. In my message, I thanked him for his support as America ended the trade embargo on Vietnam. #Web30#ForTheWeb
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) March 12, 2019
Here's how the @wikipedia homepage looked shortly after launch in 2001. I love the simplicity of the vision. #web30@jimmy_walespic.twitter.com/TxStNvziS3
— Jason Evans (@WIKI_NLW) March 12, 2019
In 1995, I started a simple mailing list and the rest is history #craigslist#Web30#ForTheWebpic.twitter.com/4FCYiBNKim
— craig newmark (@craignewmark) March 7, 2019
The memory I'll share: in 1998, I lived in rural India. Every Weds, I took a 90 min bus to the nearest Internet cafe. After the wait for dial-up, I'd read emails from the only two friends that had addresses. Felt like magic. #Web30#ForTheWeb
— Sarah Drinkwater 🔮 (@sarahdrinkwater) March 12, 2019
https://twitter.com/cigarboyrick82/status/1105420084753911808
https://twitter.com/AndyMacRecruits/status/1105404823330000896
We hope that everyone is having as much fun celebrating #Web30 as we are! 🥳🎂
Also, a quick reminder that…Web ≠ Internet pic.twitter.com/44GfPsv15x
— World Wide Web Foundation (@webfoundation) March 12, 2019
In 1993, web browsers gained the ability to display images! We (a caffeine-loving group of researchers in the University of Cambridge Computer Lab) connected a camera pointing at our group's coffee pot to HTTP, and so created the world's first webcam! #Web30#ForTheWebpic.twitter.com/vFsAcN4Nyo
— Quentin S-F (@quentinsf) March 12, 2019