Students use the World Wide Web to look up information.
Twenty-five years ago, on March 12, 1989, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee proposed an idea called the “Universal Linked Information System.” This system, which we know today as the World Wide Web, made it easier for everyday people to use the Internet. The Internet, which is a network that links computers around the world, had been around since the early 1970s. Before Berners-Lee’s system, however, the Internet was difficult to use. Only computer experts could access and use it properly.
It seems like it’s been around forever, but the World Wide Web took a while to catch on. In 1995, for example, only about one out of every seven Americans had Internet access. More than two out of every five Americans still had not even heard of the Internet. These figures might seem strange today. Yet, Berners-Lee said that 25 years ago, it seemed crazy that the Web would one day play a large role in people’s everyday lives. Today, more than seven out of every ten households in the United States have Internet access at home.
Berners-Lee first developed the World Wide Web when he was working as a software engineer for CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. He wanted to improve communication among the thousands of scientists who were working for CERN. He also developed the HyperText Markup Language (HTML), which is still the main language used to create websites. In 1993, Berners-Lee convinced CERN to allow everyone to use for free the Internet technology he had invented. Within a few years, many people around the world began tapping into the Web. It forever changed the way people share and access information.
To mark the World Wide Web’s 25th anniversary, Berners-Lee has been calling attention to ways that the Internet can be improved. For example, three out of every five people in the world still do not have Internet access. Berners-Lee is working to change that. He believes that it should be accessible to everyone. He has also called for an Internet bill of rights to be written to protect people’s freedom of speech and privacy on the Internet.
Loading...
