The WorldWideWeb and the World Wide Web
The WorldWideWeb, later known as Nexus, was the first web browser and web page editor created. Developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1990 while he was working at CERN, WorldWideWeb ran on the NeXT Computer, which used the NeXTSTEP operating system. The creation of this browser marked the inception of what would become the World Wide Web.
Development and Functionality
The WorldWideWeb browser allowed users to browse hypertext documents and edit web pages, a feature that would not be a standard part of web browsers in the following years. It provided an interface primarily for text documents, with support for basic formatting and linking between different documents. The browser used the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to retrieve web pages from web servers.
Tim Berners-Lee and the Inception of the Web
Tim Berners-Lee, often credited as the inventor of the World Wide Web, envisioned a system where documents and data could be linked and accessed via the Internet. He developed the concept of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) to uniquely identify resources on the web. This system laid the groundwork for a connected information space that transcended the boundaries of geographical and organizational silos.
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web itself is an information system where documents and other web resources are identified by URLs, interlinked by hypertext links, and accessed via the Internet. It is distinguished from the Internet by its functionality as a system for accessing various information over the medium of the Internet, which is a global network of interconnected computers.
Growth and Impact
Since its inception, the World Wide Web has grown exponentially, thanks in part to the work of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), founded by Berners-Lee in 1994 to develop web standards. The Web has transformed how information is disseminated and accessed globally, impacting numerous fields, including e-commerce, media, education, and communication.
Early Web Technologies
Early technologies that contributed to the expansion of the Web include the World Wide Web Worm, one of the first search engines, and the development of HTML and CSS, which support the creation and styling of web pages. These technologies have evolved significantly, paving the way for a more interactive and visually engaging web.