Web browser history part 2: The browser wars

See also: Web browser history part 1: The evolution of the browser

88x31 buttons promoting Internet Explorer and Netscape
88×31 buttons of Web 1.0 promoting Internet Explorer and Netscape. These were commonly found on both personal and professional web pages at the time.

In its prime, the Mosaic browser was instrumental in bringing the web to the average person. As its architecture carried over to the foundations of future software, developers found ways to improve its features. This was done not only through creation of their own browsers, but also in finding ways to knock out any other competition. This ushered in the first of few eras of “browser wars”: A competition among developers to have the most popular browser. Continue reading “Web browser history part 2: The browser wars”

Web browser history part 1: The evolution of the web browser

Original WorldWideWeb logo
Original WorldWideWeb logo, designed in 1990 by Robert Cailliau

If there’s any 20th century invention that changed the world in a revolutionary way, it is the World Wide Web. What started as a small project to easily host internal information over the internet has since transformed into an integral part of our modern society. The information and content we have today would not be accessible without the creation of web browsers. Before web browsers, internet users did not have much to rely on aside from e-mails and newsgroups. This has since changed. From simplistic software in its early days, to multi-functioning products today, browsers have come a long way. Continue reading “Web browser history part 1: The evolution of the web browser”

The madness of ManBeef

The internet is the information highway. Unfortunately, it also holds plenty of misinformation that gets spread to naive users. There are also just-for-fun hoaxes created with the intention of fooling gullible internet users. Sometimes, these practical jokes become bigger than expected. In 2001, manbeef.com made its mark as a hoax site that took inboxes by storm. Continue reading “The madness of ManBeef”

Web eras simplified: Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and beyond

In my previous article, the terms “web 1.0” and “web 2.0” appeared. For those who had never seen these words before, it brought up the question of “what do those words mean?”. There are different explanations out there for each term, some more similar than others. Though the debate regarding their exact definitions is complicated, they can also be broken down into more accurate descriptions. Continue reading “Web eras simplified: Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and beyond”

Personal pages in the GeoCities years

Geocities logo from 1998-1999
GeoCities logo from 1998-1999

Before social media accounts, making your own website was the only way to publicly share your content with the rest of the web. One of the easiest ways to do this was through the free web-hosting service known as GeoCities. Continue reading “Personal pages in the GeoCities years”

The IM legacy of MSN Messenger

Let’s talk about something not too old, but also something that no longer exists: MSN Messenger, later known as Windows Live Messenger up until its demise. For the sake of simplicity, and in reference to what most of us colloquially called it after its name change, it will be referred to as MSN Messenger for the remainder of this post.

cierra-messenger-default1

First released in 1999, MSN Messenger was one of the most used instant messaging clients in the world. The program evolved from a simple plain-text messaging service between contacts, to a full interactive experience that went beyond text conversation and added webcam chat, audio, file sharing, multiplayer games, emoticons, and much more. In competition with other IM’ing services such as Yahoo! Messenger and ICQ (both still in service, believe it or not), MSN Messenger arguably left the biggest impact in the history and culture of instant messaging. Continue reading “The IM legacy of MSN Messenger”