World Wide Web Turns 30 - An Astonishing Evolution

World Wide Web turned 30 yesterday. In human terms, an adult gets married or just becomes fed-up with the world and its ways at that age. However, in the world of Internet, we can equate these years to an era where a civilization can blossom and is ultimately demolished due to many factors. The immense growth and exponential evolution of World Wide Web have left many people with countless questions because of its complexities.

But this is an occasion to be celebrated not to be criticised. If somebody would have told Sir Tim Berners-Lee that his invention would be the most relevant thing in the world in the coming 30 years, he would have probably agreed to it because, as a scientist, he was fully aware of the potential and possibilities of this invention.

However, it was many brilliant people’s contribution that led to this ground-breaking invention. Whether it is the invention of the computer or of internet, previous world-changing innovations carved a path for Sir Tim to find a way for sharing information effectively and efficiently. CERN, where Tim worked, was generous enough to give away this invention to the world to invite experimentation and innovation.

Where It All Started

Sir Tim worked on the following things which laid the foundation for World Wide Web:

• HTML: It stands for HyperText Markup Language which is used for formatting on the web.
   
• URI: It is more commonly known as URL now and initially, it was Uniform Resource Identifier to find a unique address on the web.
   
• HTTP: Hypertext transfer protocol makes it possible to retrieve resources spread across the web.

He also created the first web browser and server but it was the revolutionary ideas of the internet community that ensured World Wide Web grows organically and inclusively.

These ideas covered concepts like decentralisation, net neutrality, transparency in writing the code, universality of language and some common rules on which all of the stakeholders agree.

As It Stands

In his blog posted on webfoundation.org, Lee himself has admitted that World Wide Web is far from what it was ideally imagined to be in the future. In his view, hate speech, malicious intent, misinformation and sponsored hacking are just some of the major challenges that internet is facing. But there is still great hope that it could be changed for the better and the power lies in the collective awareness of the people at large.

Webclick Digital Pvt. Ltd. is a leading Website Designing Company In India, and we are the direct beneficiaries of Sir Tim’s invention. This is our bit to spread awareness regarding the WWW’s history and challenges. Follow us on social media for more such content.