cre84web – Website design and web based technologies

This is a question I get a lot at the end of presentations. All too often we use the two terms interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. I will not get into the technical details of each too much, I’ll try and keep it simple. So those techies out there please keep your comments to yourselves, this is intended to be in plain english and simple!

The internet was first theorized in the early 1960’s, although the term “internet” did not enter the lexicon until 1974. The idea was to connect two computers who were not on a local network, some distance from one another, to each other via a telephone line. The first successful connection of this kind occurred between a computer in Massachusetts and a computer in California in 1965. This is the point at which I get a few blank stares of surprise by those who are thinking “web”.

This initial concept grew out of a U.S. government project. Early application of this communication type was primarily between U.S. government facilities and universities. In order to connect to this early internet, you had to be a programer…their was nothing easy or friendly about this connection.

Footnote: The first E-mail was adapted and used in 1972!

The first proposal for the “World Wide Web” was made by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, that’s where we get the “www” from. The intention was to use a new protocol with which to more easily access and share information between computers via the internet. Essentially there was a need for non-programers to share and access information and the “web” was the answer. 1990 saw the first successful implementation of this new “World Wide Web”.

The first web browser, Mosaic, was released in 1993. That team then went on to develop Netscape Navigator and in turn Mozilla’s Firefox.

OK, still not sure what the difference between the web and the internet is? Essentially the internet is the base network by which inter-computer communication can occur…a highway system if you will. The “web” is one way through which you can access or share information via the internet.

The internet can also be used for other forms of data sharing such as digital television, voice over internet protocol or VOIP such as Vonage or Skype. and many other non “web” systems.

The “web” we know now using a browser to interface with other computers/servers has only existed since the early 1990’s. But as you can see, the development leading to the “web” has been ongoing since the 1960’s!