8-9-95

-A coincidence of events took place in the 1990's that created a breakthrough in connectivity; that allowed individuals to send and share digital content all over the world at a small price. -The concept of the World Wide Web was developed by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who posted the first Web site in 1991 as part of an effort to create a computer network that would allow scientists to share their research more easily. -The internet was not initially a tool of connectivity and collaboration because there were no Web sites, Web pages or Web browsers to share data on other people's computers and allow others to navigate. -Within five years, the number of internet uses went from 600,000 to 40 million. -The creation of easy to install and easy to use commercial browsers popularized the Internet and the Web. -The first widely popular commercial browser was Netscape, which went public on August 9, 1995. -Although Netscape initially made the use of the internet incredibly popular and easier to use, the company was not doing well after a few years and was sold to AOL for $10 billion, who did not really take advantage of it. -Fiber optics became more popular than copper because they were lighter, more effective of transporting information, and faster.
 * Background**:
 * 1) The emergence of the internet as a toll of low-cost global connectivity.
 * 2) The emergence of the World Wide Web as a digital world where individuals could post their digital content for others to access and react to.
 * 3) The spread of the commercial Web browser, which could retrieve documents stored in Web sites and display them on all computer screens allowing everyone to use it.

-Berners-Lee explains the World Wide Web as "...an abstract (imaginary) space of information. On the Net, you find computers-on the Web, you find documents, sounds, videos...information. On the Net, the connections are cables between computers; on the Web, connections are hypertext links. The Web exists because of programs which communicate between computers on the Net." -Berners-Lee created the relatively easy to learn coding system known as HTML (hypertext markup language); he designed an addressing scheme that gave each Web page a unique location, also known as url (universal resource locator); Finally, he created a set of rules that permitted these documents to be linked together on computers across the internet, or HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol). -Berners-Lee claims that the Internet and the World Wide Web are two completely different ideas that have become one over many years. The internet sends little packets of information throughout the world, where as the World Wide Web is actual information placed on the internet, like songs, videos, and papers.
 * Major distinguishing characteristics:**

-**The creation of Netscape was a huge flattening force because it made the internet accessible to everyone from children to scientists. Netscape brought the browser, which made the computer and its connectivity more useful for millions of people. -Brought about a digital revolution with things such as data, inventories, commerce, books, music, photos, and entertainment, which would be transported and sold over the Internet. -Investors saw that there would be an infinite demand for Internet-based products and services. Created dot-com bubble and over investment in fiber-optic cable. -Some say that Netscape did not really invent anything; it just made computers more useful by adding the browser.
 * Ultimate significance: