March 1989, Geneva, Switzerland, CERN.
A British programmer was writing a proposal.
He noticed a problem: CERN had thousands of scientists from around the world using different computer systems. They needed to share information but had no unified way.
Some used FTP to transfer files, some emailed documents, some stored information in local databases. Information was scattered everywhere, hard to find.
This programmer thought: Could we build a system that lets everyone easily publish and access information?
He wrote a proposal: “Information Management: A Proposal.”
His boss wrote on the cover: “Vague but exciting.”
This programmer was Tim Berners-Lee. He was about to invent the World Wide Web.
The Dream of Hypertext#
Berners-Lee’s idea wasn’t entirely new.
As early as 1945, American scientist Vannevar Bush had proposed the Memex concept—a machine that could store and link large amounts of information. Users could create links between documents, forming “information trails.”
In the 1960s, Ted Nelson proposed the concept of Hypertext—documents linked to each other through links, forming a non-linear structure. Users could click links to jump from one document to another.
In 1968, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated the NLS system—a system supporting hypertext, mouse, and windows. This demonstration was called “The Mother of All Demos.”
But these systems were isolated. They ran on specific computers and couldn’t connect different machines.
Berners-Lee’s idea was: Combine hypertext with the Internet.
The Three Inventions of the Web#
Berners-Lee designed three core components:
1. URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Every resource has a unique address. For example: http://www.example.com/page.html
URL solved the problem of “how to find resources.” Before the Web, each system had its own address format, incompatible with others. URL provided a unified format.
2. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
A simple protocol for transmitting web pages. The client sends a request; the server returns content.
HTTP’s design is very simple: only a few request methods (GET, POST, etc.) and few status codes. This simplicity made HTTP easy to implement, driving the Web’s rapid spread.
3. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
A language for describing web page content. Using tags to mark text structure: <h1> for headings, <p> for paragraphs, <a> for links.
HTML’s design principle was “tolerance”—even if a web page has errors, the browser should try to display it rather than report errors. This lowered the barrier to creating web pages.
These three components formed the foundation of the World Wide Web. They’re all open standards that anyone can use for free.
The First Website#
Christmas 1990, Berners-Lee deployed the first website on a NeXT computer at CERN.
The site address was info.cern.ch, containing:
- Introduction to the World Wide Web project
- How to use the browser
- How to set up a server
- Related technical documentation
This was the first website in human history.
Berners-Lee also wrote the first web browser—WorldWideWeb (later renamed Nexus). It could not only browse web pages but also edit them.
The Spread of the Web#
The Web was initially used only within CERN. Berners-Lee wanted to spread it to the whole world.
In August 1991, he posted an introduction to the Web on an Internet newsgroup. Programmers around the world began paying attention to the project.
In 1993, CERN made an important decision: Web technology would be permanently free and open, with no patent fees.
This decision changed history.
If CERN had patented Web technology and charged fees, Internet development would have been greatly delayed. The Web might have become one of many competing technologies rather than a unified standard.
Berners-Lee later recalled: “We didn’t apply for a patent because we wanted the Web to become public infrastructure, like roads and telephones.”
The Mosaic Browser#
In 1993, Marc Andreessen at the University of Illinois developed the Mosaic browser.
Mosaic had several important features:
- Graphical interface: Could display images, not just text
- Mouse operation: Click links to navigate
- Cross-platform: Could run on Windows, Mac, and Unix
- Free download: Anyone could use it
Mosaic let ordinary people use the Web. In its first year, it was downloaded millions of times.
Andreessen later founded Netscape and released Netscape Navigator. Navigator held about 90% of the browser market in the mid-1990s.
The Web began explosive growth.
The Explosion of Websites#
In 1993, there were only a few hundred websites worldwide.
In 1994, the number grew to several thousand.
In 1995, the number exceeded 10,000.
In 1998, the number surpassed 3 million.
Websites began covering various fields:
- News: CNN, The New York Times went online
- Commerce: Amazon, eBay were founded
- Search: Yahoo, AltaVista, Google appeared
- Community: GeoCities offered free personal homepages
- Portals: AOL, MSN became Internet entry points
The Web transformed from an academic tool to a mass medium, from an information sharing platform to a commercial platform.
Berners-Lee’s Choice#
The Web’s success presented Berners-Lee with a choice.
He could have started a company, developed a commercial browser, and become a billionaire. Marc Andreessen did exactly that; after Netscape went public, Andreessen’s wealth skyrocketed.
Or, he could continue promoting the Web’s open development, ensuring it became public infrastructure.
Berners-Lee chose the latter.
In 1994, he created the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), responsible for setting Web technical standards. W3C ensured that HTML, CSS, HTTP, and other technologies remained open and interoperable.
He didn’t make a penny from the Web. He continued working in academia, promoting Web development.
In 2004, Queen Elizabeth knighted him. In 2016, he received the Turing Award.
But he said the greatest reward was seeing the Web change the world.
The Web’s Impact#
The Web changed every aspect of human society:
Information Access: Anyone can access global information. Wikipedia made knowledge freely available; news sites made information spread in real-time.
Commerce: E-commerce changed shopping. Amazon, Taobao, JD became retail giants.
Social: Social media changed interpersonal interaction. Facebook, Twitter, WeChat connected billions of people.
Education: Online courses made education cross borders. Coursera, edX, Khan Academy provide free educational resources.
Entertainment: Streaming changed entertainment. YouTube, Netflix, Spotify changed video and music consumption.
Work: Remote work became possible. Zoom, Slack, Teams support distributed collaboration.
The Web’s Problems#
But the Web also brought problems:
Information Overload: Too much information, hard to distinguish true from false. Fake news and conspiracy theories spread rapidly.
Privacy Leaks: Personal data is collected and used by tech companies. Ad tracking is everywhere.
Digital Divide: Not everyone can access the Internet. Developing countries and poor areas are excluded.
Cyberbullying: Anonymity makes online bullying more rampant.
Berners-Lee said: “I created the Web, but what it has become is decided by everyone together.”
He’s now pushing the Solid project, letting users regain control of their data.
Next Step: The Browser Wars#
The Web needs browsers to access. In the 1990s, the browser market erupted in a fierce war.
Netscape’s Navigator versus Microsoft’s IE. Ultimately, Microsoft won the war with Windows’ monopoly position.
Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the browser wars.
Today’s Key Concepts#
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Used to identify resource addresses on the Internet. Format is protocol://domain/path, like https://www.example.com/page.html. URLs give every web page a unique address.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) Protocol for transmitting data between web servers and browsers. HTTP is a stateless protocol; each request is independent and doesn’t save context information. HTTPS is the encrypted version of HTTP.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
Language for describing web page structure and content. Uses tags to mark text, like <h1> for headings, <p> for paragraphs, <a href="..."> for links. HTML is the foundation of the World Wide Web.
Discussion Questions#
- Berners-Lee didn’t patent the Web but opened it for free. What impact do you think this decision had on Internet development?
- The Web brought information freedom but also fake news and privacy leaks. How do you think we should balance these?
Tomorrow’s Preview: The Browser Wars—Netscape versus IE, the battle of the century, and Microsoft’s antitrust crisis.