The history of the internet isn’t as simple as one person coming up with the idea and making it a reality. Many scientists, programmers, engineers and more were involved in developing the internet over numerous decades. One thing that is for sure though is that the World Wide Web was created in 1990 by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, which has helped form the internet as most of us know it. Since then the internet has transformed the world, introducing many things that were unimaginable near the end of the last millennium.
Do Your Shopping
Remember supermarkets and department stores? Some of them still exist but the latter especially has seen a big decline in sales, mainly as everyone’s buying stuff online these days. That would be pretty hard to believe back in 1990 when the closest you could get to ordering food without leaving your house was ringing up the local takeaway. And even that can be done over the internet now!
Send Masses of Data
Back in 1996 (so a few years after the internet had been around) you’d get around 2.5Mb of web space and speeds of just 33.6Kbps. That’s not even enough to stream a song today. Now it’s possible to send, upload and download files that are hundreds of GB, far surpassing anything comprehensible back then.
Make Phone Calls
With dial-up internet it was impossible to use your phone and browse the World Wide Web at the same time. Thanks to Voice over IP (VoIP), it’s now possible to make phone calls using an internet connection, whether for personal or business purposes thanks to the likes of Redcentric. It’s a big advancement from a simple text email.
Watch/Listen to Anything You Want
Going to the cinema or watching TV was the only was to view the latest movies and television programmes in 1990. Especially in the last ten years or so, more and more streaming services have popped up, along with YouTube and other sites, so with a quick search you can find nearly any video you want. The same goes for music.
Read a Book
Not just order a book to be delivered online, but you can actually read it over the internet. There are thousands available for free, while others you just need to pay for to get access to everything from classics to modern literature. Given the slow loading speeds back in 1990, instant access is like a miracle to those who remember the Internet’s early days.
The internet has made everything far more convenient and introduced many things that would have been unimaginable almost 30 years ago. Which aspect still blows your mind?