The History of the Web

Timeline
Archives
Sidenotes

The man who drove from coast to coast

Published: January 19, 2021

When the web was still knew, one man decided to get on his motorcycle and do something about it.

A Fun List of Browsers You’ve Never Heard Of

Published: January 5, 2021

There are the browsers that everyone’s heard of. And then there are some that, for whatever reason, faded away. These are the latter.

Sidenotes

Excerpt from Chapter 5: Webzines Find Their Voice

Published: December 15, 2020

What follows is an excerpt from the latest chapter an ongoing series I’ve been writing for the last few months […]

Features

Why Do We Call it a Homepage?

Published: December 1, 2020

The word homepage came into popular use in the mid to late 90’s, but it’s origin dates back to the web’s beginning.

This Month's Weblog

November 2020 Weblog: Weird Web, Independent Web

Weblogs

November 2020 Weblog: Weird Web, Independent Web

Published: November 24, 2020

Chapter 5 of my series is out now, so make sure to get caught up! Plus, the weird web of the past and the independent web of the future.

Features

Everyone Should Have Access to the Web

Published: November 17, 2020

The World Wide Web Foundation began as a way to bring the web to everyone. In these trying times, it is needed more than ever.

Weblogs

October 2020 Weblog: Finding the Web and Making Your Place

Published: October 28, 2020

This month, making a website has never been this easy. Understanding the web, however, is another story

Features

Offline Browsing Like It’s 1995

Published: October 20, 2020

Offline browsing has been a kind of holy grail of web development. In the mid-90’s, it was a source of excitement, speculation, and soaring valuations.

Weblogs

September 2020 Weblog: Own Your Stuff, Learn About Fanfic

Published: September 29, 2020

If you’ve been following along with my series on CSS Tricks, well now you can listen to all of that great history, narrated by Jeremy Keith.

Features

Why You’d Click on ChickClick

Published: September 16, 2020

When two sisters hit the web with their new idea, it was unlike anything anyone had seen. That one site, ChickClick, inspired so many more and crafted a foundational network of the early web.

Site Spotlight

Hot Hot Hot Sauce

Published: September 1, 2020

When they opened their door to the public in the early 1990’s, Hot Hot Hot had over 320 hot sauce […]

Weblogs

August 2020 Weblog: A Change in the Web

Published: August 27, 2020

The Complete History, by me If you haven’t seen it yet, the first three chapters of my ongoing series at […]

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The History of the Web is a project by Jay Hoffmann.

Illustrations courtesy of Katerina Limpitsouni at unDraw.