The History of the Web

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Sidenotes

The Internet Book Baron

Published: April 6, 2021

This week I have something a bit different, written by longtime newsletter author Ernie Smith, best known for his history […]

Weblogs

March 2021 Weblog: Trusting in the Standard

Published: March 29, 2021

A look at the work that standards makes possible, and the kinds of hypertext that were never fully realized

Content Management Made Simple

Published: March 16, 2021

Content Management Systems — software that helps people author and publish websites — likely dates back farther than you think. The problem is, it wasn’t quite called that yet.

Sidenotes

The Most Ill-Timed Website in History

Published: March 2, 2021

There are a near infinite number of sites that have launched that you’ve never heard about. This is likely one of them. But if not for poor timing, it may have been primed for success.

This Month's Weblog

November 2020 Weblog: Weird Web, Independent Web

Weblogs

February 2021 Weblog: A Healthy Web

Published: February 23, 2021

A report on the health of the Internet, and efforts to improve that health, bring us in to a new year.

Features

Writing About the Web… On the Web

Published: February 2, 2021

People thought a magazine about the web would never work. People thought a magazine about the web on the web would never work. They both did.

Weblogs

January 2021 Weblog: Taking the Power Back

Published: January 27, 2021

This month, a look at the power center in tech in the wake of a move to de-platform hate, and what the future of the personal site might look like.

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.

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.

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

Illustrations courtesy of Katerina Limpitsouni at unDraw.