The History of the Web

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The Intranet saved the Internet

Published: November 2, 2021

In 1998, Netscape announced a bold new plan to the world. One announcement was expected. The other took the tech world by surprise.

Sidenotes

The Perilous Price of Blogging

Published: September 24, 2021

A single website changed his life, and set him on a path to activism, and ultimately, exile.

Weblogs

The Great Reckoning Comes Around: August 2021

Published: August 31, 2021

My ongoing research has me taking another look at the Browser Wars and thinking about how they’re retelling themselves in real-time today.

Sidenotes

An Hour About… Psuedo.com

Published: July 6, 2021

Pseudo.com is a forgotten relic of the dot-com era. Was it ahead of its time? A moonshot that went too far? Or simply a piece of elaborate performance art?

Weblogs

May 2021 Weblog: Communities Long Gone

Published: June 1, 2021

A look at how we can save our websites from ourselves, and the stories that keep us going.

Weblogs

April 2021 Weblog: Holding on to our History

Published: April 27, 2021

When websites disappear, how do we make sure that our history is preserved?

Site Spotlight

Trying (and Failing) to be Cool

Published: April 20, 2021

The web’s turn into commercial may have happened quickly—it was largely complete by the end of the 1990’s—but that doesn’t mean it didn’t take a turn into the weird here and there. Case and point: Zima.

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

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.

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.

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.

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