What is Happening: A Look At Technology 20 Years Ago
Technology 20 years ago already had the internet, of course. But only a few computers were connected to it. So what do you think technology is that time?
How Was The Internet Then
The internet of 20 years ago was, shall we say, “primitive”. It was known as the World Wide Web. There were just about 10,000 websites as compared to today’s 45 billion web pages. And there were only two million computers connected to the internet during that time. Today, there are almost four billion web users.
Apps On The Internet Then
Of course there were already apps on the internet then. Amazon, Yahoo! And Mosaic Communications (later known as Netscape) were in the beginning stages. Netscape Navigator was the first commercial web browser launched then. Two years after came Microsoft Internet Explorer. Then ten years after came the Mozilla Firefox.
How Computers Functioned
Internet was mostly used by scientists and clients then. But computers used floppy disks then. And it required telephones to literally dial a connection. The internet connection was made available through America on Line (AOL) and Compuserve. Sites had to give internet users instructions since no one knew what they were doing.
Other Information
Then US Vice President Al Gore used the phrase “information superhighway”. A year later the internet became popular in movies. Films like “Hackers” ( which starred Angelina Jolie) and Sandra Bullock’s “The Net” was released in the movies. Jolie was even quoted as saying that “talking to people all over the place…it’s amazing”.
More Innovations
The first banner was launched by Wired (so they claim). Graphics for AT&T and Zima, changed advertising forever. These graphics generated revenue for websites that did not charge users for access. It offered clients real numbers for how many saw their ad and clicked on it.
The first radio station to broadcast online was WXYC at the University of North Carolina. It paved the way for an audio streaming industry. This now includes Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio. The first Online Shopping transaction was done for a pizza by Pizza Hut. While students from Swarthmore created the first online “secure market”. They called it NetMarket.
As the years go by innovations were made to improve and develop technology. That is why we enjoy the ease of doing hassle-free transactions and works.