For better or worse, the World Wide Web sure has come a long way in 30 years. And what better place to feed those pangs of nostalgia on Tuesday than online, where the internet was celebrating the big anniversary.
Amazon, Google, Bill Gates, Tim Berners-Lee and many more looked back at what the web looked like and what it meant to them as the world was at the cusp of being connected in a whole new way.
Berners-Lee, who invented the web in 1989, wrote a piece in Wired about how while it’s worth celebrating the fact that half of the world is online, it’s worth reflecting on how far we have to go. For all the good the internet brings to people’s daily lives, there is a world of hurt spread by those who use it for evil intent.
In 1989, @timberners_lee submitted a proposal that would change the world.
To celebrate #Web30, for the next 30 hours we're asking everyone to contribute to a crowdsourced timeline of web milestones.
Share your web moments at #Web30 #ForTheWeb: https://t.co/8dRv1wdsOi pic.twitter.com/5GKuamd45p
— The Web Foundation (@webfoundation) March 12, 2019
Amazon, the tech giant that blossomed from online book seller to e-commerce behemoth, offered up a look at what its homepage looked like in 1995. Earth’s biggest bookstore promised 1 million titles at consistently low prices. There was even a spotlight section on books the editors loved, and updates moved … EVERY day!
In celebration of 30 years of the web, we’re looking back at our first homepage from 1995 when https://t.co/RvjXmU0HLY opened its virtual doors. We’re honored to be part of the @webfoundation’s 30-year story of the web. See all of the milestones at #Web30 #ForTheWeb pic.twitter.com/PanZ4l9f7k
— Amazon.com (@amazon) March 12, 2019
Bill Gates is certainly at the forefront of any discussion when it comes to the revolution around technology, and on Tuesday he tweeted about how he had the chance to shape the future with his colleagues at Microsoft.
I was lucky to be a young person when the digital revolution was just getting under way, and my Microsoft colleagues and I had the chance to help shape it. Celebrating #Web30 leaves me feeling nostalgic about 1995. https://t.co/krIFxTGd1q
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) March 12, 2019
Google shared a number of memories and the Google Doodle paid special tribute to the anniversary. With a variety of tweets, the company recognized its role in search, email and video dominance (YouTube).
In 1998, G was for garage…and Google. #Web30 #ForTheWeb. pic.twitter.com/qie70ysJhI
— Google (@Google) March 12, 2019
Signed, sealed, delivered! Soon after in the 90’s, people were sending more email than mail. https://t.co/aCcJOivV2o #Web30 pic.twitter.com/4D8ZF03Gkt
— Google (@Google) March 12, 2019
HBD, World Wide Web! Celebrate 30 years of the web with today’s #GoogleDoodle and follow its journey below with @googlearts → https://t.co/aCcJOivV2o #Web30 pic.twitter.com/r67wlDZUVg
— Google (@Google) March 12, 2019
Tweets capturing the sweet sound of dial-up connections were a popular way to jar people’s memories about how far we’ve come. However fast your connection is today, you have to remember the painstaking process of trying to just get online with a phone 30 years ago.
This is the sound of every 90s kid’s childhood… ?? #BackInTimeForSchool #Web30 pic.twitter.com/T2wgBu7bMV
— BBC Two (@BBCTwo) March 12, 2019
And of course the day wouldn’t be complete without hearing from the guy who actually invented the internet. * 2019 wink wink emoji *
In 1991, the High Performance Computing Act paved the way for what used to be known as the “Information Superhighway.” I was proud to write the legislation and to help ensure the Internet supports a free democracy, a standard we must continue to protect. #Web30 #ForTheWeb
— Al Gore (@algore) March 12, 2019
Go ahead and use the internet and the Twitter hashtag #Web30 to continue the trip down memory lane. … www dot man, time sure does fly.