The early days of the internet in the 1990s: web promise and perils

The early days of the internet in the 1990s were part of the Internet's development from efforts to build and interconnect computer networks. In 1969, ARPA awarded contracts to develop the ARPANET project, directed by Robert Taylor and managed by Lawrence Roberts.

2 articles, 1 book · about 1 hr 45 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   the early days of the internet in the 1990s · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   In the early days of the internet in the 1990s, Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the World Wide Web at CERN, as an application on the Internet, brought many social and commercial uses to what was then a network of networks for academic and research institutions. In 1999, Napster became the first peer-to-peer file sharing system, following web directories and search engines developed to help users find files they might want to transfer. Napster used a central server to index files and help peers find one another, but file storage and transfer were decentralized. Developing countries began to experience a digital divide separating them from the Internet as developed countries with technological infrastructures joined it. On an essentially continental basis, they built organizations to administer Internet resources and share operational experience, enabling more transmission facilities to be put into place.

2. Read
   

   The Internet's Baby Pictures, 25 Years After the Birth of the Web - JSTOR Daily · JSTOR Daily · 6 min read

   Early assessments of the web missed how broad participation in online content creation and dissemination would matter: electronic publication made piracy and plagiarism easier, since anyone could cut-and-paste, republish articles, or download and upload entire texts via bittorrent.

3. Book
   

   Snow Crash · Bookshop.org

   Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson describes Hiro Protagonist as both a pizza-delivering worker and a warrior prince in the Metaverse, then follows his search for a computer virus striking hackers. It links virtual identity with online threats.

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