The Evolution of the World Wide Web

The web has changed drastically over the years. New tools have been developed – new ways for all of us to engage, participate, and contribute to the World Wide Web on our phones and computers. Believe it or not though, even with all the growth of the internet, people still seem to prefer accessing the internet through a desktop rather than through a mobile device. A recent study shows around 55.9 percent of time spent online is done through a desktop computer (Broadband Search).

What even is The World Wide Web? It is controlled by the World Wide Web Consortium (known as W3C). It is “An international community where member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards” (W3C). The W3C are led by Tim Berners-Lee and Jeffrey Jaffe. Speaking of Tim Berners-Lee, he is best known for inventing the Web as we know it (originally for physicists (Lanier 6)), and is the director of the W3C (W3C). 

A way I personally contribute to the internet is through this blog right here. Blog is short for “weblog,” and is considered a website that information is published on by the owner of the blog in a chronological order. Blogs are commonly used for multiple uses, whether personal or professional, and can have one specific subject matter or a range of covered information (WordPress). 

Here are few examples of things that have evolved the Web: 

Responsive Web Designs: A responsive Web design is a website that responds to a user’s behavior. This means it can change or adapt based on screen size, platform, or orientation (Smashing Magazine). Responsive website designs are important because without it, users are unable to view the same website on a computer, phone, or tablet. The ability for a website to be seen with a good resolution and adjusted size on any device is key for it to succeed.  

SEO: This is “the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s unpaid results” (WordStream). This is important to all website owners and managers due to its ability to bring in more relevant traffic.  

Dynamic Content: Dynamic content is any online content that changes based on data, user behavior, and preferences” (Roy). For example, when you get on Spotify and have a bunch of playlists recommended for you to listen to based off what you already listen to, or when you are online shopping and see recommended products based on what you’ve previously viewed, you are experiencing dynamic content.  

CMS: A content management system is basically an online tool that helps everyday people create or publish websites without needing the knowledge to write the code themselves. This blog is a great example of a CMS – WordPress is a tool that helped me publish this blog.  

An example that combines a few of these specific evolutions is YouTube, especially when you are active with the YouTube community and create your own channel. When I think of a YouTube channel, I essentially think of a “profile.” If you create an account on YouTube, you are automatically given a channel which comes along with the ability to subscribe to other user’s channels, post your own videos, and fill it with your personal information. Any individual, group, or organization who wishes to share information (maybe about a business or anything educational) or entertainment (musicians, comedians, etc.). 

Well that’s all the information I’ve got for today. Talk soon! 

-Sabrina- 

 

Sources:

About W3C. (2019). https://www.w3.org/Consortium/. 

Demers, T. (2020, April 12). SEO Basics: Complete Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization. https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/04/30/seo-basics. 

Introduction to Blogging. (2020). https://wordpress.org/support/article/introduction-to-blogging/. 

Lanier, J. (2011). You are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto. London: Penguin Books. 

Mobile Vs. Desktop Usage (Latest 2020 Data). (2020).  https://www.broadbandsearch.net/. 

Roy, R. (2019, July 19). What is Dynamic Content? Definition, Types, Strategy, Best Practices with Examples. https://www.martechadvisor.com/articles/.