← Back to Concept Index
bulletin-board-systems
Early online platforms allowing users to leave messages and share files, serving as the first social networks inhabited by hackers and enthusiasts.
1 chapter across 1 book
100 Ideas that Changed the Web (2014)Jim Boulton
Of mice and men
The chapter chronicles the foundational technologies and cultural dynamics that shaped the Web, beginning with Douglas Engelbart's invention of the computer mouse which enabled hypertext navigation and the development of markup languages like HTML. It then traces the evolution of the internet from ARPANET and packet-switching networks to the adoption of TCP/IP protocols, highlighting the rise of ISPs, the social role of bulletin board systems as early online communities, and the complex hacker ethic that both challenged and contributed to digital innovation.