This Thing Called the Internet and the World Wide Web

Posted in Client Spotlight

Facebook launched in 2004. Google launched in 1996. Amazon launched in 1995. But in 1994, OncoLink was one of the 2,738 websites in the world. In 2012, there are an estimated 612,843,429 websites². In 1994, you could access OncoLink with your blazing fast 28.8k Modem (3200 baud) (V.34).

YIKES is proud to be a part of OncoLink’s technical team since 1996. Personally, I may enjoy the geeky pleasure of watching the immense advances in Internet technology, but primarily, I care deeply in the mission of OncoLink. In the past 18 years, I have lost two of my dearest friends to cancer, but I have also seen many friends survive, going on to lead incredible lives. OncoLink was always there to provide resouces, information and support. Happy 18th Birthday, OncoLink. What is 18 in web years?

An early version of OncoLink Homepage from 1996

For more on OncoLink’s birthday, please see Happy Birthday OncoLink by James Metz, MD, OncoLink Editor-in-Chief and The Conception of OncoLink – A Perspective by Joel Goldwein, MD, Founding Editor of OncoLink.

Below are some some interesting facts and videos. Enjoy!

In 1994¹

• The White House launches its website, www.whitehouse.gov.
• Initial commerce sites are established and mass marketing campaigns are launched via email, introducing the term “spamming” to the Internet vocabulary.
• Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark start Netscape Communications. They introduce the Navigator browser.

Videos

CBC documentary from 1993 about this new thing called “Internet”

DEC – Glimpse of the Future, 1994

Sources

¹ Information Please
www.infoplease.com

² How Many Are There
www.howmanyarethere.org

Mia Levesque
YIKES, Inc and Senior Production Editor, OncoLink