History
Tim Berners-Lee: The Man Who Invented the Web
Learn about Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web and is now fighting to keep it open and accessible for everyone.
0 views
0 comments
What is it?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web. In 1989, while working at CERN, he proposed a system for information management that would use the internet to link documents globally. He then created the world's first web browser, web server, and the foundational technologies that power the web: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) system, and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). What is often most noted is that Berners-Lee gave his invention to the world for free, choosing not to patent it.
Why is it trending?
Tim Berners-Lee remains a prominent figure due to his continuous advocacy for a free, open, and safe web. He is the founder of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which develops web standards, and the World Wide Web Foundation, which fights for digital equality. Recently, his work has focused on data sovereignty and decentralizing the web to give users more control over their personal data, away from the dominance of large tech companies. This is embodied in his work with the open-source platform Solid and his company, Inrupt.
How does it affect people?
The invention of the World Wide Web has fundamentally transformed daily life, revolutionizing how people access information, communicate, shop, and entertain themselves. It has created entire new industries and reshaped the global economy. Berners-Lee's ongoing work directly impacts modern digital rights. His efforts to promote data privacy and decentralization through projects like Solid aim to empower individuals by giving them ownership and control over their online data. His advocacy for net neutrality and against censorship seeks to ensure the web remains a level playing field and a tool for positive change for everyone.