[Chapter 627: The Internet Booster]
August 6th was a special day. On this day, Tim Berners-Lee launched the world's very first website.
In fact, this standard had already been announced back in May of that year. While it caused a bit of a stir at the ti, the excitent quickly faded. Of course, this didn't apply to William White; he had been eagerly awaiting this day.
Looking back, it was evident that this invention was groundbreaking, yet the IT industry's response was surprisingly muted. If we consider contributions to the world, this guy's impact was far greater than Steve Jobs's. But his fa was nowhere near on the sa level; it was like comparing apples to oranges.
This was characteristic of the Arican mindset; after all, he was just your average Brit. Excessive hype was pointless. In reality, the World Wide Web didn't gain traction until two years later when it started to break out of its silence.
...
"Tom, have the browser updates I asked you to work on been completed?"
"Sir, given how tight your tiline is, it's done, but not exactly stable."
"Ugh, I can only give you two weeks now that Tim's site is live. I just checked it out; it's pretty basic, but it's definitely nicer than a BBS."
"Alright, sir, in two weeks a beta version will be online. I'm swamped here with a mountain of websites still to build."
"You idiot, do you not realize how bad the economy is? Why aren't you headhunting?"
Tom was frustrated. He'd already added over a hundred positions, and it still wasn't enough.
"Sir, we already have close to two hundred new hires."
"Still not enough; I need you to bring back at least eight hundred people. This is a revolution -- its impact is far greater than you realize."
"Fine, I'll listen to you, sir."
...
All industries under William White's empire began developing their websites, with NBC Online being the top priority. This wasn't starting from scratch either; they already had short news articles, bulletin boards, and email services. With over a million registered users -- wow, that was a big deal back then.
After White Systems launched the Netscape browser, web traffic soared dramatically. People discovered they could find just about anything they needed online. The revamped NBC Online was practically unstoppable.
At that ti, computer users were still a minority. Nonetheless, they were experiencing the benefits of websites, especially the kids. College students of this era were still considered rare gems; they were the elite, unlike the far less distinguished college students of the future.
It was a universal phenonon that college graduates' worth would diminish over ti, but that was a problem for the new millennium. In the U.S., completing a thesis wasn't an easy task. Students had to dig through vast materials and engage in plenty of real-world practice.
A few universities noticed a surprising drop in attendance at their libraries. All those students had flocked to computer labs instead. College students were the most open to new ideas, so it was no surprise they were enamored with the World Wide Web. Naturally, professors wanted to get in on the action too.
As a result, the schools received nurous requests to increase their computer availability, as professors realized how convenient this technology was for research.
Colleges were crucial clients, and universities in the U.S. had no problem with funding. Silicon Valley giants noted not just a surge in server orders, but also a dramatic spike in personal computer purchases.
The World Wide Web was still just a concept on Wall Street, yet these financial experts were always ahead of the market trends. The sudden boom in the semiconductor industry invigorated them like a dose of adrenaline.
...
"Tim, my friend, you've created sothing incredibly cool. But, man, it's a sha you didn't patent it."
"John, I believe the internet should belong to everyone. By the way, do you know about that Netscape company?"
John House was taken aback. "My God, you don't know William White? The guy who runs White Systems?"
"Uh, I know of White Systems; they sell adapter cards. But William White? Why should I know him?" Tim Berners-Lee was genuinely perplexed; he hadn't heard of this scientist before.
"I'm telling you, Tim, there's talk that William White funded your research. I an, think about it -- how long has it been since you launched the first website, and here he is, already rolling out dozens of them. Plus, that Netscape browser clearly didn't pop up overnight."
"Wait, what? What does Netscape have to do with White Systems? Why are they developing software?"
"First off, you should know that William White is the world's richest man and the owner of White Systems. As for Netscape, I hear it was a gift for his little daughter. Supposedly, since she's still young, she hasn't yet needed any of that money. Seriously, you don't know him?"
Tim forced a smile. If he had known, perhaps things would be different by now. Lately, he'd been worrying a lot about finances, but now it seed he wouldn't need to push for promotion. William White appeared to know what he was doing.
"I honestly don't know him. I did et Bill Gates recently, and he was very interested. But it looks like I won't need his help anymore."
He wasn't alone in his state of shock. Bill Gates was practically tearing his hair out in frustration. anwhile, Dell was feeling pretty pleased with himself. He realized he had a fresh avenue for marketing. Oh, he definitely needed to speak with NBC Online about ad placents.
As for Jobs, he scoffed dismissively. That jerk wouldn't give anything away for free. Just wait and see; soone was bound to end up disappointed. Huh, why hadn't Bill jumped on this yet? Co on, he announced it in May; here it was August, and still no action.
The buzz in the industry was huge, yet the greater significance of this remarkable discovery didn't seem to register.
Alright, the entry barrier for using computers was still quite high. The so-called personal PCs of the ti were mostly used by companies, especially outside the U.S.
...
"Sweetheart, are you off to work?"
"I'll be back soon. I have to earn so milk money for the baby."
"Okay, co ho early. It's nice having you around."
"Co on, Michelle, don't get all mushy; the baby's still here." Seeing Michelle Reis getting a little too affectionate, Suzuki seed envious, wishing she could pull off that charm but only resorted to teasing mode.
"Ugh, mind your own business. You're the one who hired a beauty to be his assistant."
"Okay, okay, I'll be back in just a few days. The next holiday will be longer."
"Really? Longer than this one?"
"Yep, I've decided I need to live worry-free. As for work, this ti, I'll just toss it to the side."
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
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