CERN rebuilt the original browser from 1989 (2019)
Source: Hacker News
Hello, World
In December 1990, an application called WorldWideWeb was developed on a NeXT machine at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) just outside Geneva. This program is the antecedent of most of what we consider or know as “the web” today.
In February 2019, to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of WorldWideWeb’s development, a group of developers and designers convened at CERN to rebuild the original browser within a contemporary browser, allowing users around the world to experience the humble origins of this transformative technology.
The project was supported by the US Mission in Geneva through the CERN & Society Foundation.
Party like it’s 1989
Ready to browse the World Wide Web using WorldWideWeb?
- Launch the WorldWideWeb browser
- Select Document from the side menu.
- Choose Open from full document reference.
- Type a URL into the reference field.
- Click Open.
Remember you need to double‑click on links.
How To Open a URL
How to open a URL using the original NeXT browser.
How to edit a document and make a link
How to edit a document and make a link using the original NeXT browser.
Contents
- History — a brief history of the application built in 1989 as a progenitor to what we know as “the web” today.
- Timeline — a timeline of the thirty years of influences leading up to (and the thirty years of influence leading out from) the publication of the memo that led to the development of the first web browser.
- The Browser — instructions for using the recreated WorldWideWeb browser, and a collection of its interface patterns.
- Typography — details of the NeXT computer’s fonts used by the WorldWideWeb browser.
- Inside the Code — a look at some of the original code of WorldWideWeb.
- Production Process — a behind‑the‑scenes look at how the WorldWideWeb browser was rebuilt for today.
- Related Links — links to additional historical and technical resources around the production of WorldWideWeb.
- Colophon — information about the folks behind the project.
