About Me About Me The Webs Missing Links: The Webs Missing Links: - PDF document

12/10/2009 About Me About Me The Web’s Missing Links: The Web’s Missing Links:  Dual training Dual training  B.Sc. & M.Eng in Computer Science (Manchester) B.Sc. & M.Eng in Computer Science (Manchester) The Search Engine & Portal Industry The Search Engine & Portal Industry  Ph.D. in History & Sociology of Science (Pennsylvania) Ph.D. in History & Sociology of Science (Pennsylvania)  Main interest in history of IT use in US business Main interest in history of IT use in US business  Published papers on history of Published papers on history of  Management Information Systems concept Management Information Systems concept Management Information Systems concept Management Information Systems concept Thomas Haigh Thomas Haigh Thomas Haigh Thomas Haigh  Early data processing Early data processing The Haigh Group & The Haigh Group &  DBMS concept DBMS concept University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee  Word Processing Word Processing thaigh@computer.org thaigh@computer.org  Packaged software industry Packaged software industry  Sources for ACM history Sources for ACM history  Chair SHOT SIG on Computers, Information, Society Chair SHOT SIG on Computers, Information, Society ETH, Informatik ETH, Informatik Lunch, 18 June 2007 Lunch, 18 June 2007  Involved with IEEE, SIAM & ACM projects Involved with IEEE, SIAM & ACM projects www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom Background of Project Background of Project Aims Aims  Two chapters in MIT Press edited book, “The Two chapters in MIT Press edited book, “The Situate web with respect to other electronic Situate web with respect to other electronic 1. 1. Internet & American Business,” Aspray & Ceruzzi Internet & American Business,” Aspray & Ceruzzi publishing technologies publishing technologies  Software infrastructure chapter Software infrastructure chapter – – web, email, web, email, And earlier Internet story And earlier Internet story  protocols protocols Tie together Tie together g 2. 2.  Search and portals (“Web navigation business”) Search and portals (“Web navigation business”) Web publishing economics Web publishing economics   Contemporary history, somewhat journalistic Contemporary history, somewhat journalistic Web navigation economics Web navigation economics   Recounting of basic events from secondary sources Recounting of basic events from secondary sources Technical choices built into web design Technical choices built into web design   Focus on interplay between technology and business Focus on interplay between technology and business Write analytical history from journalistic Write analytical history from journalistic 3. 3. models models sources sources www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom Social Construction of Technology Social Construction of Technology Reconstruction of Technology Reconstruction of Technology Two key concepts established since 1980s Two key concepts established since 1980s  Commercialization of Internet infrastructure Commercialization of Internet infrastructure  1: Mutual shaping of technologies and 1: Mutual shaping of technologies and  What happens when an already “shaped” What happens when an already “shaped” society society technology gets technology gets  New uses  New uses New uses New uses  Influence of social factors on technological  Influence of social factors on technological Influence of social factors on technological Influence of social factors on technological  New “relevant social groups” New “relevant social groups” design choices design choices  New cultural meanings New cultural meanings  2: Power of technological SYSTEMS 2: Power of technological SYSTEMS  Thoughts at the back of my mind Thoughts at the back of my mind  Combine users, firms, standards, technologies Combine users, firms, standards, technologies  VHS vs Beta, QWERTY vs. Dvorak? VHS vs Beta, QWERTY vs. Dvorak? – –  which is the net? which is the net?  Lock Lock- -in effects of dominant systems as in effects of dominant systems as “Technological Momentum” “Technological Momentum” www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom 1

12/10/2009 Web Hosts Growth Web Hosts Growth 2: Narrative Overview 2: Narrative Overview www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom Timeline of Developments Timeline of Developments Web Directories Web Directories  The Web As Its Own Catalog The Web As Its Own Catalog 1991: Web introduced at CERN 1991: Web introduced at CERN   1993: Mosaic popularizes the Web 1993: Mosaic popularizes the Web  Link directories are special Link directories are special- -purpose websites purpose websites 130 servers to 10,000 in 18 months 130 servers to 10,000 in 18 months   Yahoo is most successful Yahoo is most successful 1993: First web crawlers 1993: First web crawlers  1994: Yahoo directory service founded 1994: Yahoo directory service founded   Humans visit lots of websites Humans visit lots of websites 1995: AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, 1995: AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, Infoseek , , y y , , , , Infoseek & & OpenText OpenText index web p p index web  1995: Netscape IPO 1995: Netscape IPO  Find the best ones on a topic Find the best ones on a topic  1996: Yahoo, Excite, Lycos & 1996: Yahoo, Excite, Lycos & Infoseek Infoseek IPOs IPOs   Add them with topic code to a simple database Add them with topic code to a simple database 1998: Google, Inc. founded 1998: Google, Inc. founded  1999: Search firms converge on Portal model 1999: Search firms converge on Portal model  Directory listings are batch generated Directory listings are batch generated   2000: Dot com crash signals end of easy money 2000: Dot com crash signals end of easy money  Basically the yellow pages of the Internet Basically the yellow pages of the Internet 2000: Google starts selling AdWords 2000: Google starts selling AdWords  2004: Google IPO. 2004: Google IPO.   Businesses pay for prominent position Businesses pay for prominent position Today: Google dominates search, Yahoo is primary U.S. Portal Today: Google dominates search, Yahoo is primary U.S. Portal   Firms advertise to reach searchers Firms advertise to reach searchers www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom Yahoo, 1996 Yahoo, 1996 Search Engine Model Search Engine Model  Crawlers index the web Crawlers index the web  Technology already developed for ftp sites, gopher headings Technology already developed for ftp sites, gopher headings  Keywords entered by users are looked up in index Keywords entered by users are looked up in index  Index & search developed for online services, full text databases Index & search developed for online services, full text databases like OED like OED  Hard to do well! Hard to do well!  How to make money? How to make money?  Subscription model fails for Infoseek Subscription model fails for Infoseek  Standard for online databases like LEXIS Standard for online databases like LEXIS  Advertising supported Advertising supported  Popular keywords sold at a premium from 1995 Popular keywords sold at a premium from 1995  Also sell tech or services to other websites Also sell tech or services to other websites www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom www.tomandmaria.com/tom 2