Tim Berners-Lee developed HTML and HTTP in 1990 to share scientific research on the web. He and others founded the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to establish protocols and standards for web design. The W3C proposed early specifications for HTML and CSS throughout the 1990s that became core web standards. In the 2000s, debates emerged around XHTML and new groups like WHATWG advocated for the continued development of HTML, influencing the W3C to support HTML5 and CSS3, which achieved broad browser support by 2013.

1. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
A Brief History
of the Web
Bruce Clary, McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas

2. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Tim Berners-Lee, a physicist at the European
Organization for Nuclear Research, develops the
HTTP protocol and the first version of HTML for the
purpose of making scientific research papers
available among fellow scientists.
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4. HTTP://INFO.CERN.CH/

6. HTTP://WWW.W3.ORG/HISTORY/19921103-HYPERTEXT/HYPERTEXT/WWW/THEPROJECT.HTML

7. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Berners-Lee and others found the World Wide Web
Consortium to develop protocols and guidelines
that to define how the Web works.
1990
1995
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9. HTTP://W3.ORG

10. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
In 1995, the W3C proposes the specifications for
HTML 2.0.
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11. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
In 1996, the W3C proposes the specifications for
CSS.
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12. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
In 1997, the W3C proposes the specifications for
HTML 3.2.
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13. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
And in 1998 come the specifications for HTML 4.0
and CSS2. These remain the dominant standards.
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14. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1998 was also the year that a grassroots coalition of
web designers and developers founded the Web
Standards Project, which became a powerful
educational force and advocate for web standards.
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16. HTTP://WWW.WEBSTANDARDS.ORG/ABOUT/HISTORY/

17. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
W3C begins moving toward the recommendation of
replacing HTML with XHTML 1.0.
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18. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
2001-2009 is becoming known as The Great Leap
Nowhere for HTML specifications. The W3C persisted
in its push for XHTML 2.0. But this is a period when
browsers, with the exception of Explorer, move
conscientiously toward standards compliance.
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19. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
In 2004, another group of web designers and
developers who were concerned about the
direction of the W3C on XHTML founds the Web
Hypertext Application Technology Working Group.
The argue for the continued development of HTML.
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21. HTTP://WWW.WHATWG.ORG/

22. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
The W3C abandons it recommendation of XHTML
2.0 and accepts the premises promoted by
WHATWG. Both organizations have now thrown
their full support behind...
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24. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
In 2013, nearly all major browsers conform to the
new standards for HTML5 and CSS3 although
some CSS properties still require
proprietary prefixes.
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25. CM350 WEB DESIGN FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
As we begin this course, the world of web design
has climbed Pikes Peak only to find Mt. Everest
looming ahead. Broad browser compliance with
Web standards has been achieved, but the everincreasing variety of mobile devices poses as great
a challenge as for the future as did the variety of
browsers in the first 20 years of the Web’s history.
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