Web 1.0 Meaning

Nov 21, 2023 | Updated Nov 21, 2023

Web 1.0 is the term for the earliest version of the Internet from the 1990s to the early 2000s. It was characterized by “read only” static websites and the first implementation of the World Wide Web.

What is Web 1.0?

Web 1.0 (Web1), also known as the Static Web, is the term used to describe the first iteration of the internet. It describes the internet between the 1990s and early 2000s. It was a read-only ecosystem, where users consumed content published by a few website owners. The terms Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 first came up in 1999, 10 years after its invention, in an article by Darci DiNucci.

Originally a product of the U.S.’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Web 1.0 was seen as the future of digital communication and information sharing. It was text-heavy and characterized by static, non-interactive pages, where consumers were mostly passive. Interestingly, user input took place offline. that is, web1 was text-heavy.

How Was Web2 Different from Web1?

Web 2.0 or Web2 was a huge step up from static web pages. Also known as the social web, Web2 describes the second iteration of the internet, which is the web as we currently know it. It introduced rich user experiences like social media networks, media sharing, blogs, wikis, images, and appealing aesthetics.

While Web1 was a static, read-only web, Web2 is interactive and dynamic. It also allows user participation through user feedback and reviews. It transitioned from a few individuals creating content to a massive boom of content creators.