Historical contribution
What Cailliau contributed
The 1990 proposal with Robert Cailliau described a practical hypertext project joining existing information systems. Berners-Lee then implemented the WorldWideWeb browser-editor, the first HTTP server and the first website. The line-mode browser widened access beyond the NeXT workstation, while CERN's 1993 decision to release core Web software without royalty barriers reduced a decisive adoption constraint.
Why it mattered
Makes independently hosted information globally addressable, linkable, retrievable and publishable through interoperable clients and servers.
Connected topics
Where this fits in ITEM
Evidence
Sources and further reading
- Information Management: A Proposal, CERN, March 1989
Tim Berners-Lee · 1989
- Licensing the Web: public releases of Web software, including the 30 April 1993 statement
CERN · 1993
- WorldWideWeb: Proposal for a HyperText Project, CERN, November 1990
Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau · 1990