The internet has come a long way since its birth. While it seems like websites such as Netflix, Twitch, and Reddit have been with us since the beginning, these are relatively recent innovations in the history of the World Wide Web.
We’re going to take a trip down memory lane and look at what some of the most famous websites looked like when they first launched. You’ll be surprised at how much they’ve changed.
(Note: For the most part, we’re reversing the clock with the help of The Wayback Machine. Some images may be broken because of this.)
1. Reddit
Reddit bills itself as “the front page of the internet” and has done so since its humble beginnings in 2005. Dreamt up by then-college students Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, Reddit is a place for users to chat and share images and videos with others.
While Reddit underwent a major redesign in 2018, the fundamental layout of the website has remained unchanged since it began—presenting submissions in a ranked list that you can vote on.
But did you know that Reddit didn’t have a comment system at launch? It took six months for that feature to arrive.
2. Twitch
Twitch launched in June 2011, created as a way for people to stream video games. It was a spin-off of Justin.tv, a now-defunct streaming website that focused on real-life streams.
The site’s slogan was “better than real sports,” which is amusing to consider now that esports is so popular and you can make a living playing video games. The design was darker than it is now, though still put streamers and the different games being played front and center.
Nowadays, Twitch is owned by Amazon, allows streams in other areas like music, and nets over 15 million daily users.
3. Twitter
Twitter is one of the most popular websites on the internet and it has only grown since launching publicly in July 2006. It was originally designed as a way for people to share 140 character thoughts with others, which could be submitted via SMS or on the web.
Many people now access Twitter through smartphone apps and you can no longer text your Tweets. And while the core concept of a feed of Tweets remains the same, the design has changed with the introduction of features like embedded media, likes, Retweets, and more.
4. Zoom
When Eric Yuan launched Zoom in August 2012, he might have had strong hopes for the service. In fact, it started off strong, as Zoom had 400,000 users by the end of its first month.
However, not even Yuan could have predicted the incredible surge that Zoom would see from the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020, as people scrambled to talk to colleagues, friends, and family.
At first, Zoom allowed video conferences with up to 15 participants, though this was boosted to 25 a few months later.
Its original website looks amusingly simple, showing four people on an iPhone, and a positive quote from The Wall Street Journal proudly displayed. Now, Zoom’s homepage boasts testimonials from some of the largest companies in the world.
5. Wikipedia
If you’ve been on the internet, you’ve been on Wikipedia. It’s used by students to write essays, scholars to explore history, or just to look up your favorite celebrity’s age. The free encyclopedia received its first edit on January 15, 2001, and now receives nearly 500 million monthly readers.
From its launch, Wikipedia’s homepage highlighted news stories and related entries. It also directed users towards categories. The current homepage still does this, though it focuses on a few primary groups.
Missing are the now-popular featured article, “on this day,” and “did you know” boxes, which have been standard on Wikipedia for years.
6. Netflix
There are plenty of reasons to subscribe to Netflix, but chances are that you already do. Netflix is not only the largest streaming service, but also one of the most popular websites in the world.
It might be hard to imagine now, but the home entertainment market was very different when Netflix began in 1997. People would pay to rent DVDs (then a new technology), which would be sent through the mail. It was the very first online DVD rental shop. Monthly subscriptions arrived in 1999.
As such, Netflix’s original website is extremely different from how it appears today. There was no online video streaming. No rows of content to endlessly scroll. Instead, you could browse Netflix’s DVD collection, see what was featured and recently released, and place your order.
7. Tripadvisor
If you’re planning a vacation or looking for somewhere to eat, chances are you turn to Tripadvisor. The travel website is known primarily for collecting user reviews of hotels, rentals, attractions, and more.
When Tripadvisor was founded in February 2000, it was designed to help you search the web to find personalized travel information. It essentially planned to become the Google of travel and license its technology to partners.
The first iteration of the website reflected that. It even had a charming directions page, leading visitors to the Tripadvisor office:
There is a pizza place and a dry cleaner on the first floor. There is a white hen pantry across the street. If you pass a Roche Bros supermarket on the right hand side you have gone too far.
8. AliExpress
AliExpress is a China-based consumer shopping site that launched in 2010, as a spin-off from the wholesale site Alibaba. AliExpress doesn’t sell anything itself, but rather hosts third-party sellers. It’s popular in Russia, Latin America, and the US, though serves plenty of countries.
AliExpress is known for its cheap products and its original homepage heavily leans into that, with products like handbags, notebooks, and wedding dresses all being advertised at bargain prices.
Today, the website has an updated brand, but still uses the same design with a top menu, shopping categories on the left, and a central slider to showcase the latest deals.
What Does the Future of the Web Hold?
You might visit lots of these websites every single day. While it might seem like they’ve been around forever, many of them are recent innovations.
It’ll be interesting to see how these websites continue to change (or not!) over the coming years, and how recent technology like IoT, AI, and virtual reality play into that.