Web1, also known as the first generation of the World Wide Web, traces back to the late 1980s, a time when the internet was still in its infancy. Cyberspace was a realm of static web pages crafted using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). These pages, viewed through web browsers like Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, were simplistic in nature, lacking the interactivity that we take for granted today.
Back then, the internet was a realm of information retrieval and basic communication, devoid of the dynamic content and advanced functionalities that are now commonplace. Web1 was marked by its basic features and limited interactivity. Websites were primarily static, unchanging unless manually updated by web developers.
They consisted of modest text, images, and links to other pages, with minimal support for online transactions, interactive forms, or multimedia. The design of web pages was rudimentary, featuring scant graphics and simplistic layouts, a far cry from the visually immersive websites of today.
Primarily serving informational purposes, Web1 websites acted as online brochures, catalogs, and data repositories. Users could access information on news, weather, and sports, but user-generated content and social media as we know them today were non-existent.
Online interactions were largely confined to email and basic discussion forums, with limited opportunities for virtual communities to thrive. Technologically speaking, Web1 operated at a much slower pace than the high-speed internet of today. Internet connection speeds were snail-paced, causing websites to load at a sluggish pace.