a christmas birthday to remember

December 24, 2010 10:42 PM

These days, with Christmas getting more and more commercial, it's occasionally hard to keep track of all the reasons to celebrate. One of the big reasons though is a very special birthday. The birth of something that changed the world. I'm referring, of course, to the birth of the world wide web.

Happy 20th Birthday Internet!

posted by sarastro (21 comments total)

All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:45 PM on December 24, 2010 [5 favorites]

Well faked-out.
posted by John Cohen at 10:48 PM on December 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wait thirteen more years until it's nailed to a tree for thirty silver pieces.

Oh what, the FCC ruling was last week?
posted by orthogonality at 10:49 PM on December 24, 2010 [6 favorites]

The vast expanse of the internet has given the older wheel-chair persons a chance to be entertained besides boring nothing worth watching on t.v. the internet vast websites keep my attention the long hours i'm stuck at home in my trusty wheel-chair. also thanks to the web-site called Metafilter,that also helps nicely to move the hours along. Merry Christmas to all that read this post.
posted by tustinrick at 10:58 PM on December 24, 2010 [18 favorites]

20 years, huh? Only one more year, and you can drink here in the States. Then it all goes to hell.

Yes. More!
posted by Askiba at 11:09 PM on December 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh gopher, what dreams we had.
posted by benzenedream at 11:24 PM on December 24, 2010 [4 favorites]

"Happy 20th Birthday Internet!" Web. The internet was around and doing fine well before the advent of the web. Heck we even had a permanent noobie wave that we bitched about. Our naivety was so quaint in hindsight.
posted by Mitheral at 11:27 PM on December 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

First! In mid-1993, I set up one of the first 100 web-servers in the world. Not that it matters, sort of like being the first person born in a hospital on new years day, it had to happen to someone, but still a nice feeling to recollect. One of these days I'll write a book. Chapter 2: The Download. Chapter 3: The Install. Chapter 4: The "www" Client. Chapter 5: I (heart) Gopher
posted by stbalbach at 11:28 PM on December 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

One of these days I'll write a book.

BTDT
posted by anigbrowl at 11:50 PM on December 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

It was on Dec. 25, 1990, that Timothy Berners-Lee, with the help of computer scientist Robert Cailliau, published the first website.

Yeah, but that's just fucked up. You should have been having a traditional Christmas with your family and turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and stuff. Fuck you Timothy Berners-Lee for coopting a tradition that goes back two millennia. Your "World Wide Web" thing is pretty cool, but couldn't you have waited a day or two?
posted by twoleftfeet at 11:54 PM on December 24, 2010

If I've ever felt compelled to ask an indifferent deity for blessings on an inanimate object, it's over the Internet.
posted by Soliloquy at 12:33 AM on December 25, 2010

shakespeherian: "All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share"

"I don't want the world, I just want your half."
posted by sharkfu at 12:40 AM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

The internet gave me some wonderfully creepy presents this year!
posted by fairmettle at 2:52 AM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

"Holidays Internet, and happy future."

Know why I've a happy?

"No, enlighten me."

Heh, Google it.
posted by Mblue at 3:35 AM on December 25, 2010

The internet is 20 years old and it keeps bugging me to buy it a drink.

Wait one more year, Internet. You can't handle it
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:54 AM on December 25, 2010

We need a holiday song to commemorate this momentous occasion...
posted by caution live frogs at 4:20 AM on December 25, 2010

Lights, please?

And there were in the same country physicists abiding in the field, keeping watch over their particles by night.
And, lo, Tim came upon them, and the glory of the Nerd shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And Tim said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of Geneva a Server, which hosts The World Wide Web.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the text wrapped in angle brackets, hosted on a NeXT computer.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of hosts with hamsters dancing, and saying,
<H1>Glory to the Web<H1> in bold, and on the 'net peace, and good will toward men.

THIS SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
posted by condour75 at 6:07 AM on December 25, 2010 [18 favorites]

It is a very special birthday of someone who changed the world: Sir Isaac Newton.
posted by Schmucko at 7:18 AM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hopefully, if the human race survives 200 years into the future, the birth of the Web will be what's celebrated on December 25th, and this Jesus fellow will be an interesting historical footnote.
posted by codacorolla at 8:54 AM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

20 years, huh? Only one more year, and you can drink here in the States. Then it all goes to hell.

Meanwhile, here in Canada, my Internet has been drinking for a couple of years now. Which conveniently coincides with most of my posting history here on the blue.
I told you guys it wasn't me who was drunk!
posted by mannequito at 9:00 AM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

20 years ha? its seems to be getting tired already...so slllooowww today...
posted by TKL0125 at 3:46 PM on December 25, 2010