Way to go, Wayback!
Celebrating 1,000,000,000,000 web pages saved
Those of us of a certain age remember the sound of a high-pitched, crackling dial-up as we waited in anticipation for our modems to connect to this new thing called “the World Wide Web.” We were still running high on the idea of having a personal computer in our homes or workplace, but now we would be able to connect with people and access information from all over the world. It was slow. It was noisy. But it was exciting.
We didn’t know then how rapidly and drastically it would change the world. We didn’t know then how information would become something available at our fingertips – in an instant. We didn’t —and probably still don’t —understand the full impact of that crackling connection made available to all of us in 1993.
It literally changed the world.
As the “World Wide Web” evolved and information sped down its “super highway,” the question arose of how to save all this digital content. And in 1996, “The Wayback Machine” was born. Entrepreneurs Brewster Kahle and Bruce Gilliat founded the Internet Archive, a truly unique digital library, with the goal of providing “universal access to all knowledge” (Internet Archive Website 2025) by preserving archived copies of websites.
Ironically, on the same day that the current administration recklessly destroyed the White House East Wing to build a gauche and garish ballroom to feed a despot’s narcissistic ego, a team of humble, nerdy engineers celebrated saving 1 trillion webpages in their archive. Nestled in our neighborhood, just a few blocks from our home, my husband and I attended an event celebrating this unique library and milestone. In light of the daily horrors the current administration is inflicting on its own citizens, it was just the kind of reminder of community and good people we needed.
The positive energy and excitement over this accomplishment were palpable. We arrived to a band playing, taco trucks serving food, and people mingling with smiles and contagious energy. Every attendee was given a lighted wristband that synced with the music, food and drink tickets, and a lanyard with a scavenger hunt; nobody we talked to seemed to know how to play. But it didn’t matter. People were just happy to be there celebrating something constructive and positive in light of all the negative in our world.
As a small group gathered waiting for their tacos, a self-appointed woman helped the truck purveyors by calling out ticket numbers for them as she waited for her order. People chatted about random tidbits and exchanged smiles. Once inside for the big presentation, we were all treated to a look back at the journey not just of The Internet Archive, but the entire evolution of the internet. There were humorous discoveries from Wikipedia, a bit of “remember when” as the original Gmail page, which was actually “Garfield Gmail” (yes, the cat) was shared, and heartfelt speeches from the creators, dignitaries, and journalists about the significance of this milestone.
But, something that stood out above all was when the founder and Digital Librarian, Brewster Kahle, said, “You know what the best thing about this is? Looking at what we built! I don’t just mean the engineers, but everyone. All of us. We all made the web.” And he’s right. The web wouldn’t exist without the users, the content creators, but most importantly – the world wanting to connect. So, in a moment when the worst of humanity is revealing itself to us every day, I found solace in this little community with such humble but significant impact. This small non-profit’s accomplishment goes well beyond the cataloguing of 1 trillion webpages, in my opinion. It serves as a reminder of the great potential of humanity and community. And let’s just say, I needed that reminder this week.
And hope – we still can change the world.
Thank you for being a part of my reading and blogging community. I’m so glad you’re here. ✨
What do you think is the most amazing thing about the internet? I would love to hear from you in the comments below! 🥰
ⓒ Angie Gascho 2025. All rights reserved.
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My favorite lines from this one: "the current administration recklessly destroyed the White House East Wing to build a gauche and garish ballroom to feed a despot’s narcissistic ego..." and "The web wouldn’t exist without the users, the content creators, but most importantly – the world wanting to connect...It serves as a reminder of the great potential of humanity and community." so GOOD!!
What an uplifting and informative missive. Thanks!