The Road to Hell

A few years ago, when Internet users were looking search and navigate through the growing collection of data, an application that displayed marked up images and data emerged. The first incantation was called NCSA Mosaic. Shortly thereafter, on October 13, 1994, Marc Andreessen sent out a message that read:

Mosaic Communications Corporation is making a public version of Mosaic Netscape 0.9 Beta available for anonymous FTP.

Mosaic Netscape is a built-from-scratch Internet navigator featuring performance optimized for 14.4 modems, native JPEG support, and more.

That simple application was the spark that ignited more than just a browser war.

Netscape's debut marked the beginning of a whirlwind that continues today. From Amazon.com to VCs on Sand Hill Road giving millions to anyone with a business plan, shopping in your underwear, the rise of the "new economy", massive IPOs, Day Trading, and 24/7 information access, the browser is ultimately responsible for the shrinking of our world.

Sadly, Netscape, the once undisputed king of the browser wars, has seen a remarkable fall from grace. Inconsistent standards, too many features bloating the application, poor support and a mass exodus of developers has doomed the browser to a sad fate.

Find out more: Origins of a Browser | History of the World Wide Web.