The internet has progressed so much over the last decade. Once, we only used it to connect with our friends and family. But now, everything has gone online. There are apps for all purposes, and access to information has become easy. Moreover, the pandemic also forced us to use the internet for shopping, work, and education. So, in times like this, why would anyone want to cancel Spectrum service We probably need the internet more now than we ever did.
So, who were the people who brought these changes to the internet world? They were the genius minds behind the creation of the internet, social media, and e-commerce. This article will talk about the people who revolutionized how we use the internet. Their achievements have shaped the modern-day internet world into what it is now.
Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf
Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf created the design of the software Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). These protocols are what make up the basic architecture of the internet. They received the Turing Award in 2004 for their work on the internet. Their advancements are what pioneered the work on the internet. Later, people used these protocols to create packet data, and the world changed forever.
Lawrence Roberts
Lawrence Draper was an American engineer who worked towards the development of the internet. He later received the Draper Prize in 2001 for his immense efforts. Draper was the first person to build upon the TCP and IP to develop the first packet network. He called it the ARPANET, and it became the precursor to the present-day internet. Moreover, he was also the Chief Scientist in ARPA and managed the drastically new concept of its time – packet switching. He also worked on five other startups that included ATM systems. So, for all his work, he deserves a place in the internet hall of fame.
Michael Aldrich
Michael Aldrich put forth the idea of online payments between consumers and businesses back in 1979. Although it was revolutionary, the idea didn’t become viable till the internet. Teleshopping connected a TV to a telephone line and a real-time transaction processing computer. The first-ever online shopper was Mrs. Jane Snowball, and her interviews are still available in archives. Aldrich also wrote a book called “Finding Mrs. Snowball” documenting his struggles in the early days of online shopping.
Soon, this developed into the mammoth-size industry of e-commerce that we have now. Michael changed the way the world went shopping. And we could see the practical use of his work during the pandemic.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen
The two boy geniuses met in high school and went on to become co-founders of Microsoft. The internet wouldn’t have had the chance to grow as it has without these two. As the Microsoft-run computers became part of every business and household, more people started using the internet. In a world where people still used typewriters, these two started a software company. Soon, they sold their MS-DOS software to IBM. The operating system was the first of many and Microsoft Windows is still one of the largest computer OS companies in the world.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was the CEO and Co-founder of Apple, Inc. He was one of the pioneers of the personal computer era. Before his work of personal computers, businesses used IBM supercomputers. These were large devices that took up entire rooms. So, there was no concept of each house having its own computer. So, along with his companion Steve Wozniak, in 1976, Jobs founded Apple. He was one of the first people to predict that everyone would own a computer one day. He is still considered a revolutionary genius. Under the vision of Jobs, Apple also released the iPhone and iPod that changed hand-held technology forever.
Mark Zuckerberg
We cannot ignore the work of Mark Zuckerberg who is the creator of Facebook. His company Beta, also owns other prominent social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. Zuckerberg didn’t invent social media, but he has made it what it is now. Facebook is one of the biggest world platforms now for e-commerce, marketing, and personal use. The use of social media has changed the way the world sees the internet. Before social media, there was no concept of staying online all the time.
One of the biggest changes that Facebook brought to the internet is targeted online ads. With Facebook, even the smallest businesses could run ads online. So, digital marketing became much more efficient, and there were massive advancements in data science.
The PayPal Mafia
The member of the PayPal Mafia were all Stanford graduates and ex-employees of PayPal. They are probably one of the most influential groups of people in the tech industry. Some of the most prominent members were Elon Musk, Luke Nosek, Peter Thiel, and Russell Simmons. Most of them later developed technology companies that changed the world. Some of these companies are SpaceX, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tesla, Yelp, and Yammer.
