Review: Project Xanadu – The Internet That Might Have Been
5 hours ago
- #hypertext
- #internet-history
- #technology
- Vannevar Bush envisioned the 'memex' in 1945 as a device to store and link knowledge, predating modern hypertext.
- Doug Engelbart developed the NLS system in 1968, introducing hyperlinks and collaborative editing, but his work faded into obscurity.
- Ted Nelson founded Project Xanadu in 1960, aiming to create a universal hypertext system with transclusions and royalties for content creators.
- Xanadu struggled due to technical challenges, funding issues, and Nelson's eccentric leadership, failing to materialize despite decades of effort.
- Tim Berners-Lee's simpler World Wide Web, launched in 1990, outpaced Xanadu, becoming the dominant internet platform despite lacking many of Nelson's envisioned features.
- The Web's success is contrasted with Xanadu's failure, highlighting the trade-offs between simplicity and ambitious, feature-rich designs.
- Ted Nelson's vision for a more interconnected, verifiable, and fair internet remains unrealized, with the current Web criticized for disconnection and misinformation.