WebBuilding

Encyclopedia

Web Building Encyclopedia

What it is

A cited reference on how the web was built: its technologies, people, machines, laws and turning points, from the first website in 1991 to today. Every entry links each fact to a source and ends with what the subject means for your website.

Departments

DepartmentFoundationsHow the web works: the internet underneath, the protocols browsers and servers speak, names, addresses, hosting and the tools people use to build sites.1 of 14 entries publishedDepartmentLanguages and formatsThe languages and file formats websites are made of, from HTML, CSS and JavaScript to PHP, SQL and the data formats behind web APIs.4 of 16 entries publishedDepartmentSoftware and platformsBrowsers, servers, databases, content management systems and editors: the software that built the web, past and present.1 of 18 entries publishedDepartmentPeopleThe programmers, engineers, designers and founders whose work shaped how websites are built.1 of 16 entries publishedDepartmentOrganizationsThe standards bodies, nonprofits and institutions that set the rules of the web and keep it running.0 of 8 entries publishedDepartmentDevices and hardwareThe machines the web was built on and the screens it is read on, from the NeXT computer to the smartphone.0 of 8 entries publishedDepartmentLaws and standardsThe laws, regulations and guidelines that govern websites: accessibility, privacy, email, copyright and payments.1 of 12 entries publishedDepartmentEvents and erasTurning points in the history of the web, from the first website in 1991 to the security incidents of today.2 of 8 entries published

Published entries, A to Z

  • Browser wars: Netscape vs Internet Explorer, then round two
  • CSS: Styling the web, from the 1994 proposal to grid and container queries
  • HTML: The language of web pages, HTML 1 to the living standard
  • JavaScript: Written in 10 days in 1995, now everywhere
  • PHP: From Personal Home Page tools to PHP 8.5
  • PHP2Shell (2026): The October 2026 critical PHP flaws
  • Tim Berners-Lee: Inventor of the web
  • WCAG: The accessibility guidelines, 1.0 to 2.2
  • WordPress: From a 2003 blog fork to a large share of all sites
  • World Wide Web: What the web is, how it differs from the internet, 1989 proposal to today

How the encyclopedia is written

Entries are written from primary sources: the projects' own documentation and release histories, standards documents, court and government records, and first-person accounts. Every date, number and name links to a numbered reference we opened, with the date we checked it. A separate pass that did not write the entry checks each fact before it is published.

Entries are neutral. Where sources disagree, both sides are shown with their sources. Each entry carries a review date, and fast-moving subjects are re-checked every six months.

Short definitions

Need a one-paragraph answer instead? The website building glossary defines the common terms, and links to the full encyclopedia entry where there is one.