The Web Was Done by Amateurs

Is the Internet really that well done as some of us might think?

In 2012, the computer science pioneer Alan Kay released an interview in which he stated: ‘‘the Internet was done so well that most people think of it as a natural resource like the Pacific Ocean, rather than something that was man-made. (…) The Web, in comparison, is a joke. The Web was done by amateurs.’’ By looking at the history and present state of the Web, computer scientist Marco Aiello will give a reflection on one of the largest collective systems ever engineered. He bring arguments to prove or refute Kay's statement. How did the Web come about? Who are the heroes behind it? How did it evolve to what it is today? The material of this lecture is based on a forthcoming book to be published by Springer.

Marco Aiello is professor of Distributed Systems at the University of Groningen. From April 2018, he will be professor of Service Computing at the University of Stuttgart. Aiello has also been affiliated with TU Vienna, University of Amsterdam, University of Trento, Macquarie University, and Bournemouth University. A computer scientist and engineer, he is active in the fields of Web Based Information Systems and Smart Energy Systems. He is the author of two bestsellers: a short reflection on today’s academic personal indicators.