Rating:  - Wow...the Web was born on a MAC ?!?
Very insightful and historical view of the Web by the gent that created it. Tim gives credit to the folks that influenced his design for the Web and tells exactly how it came inot being in the mid 90's. Amazing to think he used a NEXT computer from Steve Job's old company to start the Web @ CERN.
A must read for anyone who is intrested in Web history and doesn't settle for the common place acceptance of what the Web is today, but want's to learn of it's origins. Are you a grandma who loves checking email from her distant relatives and doesn't care how yahooappears in front of you when you type the URL? Then this book isn't for you. This book is for techies like myself that are tired of every John, Dick and Tom who use the "www" acronym and have no idea of what the heck they are talking about. How can you fully understand a technology if you don't know where it came from.
This book is a litle dry (hence 4 stars) but will keep the intrest of any knowledgable Unix/dot.com geek, even if you have ADD. =)
Much love to the folks @ CERN and to Tim...even though we evolve into new entities, lets not forget how or when we first started this wonderful Web process.
Kevin
Rating:  - An absolute must-read for Internet professionals
Mr. Berners-Lee (in 2004 he became "Sir Tim") created the World Wide Web. He also created the first Web server and the first Web browser, both in 1990. In addition, Berners-Lee is the Director of the World Wide Web Consortium. That pretty much sums up his qualifications for writing a book about the Web!
I bought the audio book and have listened to it to and from work. It's a little more personal because Tim is actually reading it to you.
This book is for any HTML author or professional working in an Internet-related profession. I recommend it greatly to those working on browser-based applications; it's important to recall the original intent of HTML and the browser. The World Wide Web can become so much more, and reading this book will cause the reader to wonder and dream of new possibilities.
Rating: - Inside scoop
This book that tells the amazing story of how Tim Berners-Lee conceived of the Web and brought it into being. I've read many brief accounts of the early history of the Web, and could never believe that Berners-Lee managed to put together all of the necessary pieces, HTML, HTTP, client software, and server software all in one year. Yet in this book, Tim Berners-Lee recounts not only how he pulled it off (and who helped him), but also his motivation, which was even more interesting than how he did it. Berners-Lee covers not only the development of the Web, but also the browser wars and why they were fought. On the other hand, I found it a little surprising that he never mentioned JavaScript and its role for the Web. Occasionally, the prose gets a little technical for general audiences, but for the most part, it is extremely readable.
Rating: - Should Be Required Readng For All Netizens
I had the pleasure of reading Tim's book at about the time I was working with a non-profit group which produced a free two-hour webcast of Tim's Q&A. The book really filled in the gaps in my knowledge of the creation and evolution of the Internet. His play-by-play description of his days at CERN truly painted a picture of the times and places. His unselfish comments about Marc Andreessen, Bill Gates and the other Internet billionaires truly speaks volumes about the founder of the Internet. The Phrase "What's Past is Prologue" (as etched in the National Archives Building in Washingtn,D.C.) truly encapsulates Tim's optimistic view of where the Internet has come as well as where it is going in the future. His ethical and moral musings in the latter part of the book force all of us who are participating in the evolution of the Internet to stop and think about why we do what we do.
Rating: - Great read for technologists and non-technologists alike!
Written in a conversational style, Weaving the Web provides a first hand account of the people and personalities behind the creation of the WWW. In addition to Berners-Lee's account of how the web was created, he provides his thought-provoking vision of the "web of the future." The book provides an interesting insight into Berners-Lee, himself. It is interesting to understand his motivations in creating the WWW and how he and others interacted during the emergence of this new medium - such as those at the University of Illinois (Marc Andreesen etc..).
Another reason why this book so relevant is the fact that the events described are in the "so-recent" past that many of us can think clearly back when the WWW was not such a pervasive influence in our lives.
From a "non-technical perspective," I enjoyed learning about Berners-Lee positions on such controversial issues as the Microsoft Anti-trust case, Censorship on the Web, the commercialization of the web and many other issues. This book provides and excellent opportunity for the founder of the web to address many issues that touch our every day lives.
From a technological perspective, Berners-Lee challenges technologists to think about the implications of the technologies that they create and the work that they do. He challenges us to take more a "macro" perspective and about the web and it's potential. He provides ideas for many new technologies that could benefit the web well into the future. He provides arguments in support of the "open-source" movement as well as critiques of the current patent system.
The book uses technical terms but the author provides a Glossary that makes the book accessible to technicians and non-technicians alike. This is thoughtful on the author's part and should encourage anyone to pick up this book. In sum, the book can best be described as an easy to read historical account that is both thought-provoking and accessible to a general audience.
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