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0 pointssteego2y ago0 comments

I remember that time and I too appreciate what the different browsers contributed feature-wise, but you’re missing the big picture.

In late 1995, Netscape released a browser that provided investors a comprehensive proof-of-concept online platform that was billed as the operating system for the Internet and they were being offered an opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

JavaScript and CSS didn’t matter. Investors were looking at SSL for eCommerce, Java applets, plugins, VRML, RealAudio, etc.

Netscape stood out because nobody else was selling a comprehensive online platform with a compelling and plausible vision.

The World Wide Web became something because a crap load of money was invested into developing browsers.

It wouldn’t have happened on its own to this degree and none of those browsers were on their way to becoming a household name.

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vidarh2y ago

In late 1995 the market was even more crowded than when they launched in '94.

IE was already out. Opera was around the corner. Netscape was already close to its peak market share.

Plenty of people were selling alternatives, plenty of developers had funding. A lot of money had started flowing into browsers before Netscape. Had Netscape not soaked up the funding it did, more of that would just have flowed elsewhere.

The argument is not that Netscape were irrelevant, but they were one - big, sure, - player among many racing to commercialise features that already existed before Netscape.

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