A fascinating article from the New York Times about "The Web Time Forgot", about how a Belgian scientist, Paul Otlet, dreamt up the Internet before the first electronic computer had even been invented: In 1934, Otlet sketched out plans for a global network of computers (or “electric telescopes,” as he called them) that would allow people to search and browse through millions of interlinked documents, images, audio and video files. He described how people would use the devices to send messages to one another, share files and even congregate in online social networks. He called the whole thing a “réseau,” which...
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