Diving into the Riveting Tale of Web Development with Richard MacManus!

Picture this: A journey through time, navigating the tangled webs of web development history with the illustrious Richard MacManus, hailing from the distant shores of New Zealand. From the 1960s web precursors to the birth of JavaScript and beyond, MacManus is on a mission to unravel the secrets of cyberspace's evolution, developer-style!

MacManus, a seasoned writer and tech journalist since the swinging 90s, spins a yarn about his ventures in the web design realm. From being an "information developer" to a "webmaster" (a term so ancient, it might as well be a relic!), and eventually founding the tech blog ReadWriteWeb (RWW) in 2003, his journey is nothing short of a digital odyssey.

But why embark on the epic quest known as the Web Development History project? MacManus reveals his motivations: a burning desire to delve into the technical nitty-gritty of web evolution. Amidst the flurry of business and cultural perspectives, he yearned to unearth the technological roots of the World Wide Web, painting a vivid picture of its transformation from humble beginnings to the colossal entity we know today.

For MacManus, understanding the past isn't just a trip down memory lane—it's a compass guiding future web developers through the labyrinth of cyberspace. In an era dominated by abstracted frameworks and low-code tools, he believes that grasping the web's architectural foundations is paramount. Enter Web Development History—a treasure trove of knowledge, chronicling the rise of web standards, influential technologies, and the relentless march towards innovation.

As MacManus reminisces about the early days of the web, he can't help but wax poetic about Tim Berners-Lee's revolutionary vision—a web browser doubling as an editor, a tool for both consumption and creation. Yet, amidst the dawn of the mainstream web, the interactive potential lay dormant, overshadowed by what he dubs "brochureware" websites. It wasn't until the advent of Web 2.0 that the web truly came alive, ushering in an era of user-generated content and dynamic web applications.

The browser wars of the 90s, a clash of titans between Netscape and Microsoft, left an indelible mark on the web's landscape. JavaScript and the DOM emerged as pivotal innovations, shaping the interactive web we know today. Fast forward to the present, where Google Chrome reigns supreme, breathing new life into browser innovation and paving the way for a future filled with possibilities.

But what lies beyond the horizon for MacManus and his intrepid quest? With ambitions to transform his blog into a literary tome, he ponders the format and scope of a potential book. As he sets his sights on the 2000s for "season 2" of Web Development History, one thing remains certain: the web's journey is far from over.

In a world brimming with promise and uncertainty—crypto, "Web3," the elusive metaverse—MacManus remains vigilant, poised to document the web's next chapter. For him, the foundation is strong, the standards healthy, and the future ripe with endless possibilities. As the web continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the adventure is only just beginning!