By 1980, the public began to get a hint of such a network, and the first commercial companies to serve private use were formed. Discussion boards were the first widely-used applications of the Internet, where users would post information or opinions on sites devoted to common concerns. The mid-1980s saw a boom in personal computer use, many of which were manufactured with networking capabilities, and the term “Internet” to describe this new technology was popularized. By 1988, the Internet had become an established communications tool, with 60,000 host sites around the world. However, concerns about privacy and security in the digital world began, particularly after a malicious program called the “Internet Worm” disabled about 6,000 sites. The rise of “hackers,” and “electronic break-ins” led to the formation of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to address such concerns.
In the early 1990s, the commercial use of the Internet was boosted when federal regulations were lifted against any use that was not military, educational, or personal. During this time, “gopher,” the first program for “point-and-click” navigation through the Internet, was released. Soon after, hypertext markup language (HTML) was developed, followed by Mosaic, the first browser enabling text and pictures to be displayed together, and the World Wide Web was created. The ability to combine words, pictures, and sounds on web pages led to the rise of the Internet design industry, and by the mid-1990s, Pizza Hut was taking orders over the Internet, governments of countries were developing information and tourist sites, and college professors were posting syllabi, course outlines and relevant links. Email, for personal and business use, has become as routine as a phone call or a letter.
