Module 2, Section 6.9 Exercise - Pinpointing the explosion of the Web

Use the given sources to determine, as accurately as you can, the month and year in which Web traffic became the dominant use of the Internet. Write a short note summarizing your conclusion and giving your reasons for it.

From looking at the source websites it can be seen that between March and April 1995, Web traffic became the dominant use of the Internet. This site, a web growth summary from MIT, indicates that in March 1995 the sending and receiving of Web data made up 23.9% of total Internet use, thus making Web traffic the dominant use of the 'Net. This site from the Georgiana Institute of Technology concurs, demonstrating how in March 1995 the Web took over from FTP as the dominant use of the Internet. It also shows how Web use increased yet again in April 1995. Also in agreement is this site, which also points to April 1995.

The first Netscape browser was released three months prior to this explosion in Web use, so the increase in Web traffic from the third most popular Internet use to _the_ most popular Internet use can be explained.

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Last updated on Friday, 31-Oct-2003 09:34:34 GMT