Satisfy Your Internet History "Crave" with the Top 50 Moments

Mark Edward Soper — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:24:41 -0500

Cnet.UK's Crave blog decided to dig around in the Internet history attic recently and bring us what it calls the "50 Most Significant Moments of Internet History." Before you click the link (at the end of this article), let's try a little quiz to see what you know about your favorite time-waster/research tool:

Which of these building blocks of the Internet predate the first Super Bowl? A. WWW B. GIF image C. Arpanet
Which came first? A. Apache B. Mosaic C. RSS
How old is the MP3 file format? A. Old enough to drink (21). B. Old enough to be in college (19). C. Old enough to get a driver's license (16).
Which search site was originally known as "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web"? A. Yahoo! B. AltaVista C. Google

Go to page 2 for the answers.

Now, let's see how you did.

1. Which of these building blocks of the Internet predate the first Super Bowl? The correct answer is C, Arpanet.

Arpanet, a Department of Defense data sharing network that's an important predecessor to the Internet, began in February 1966 (the first Super Bowl was played in January 1967). CERN's WWW proposal is the youngest of the three (introduced in November 1990), while the GIF image format dates back to June 1987.

2. Which came first? The correct answer is B, Mosaic. Mosaic, developed by Marc Andreessen (who later founded Netscape), was the first successful web browser, and was introduced in early 1993. You can still download it from the NCSA archives. The Apache web server is just a couple of years younger (introduced in 1995), while the ancestor to RSS, the scriptingNews format, is actually over 10 years old, seeing the light of day in December 1997.

3. How old is the MP3 file format? If you selected B, It's old enough to be in college, you're right! MP3 was introduced in 1989, making the format 19 years old.

4. Which search site was originally known as "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web"? Let's be thankful that Yahoo! (A) is the correct answer. I just can't see a lot of web surfers typing a URL like jerryanddavidguidewww.com, can you? Google (C) needs no introduction, but if you forgot about AltaVista (B), click the link to try it.

Check out Crave's complete list of all of the most significant moments, as well as some honorable mentions, but don't forget to hit the Comment button here for your nominations.

Gaming Roundup 6/25/08 Diablo III Confirmed -- No, for Real This Time, Microsoft's Glowing Comments About PC Gaming

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:43:33 -0500

Welcome, one and all, to the brand new Maximum PC website. Lucky for you, we saved the best for last, and it should be coming right after this column. In the meantime, why not read about what happened in the world of gaming today? Read on to hear about Diablo III, Games For Windows, and which flying creatures are the most badass -- presented in the form of a simple chart.

Diablo 3 "Announced!"

Numerous sources around the industry are positively giddy, spewing the good gospels of Diablo III. The main message to take away from their back-alley sermons? Diablo III absolutely will be announced this weekend at Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational in Paris. Want even more proof? This morning, Blizzard's VP of Design, Rob Pardo, hinted at a new game announcement from Blizzard. And I think he's a reliable source considering that he'll be the one giving the Invitational's keynote address. So mark your calendars folks, because Diablo III is coming, for real this time.

Microsoft: "PC gaming has never been stronger."

Earlier today, Microsoft's John Schappert sent out an open letter to PC gamers, essentially pulling a "It's cool mom, we didn't throw a huge, curtains-shredding party while you were away on vacation." In other words, Schappert says PC gaming is better than ever, but I'm a tad skeptical. See, with the help of online distribution services like Steam, I do believe PC gaming is out and about, nowhere near its deathbed, but that's not what the big M harped on. No, Games For Windows is PC gaming's savior, and don't you forget it. In fact, if you have forgotten, just read Schappert's letter. He'll certainly convince you that GFW isn't a long-in-tooth Vista marketing scheme at all.

EA: Byron regulations may delay games for UK

UK gamers are used to outrageous delays, right? So what's one more? Essentially, a new set of game regulation laws might prevent UK games from launching on time thanks to a nice, sticky layer of red tape blocking their path. The good news is, if your game lacks sex, violence, or criminal activity, it'll probably get a free pass. But if you're slaving away on a pole-dancing, nuke-launching, jaywalking sim, your fans might be in for a wait.

Why Crave left the ESA

The plot thickens. Unlike the four other publishers who packed their bags and left the ESA teary-eyed on the shore, Crave departed because of the impending sale of their company. Any guesses on who's plunking down the cash?

Guitar Hero III set to Rock Your World... of Warcraft

"I am Murloc," a thrash-metal song by Blizzard's very own in-house band, is making its way to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Words cannot describe my excitement.

The God of War Chart Of Flying-Creature Badass-ness

Click the link. We both know this is why you were reading the column in the first place.

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Satisfy Your Internet History "Crave" with the Top 50 Moments

Gaming Roundup 6/25/08 Diablo III Confirmed -- No, for Real This Time, Microsoft's Glowing Comments About PC Gaming