Previous: 1990 / Next: 1992 Timeline Intro               TECHNOLOGY The Gopher Internet navigation system is released by researchers at the University of Minnesota. Gopher inventor Mark MaCahill is reported to have called it "the first Internet application my mom can use." An early Internet search program called WAIS is introduced. WAIS (Wide-Area Information Server) was originally started as a project by Dow Jones, Apple, and the Thinking Machines Corporation. Tim Berners-Lee and CERN release the World Wide Web program. CERN originally developed the Web for physics researchers. "For Shakespeare, Just Log On." New York Times, July 3, 1991. An early version of Linux is released on the Internet in September 1991.                  THE MEDIA Feb. 1991 -- A DOS version of America Online is launched. (An AOL service for Macintosh and Apple II computers was started in October 1989.) News Example: Feb. 28, 1991 -- "Bush Halts Offensive Combat; Kuwait Freed, Iraqis Crushed", New York Times. (Story available from database vendor services.) "Newspapers and Magazines Dial 900 for New Revenues." Randall Rothenberg, New York Times, April 22, 1991. "Who will rewire America." CJR, May/June 1991. There are still a few videotex journalism projects operating, but most media companies are leaving videotex and moving to BBS or dial-up services such as Prodigy, Compuserve, and America Online. Additional Resources See Also: New Media Bibliography

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