Teletext and ARPANET

ARPANET was the world's first packet switching network, an early predecessor to the Internet. It was operated by the US Defense Department and worked by organising data into packets, formatted blocks of data for computer formats. It was installed at four locations: Stanford Research Institute, UCLA, University of California and University of Utah.

The system allowed people to send messages between users. The right hand image shows a written log of the first message sent via the network, an early form of e-mails. In fact, one of the timelines I was looking at mentioned the Queen sending an email in the 70s, which I thought strange. There is a perception the Internet was invented in the 90s, and in a way it was - the hypertext browser making data accessible from personal computers only came about in the early 1990s.

In actual fact, Teletext was pre-dated by ARPA. Developed in the late 1960s, it came about a decade before teletext was conceived. In 1970, the network went international, with a station in Norway being added along with one in Hawaii.

Around this time, the BBC had developed a close captioning service to be transmitted via televisions. Teletext, which arrived in 1973, broadcast the information for its service in between PAL transmission signals. It does require an encoder, although this became standard in the mid 90s with all televisions being fitted with this as standard. The Internet, as it is known today, would not become widely available and accessible until the 1990s.

Research from Wikipedia and previous blog posts.

Teletext and the Internet revisited

Reading some messages on the teletext mailing list today and a particularly popular discussion on the analogue switch off. One topic that has arisen is the emulation of the teletext medium on the Internet. This would perhaps not be carried via regular HTTP, rather a new protocol within TCP.

A much easier way of achieving this would be to create a piece of software that works within, or similar to, hypertext browsers and to perhaps register a set of domains (.tx, .ttx?) in which these would be broadcasts. Using the software, which would be free source and similar to existing Internet browsers, users could create pages and upload them to the Internet, thus providing a network of teletext pages for the Internet generation.

Maybe the software could be embedded within a single website, much like Wikipedia. People would be provided with a template with which to create, learn some simple formatting and create pages with the interactive editor on-screen. Could the wiki possibly be modified for a teletext format?

A while back (few years ago now) I created a skin for Uncyclopedia, a site which uses the wiki format. This is shown to the right. Using a few templates and things, it is easy to see how this could possibly be replicated and reproduced.

An interesting concept for a project perhaps? Would perhaps be out of my timescale, not least because I wouldn't know how to code one with my limited knowledge of php and all that programming gubbins.

Pixel is power?

There are also some interesting points for my own project. Somebody mentioned creating a specific font set, like WST, for the 'new' format:

Creating my own teletext font may be a helpful element in making a set of teletext pages to present the information in this weblog. And, in some small way, I could actually contribute to the afterlife of teletext in its conversion to the internet.

Google.com - Back to basics

Google is often cited as the simplest, most no-nonsense website around. Indeed, the fact it is the world's most popular search engine would back this up - it has many language translations including Spanish, Japanese and even Taiwanese. I set out, using the Wayback Engine, to see if this has always been the case.

Google, 11/11/98

The oldest archived version of Google's home page, hosted at Stanford.com, is simply a 'Welcome to Google' message with a couple of links - the ultimate in sparse. Except maybe for something.com. The search engine page itself is actually almost as 'cluttered' as the modern design but the layout is still very simple.

Google, 29/11/99

The simplification process continues as a year later Google is stripped to just a logo, a search box and a couple of relevant links. A bit closer to today's design, this version boasts a web design and application award.

Google, 10/11/00

As the Internet grew, so did Google. Its new web directory feature was an indication of this, as was the introduction of Adwords - an advertising service allowing sites to pay for a high Google rank. It seems simplicity is still key with no major additions to the overall layout.

Google, 10/11/01

Google's popularity booms. A small addition to the home page includes image and net group search facilities and the 'I'm feeling lucky' function appears but nothing else is added.

Google rules the world.

A site with just a logo and a search box. A brilliant idea stemming from a small project and eventually going on to rule the (Internet) world. Most importantly of all, it's very very simple - load up, type and click, with no distractions - a text-only design that works. The newer additions have been incorporated in a text only format going back to basics in its approach.

I love simplicity. Maybe it's just a nostalgia but the pages of the early Internet appeal to me with their uncomplicated, uncluttered designs. Today's websites are way too involved and overcomplicated. Come back, Tim Berners-Lee, all is forgiven.