# It's our burfday !

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-our-burfday/68042>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 8, 2001, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-our-burfday/68042 "2001-06-08T10:05:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-our-burfday/68042/1 "2001-06-08T10:05:17Z")

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Well, kind of – it’s actually the birthday of one [Tim Berners-Lee](http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/), a rather bright chap who originally hails from lil ol’ London Town.

In the Spring of 1990 Tim finished writing his new software programme called “WorlDwidEweb”, a curious thing that allowed folks at CERN to access information using something he called ‘hypertext’. At the same time and in conjunction, Nicola Pellow developed something called a ‘browser’ that worked on most computers. Interesting ideas.

To my mind, it was, and remains, Tim Berners-Lee’s commitment to open source – making the tech available to everyone – that has singularly allowed the Internet to flourish in the way it has over the past 10 years.

Could he have been the richest person in the world ? – who knows. Whatever, I think we should raise a glass and give thanks to ‘The Father of the Web’.

Cheers Tim ! nice idea and I’d be happy to buy you a pint anytime. Have a great day, matey.

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**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-our-burfday/68042/2 "2001-06-08T10:09:41Z")

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Hear hear. He was, is and shall remain one of my very few heroes

Thanks Tim!

pan

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**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-our-burfday/68042/3 "2001-06-08T13:01:47Z")

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I concur. The man is - in a very literal sense - a gentleman and a scholar.

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-our-burfday/68042/4 "2001-06-08T13:04:47Z")

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I take off my hat, and bow deeply to **Tim**!

Would that there were more like him!

Happy Birthday everyone!