The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences has announced the top 10 internet moments of the decade, with the launch of Twitter and the invention of the iPhone among the most influential moments.
“The internet is the story of the decade because it was the catalyst for change in not just every aspect of our everyday lives, but in everything from commerce and communication to politics and pop culture,” David-Michel Davies, the executive director of the Webby Awards, told The Age.
“The recurring theme among all of the milestones on our list is the internet’s capacity to circumvent old systems and put more power into the hands of ordinary people.”
The academy usually gives out the “Webby Awards” to recipients who have contributed to the internet in a number of industries, but released its top 10 list as a special announcement.
The top 10:
1. Craigslist online classified site expands outside San Francisco (2000)
2. The launch of Google AdWords (2000)
3. The launch of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia (2001)
4. The shutdown of file-sharing site Napster (2001)
5. Google’s initial public offering (2004)
6. The online video revolution led by YouTube (2006)
7. Facebook opens to non-college students and Twitter launches (2006)
8. Apple’s iPhone debuts (2007)
9. The use of the internet in the US presidential campaign (2008)
10. The use of Twitter during the Iranian election protests (2009)
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
