I wasn’t aware of how important the advent of the browser was to different, competing software companies in relation to avoiding Microsoft’s platform domination. The idea that we could all be running on Windows, with only Window’s software seems silly. But, at the same time, with as many people as there were responding to internet growth, it was inevitable that others players would come into the business, whether it be creating a whole other platform (like Apple) or simply allowing for common compatibility – the browser.
The first video, “Browser Wars,” though it was interesting, took too many creative liberties for me to take seriously. I felt like I was watching a Dateline special that thought it could turn into an action sequence. I had no feeling that I was watching something completely reliable or unbiased.
Despite this, the footage of Bill Gates and his shady behavior took me by surprise. I suppose many companies on the rise are cutthroat and ruthless in one way or another, but to want to completely destroy another company is unapologetically greedy.
The videos that were most interesting to me were the last two; perhaps this is because they are the progressions in technology that I actually remember (or paid attention to) growing up. We all saw Google surpass Yahoo and AOL and we all have seen the internet transform into new technology. We all used to buy CDs and listen to the same tracks over and over. But then websites with mp3 files changed the game and now we listen to these sites we can access anywhere, like Spotify or iTunes.
I loved the way the documentary suggested that we love nothing more than to see our own faces and our own videos on a screen. It’s painfully true and we see it in YouTube and Facebook and other social media, where anyone, anywhere, can claim their little piece of the web.
And now, especially, we have that little piece of the web anywhere we go. It’s a tool with which we can share photos with anyone, anytime. Then there’s music, video, books and pretty much any sort of media possible, wherever and whenever we want it. It’s amazing to see in these videos how we’ve come so far in such a short amount of time. We use things that would be considered “futuristic” 10 years ago.