Inside PBS Blog

Part 1: 1996-2000

Just a few short weeks ago we introduced you to an all-new PBS.org homepage. With "top ten lists" and blogs featured front and center, this redesign was a big step forward for PBS, and for the Engage social media team, as we work to bring you a more dynamic and user-friendly experience site-wide.

And we're not done yet! But before we announce some upcoming changes, let's take a quick look back at the history of user interaction on PBS.org.

In the 1990s the Internet was still very young. No one had thought of web 2.0 (web 1.0 was still a shiny new toy), and no one was text messaging, watching high definition video on their computer screens, or Twittering. During the online bubble of the late 90s, PBS.org went through redesigns almost every year since technology was changing so rapidly.  Let's take a look.

Using the powers of the Way Back Machine, we can see the original PBS.org homepage from 1996. At the time, the only user interaction we offered was the chance to send us an email(the original Internet-based social network) right there with a big button in the center of the homepage.

By the time the new millennium rolled around, PBS.org had a completely new look, and a lot more content. The site had gone from a mere couple dozen pages, to almost 400 sites (although some of those sites were just a couple of pages each).

The 2000s are when the Internet really started becoming interactive and empowering to users through technology.  We saw the birth of self-publishing, distance learning, and even more interaction; the technology got easier to work with, and more accessible as additional users joined the online world. In the next post we'll take a look at the evolution of PBS.org, as user interaction takes hold.

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