Pre-Google Web: How Directories, Usenet, and Crawlers Shaped Early Search
A retrospective on how the web searched before Google, relying on human-curated directories (like Yahoo), Usenet-driven discovery, and early crawlers such as AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, and HotBot. Webrings and topic directories fostered exploration over a single query, with SEO early and informal. Google’s PageRank and a clean interface then centralized search, transforming the Internet into a fast, universal gateway rather than a fragmented, community-driven landscape.