"The web will be an encyclopedia of the world by the world for the
world. There will be no information or knowledge that anyone needs
that will not be available. The major hindrance to international
and interpersonal understanding, personal and institutional
enhancement, will be removed. It would take a wilder imagination
than mine to predict the effect of this development on the nature
of humankind." (Robert Beard, founder of A Web of Online
Dictionaries, september 1998)
This book is a chronology in 31 chapters from 1974 to 2010. Many
thanks to all those who are quoted here, for their time and their
friendship. Unless specified otherwise, the quotes are excerpts
from the interviews conducted by the author during several years
and published in the same collection.