At a glance
- Service
- ArcherLab IT Story — IT history timeline hub
- Price
- Free
- Signup / install
- No signup or install; runs in the browser
- Contents
- Computers, networks, operating systems, databases, web making (structure, styling, interaction, tools) and web servers
- In progress
- Security and trust, protocols and standards
- Languages
- Korean, English
- Operator
- ArcherLab (Hyungyu Jang)
Who it is for
- Developers and CS students who want to know why technology looks the way it does
- Beginners using the web, servers or databases who want the background
- General readers interested in the history of IT
How to use it
- From the home page, choose a topic: computers, networks, operating systems, web, web servers or databases.
- Select a year card on the timeline to open what happened that year and why.
- The web making timeline splits into four parts — structure, styling, interaction and tools — so read them in turn.
- If you are unsure where to begin, start with the study-order guide (Korean).
Features
- Topic timelines: computers, networks, operating systems, databases, web making and web servers
- Year cards that explain the problem of the time and its effect on later technology
- Short explanations for unfamiliar terms
- Korean and English pages
Good to know
Dates and interpretations differ between sources. If you need to cite IT history formally, check the original sources too.
The security and protocol/standards timelines are not available yet.
Frequently asked questions
Is IT Story free?
Yes. It is free and needs no account.
What topics does it cover?
Computers, networks, operating systems, databases, web making and web servers. Security and protocols/standards are in progress.
Where should I start?
Pick any topic that interests you. The Korean study-order guide suggests a path from computers to the web.
What is a year card?
A card on the timeline that opens a short explanation of what happened that year and its background.
Is there a Korean version?
Yes. The Korean home page is the main version and each timeline has both languages.
Are the internet and the web the same?
No. The internet is the network infrastructure and the web is a service that runs on it. The Korean "Internet vs Web" guide walks through one request.
Timelines
- Computers timelineFrom gears and vacuum tubes to cloud and AI
- Networks timelineFrom telegraph and telephone to the internet and AI
- Operating systems timelineBatch, UNIX, desktop, mobile and cloud
- Database timelineFrom punch cards to relational, NoSQL and lakehouse
- Web making timelineStructure, styling, interaction and tools
- Web server timelinehttpd, Apache, servlets, Nginx and Lambda
Related pages
- IT Story 서비스 안내 (한국어)Korean version of this guide
- HN Top 10 service guide (Korean)Hacker News top 10 in Korean
- ArcherLab services overviewList of web services built by ArcherLab