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I very distinctly remember downloading the AOL update that added a "browser" for "the world wide web". Up til that point, AOL was pretty much a walled garden wh

I very distinctly remember downloading the AOL update that added a "browser" for "the world wide web". Up til that point, AOL was pretty much a walled garden where you could only access content created by AOL or other members. It may have had some level of Usenet access? I forget. I had no idea what this web nonsense even meant, but I was extremely excited to find out. Turned out to be a pretty good idea in the end.

_Microft 8y ago
Yes, it got Usenet access at one point. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September
mywittyname 8y ago
I remember you could log into AOL, then open up a web browser to access the rest of the internet. Was that not always possible with AOL?
- mcbits 8y ago
  My memories of AOL have faded, but I believe the early web access was only through their built-in browser and was very limited. ("Enter keyword: DEALS" etc.) At some point they started providing SLIP/PPP or whatever it was that normal ISPs used to enable IP over dialup.
- reaperducer 8y ago
  Was that not always possible with AOL? No. AOL was AOL, and the World Wide Web was another entity that you accessed with a GEnie, Delphi, or some other service. Eventually mail gateways were build so you could relay e-mail from one service to another. Then later came web browsing on AOL.