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Numerous commercial High Speed Internet Providers are established making the Internet widely, and easily, accessible to non-government, and non-corporate users.
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Netscape introduces JavaScript, initially called LiveScript. JavaScript is an object-oriented language that is interpreted by a web browser as the page loads.
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JAVA, a Sun Microsystems programming language, initially intended as an operating system for home appliances, enables complex web sites that interact in real time between the user and the server.
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eBay is started, initially as a place for consumers to market items to each other. One of the first sales was that of a broken laser pointer.
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With so much consumer traffic, educational institutions establish internet2 is established solely to provide higher speed transmissions between educational institutions.
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Google is founded hoping to improve the quality of search results.
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PayPal is formed for consumer to consumer payments. A natural fit for eBay it quickly becomes the payment method of choice for eBay customers.
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Apple introduces the iMac as the world's first Internet centric computer
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Napster popularizes internet file sharing (PDF), especially of music, and popularizes the mp3 file format (which originally was the audio format of MPEG 2 video content). Several File Sharing Services, like Aimster, emerged trying to legally perform the same function.
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The creators of Kazaa develop Skype (PDF), initially called Sky Peer-To-Peer, as a means for using the internet to make phone calls.
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Facebook is founded.
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The concept of cloud computing becomes increasingly popular, and numerous services try to implement cloud computing networks, and infrastructure.
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Twitter is founded.
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NASA tests an internet-like deep space network.
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With IP Addresses rapidly becoming scarce IP6 is developed to increase the number of available IP addresses.
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Presidential Candidate Ron Paul pioneers Internet driven 'money bombs' drawing in millions in donations made in very small amounts.
