How the most popular websites today looked at the start of the decade
How the most popular websites today looked at the start of the decade
On Oct. 29, 2019, . Half a century earlier, the world's first message was sent via an interconnected computer network known as ARPANET from a nondescript classroom at the University of California, Los Angeles, to a computer at the Stanford Research Institute. The message, "Lo," was supposed to read "Login" but only the (The full text was successfully sent an hour later).
Fifty years in, scientists have worked out that kink while simultaneously changing the internet from something practically theoretical to something that permeates almost every aspect of our lives. In fact, the internet has become so pervasive in our daily lives that many technology evangelists, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, believe , much like access to education or housing. But with new laws coming into effect like Russia's which essentially cuts off Russia's internet from the rest of the world, it seems like the internet might be on a path that would do more to disconnect than connect us.
As we look forward to the next 50 years of the internet and the uncertainty of what it might bring to the world, it's illuminating to look back and see just how far we've already come. Today, 麻豆原创 looks at how the most popular websites in the world looked a short decade ago. 麻豆原创 compiled a list of the websites with the most traffic in the United States according to on Oct. 28, 2019. Adult sites were not included on the list, but everything else from e-commerce websites to banking platforms and social media networks were covered.
Read on to see whether your most-visited websites made the list, and which one doesn't even exist anymore.
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PayPal.com (2019)
PayPal is a website that . Users connect their debit or credit cards to their PayPal accounts to complete purchases with merchants and sellers around the world. The website鈥檚 data encryption and anti-fraud technology help to keep user information more secure than traditional online checkout services.
PayPal.com (2010)
by members of the hacking collective Anonymous in response to the service鈥檚 refusal to process payments on behalf of WikiLeaks. As a result, PayPal tasked 100 employees from its parent company, eBay, with rectifying the website鈥檚 issues and developing software and hardware to prevent similar future attacks. The PayPal of today is much more secure (and much sleeker) than the one of 10 years ago.
Taobao.com (2019)
, which literally means 鈥渟earching for treasures鈥 is the biggest consumer-to-consumer shopping platform in China. Shoppers can find everything from clothes to computer hardware on the Alibaba Group-owned website, which is entirely in Chinese.
Taobao.com (2010)
Taobao鈥檚 current website is much sleeker and more streamlined than the one that filled browsers in 2010. While there are still mounds of products to sift through, it鈥檚 far easier for bargain hunters to find a rock-bottom price using today鈥檚 image-heavy platform.
Hulu.com (2019)
is an on-demand that allows viewers to watch new and popular network and cable shows, as well as original content. The company also offers a live TV option, which, for an additional fee, replaces the need for a cable or satellite subscription.
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Hulu.com (2010)
Hulu has added a half-dozen new features over the past decade, including an add-free subscription tier, , and . Additionally, the company has been working to make the website鈥檚 user interface a more natural experience over the past year.
Imgur.com (2019)
Imgur is a social-networking platform and where users can share pictures and create memes. The website was created by Alan Schaaf in 2009 as a response to problems that plagued similar existing platforms.
Imgur.com (2010)
A decade ago, the home page of Imgur was incredibly simple; it featured only a bubble letter logo and a search bar. Click on the website today, and you鈥檒l be greeted with a never-ending scroll of the most popular images, memes, and .gifs, content that has allowed the company to gain over the past decade.
WellsFargo.com (2019)
Wells Fargo was in San Francisco, Calif., by two northeasterners looking to capitalize on the Gold Rush. The bank, which in terms of market capitalization is currently , also holds the oldest continuously operating bank charter in the United States.
WellsFargo.com (2010)
In 1995, Wells Fargo became the first bank to . It took four years for the company to reach 1 million active online banking customers. Today, over 26 million of Wells Fargo's customers complete their business with the company via the website.
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MSN.com (2019)
, msn.com offers a range of services from email to news to search engine services. One particular service the network is commonly associated with is , which was launched in 1999 and discontinued in 2014.
MSN.com (2010)
In 2013, , which replaced the need for its original instant messaging platform. Additionally, msn.com users can now connect to newer social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, through the front page of the website.
Indeed.com (2019)
, Indeed.com allows job seekers to look for jobs, post their resumes, and research potential companies. With 250 million unique monthly visitors, and 10 jobs added per second (globally), Indeed.com is undeniably one of the top resources for those looking to find work.
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Indeed.com (2010)
In 2012, Indeed.com . However, despite the sale and the intervening years, the website has remained largely unchanged.
Zillow.com (2019)
One of the largest real estate and rental marketplaces on the web, Zillow.com has a . The listings on Zillow.com include homes for sale, homes for rent, and homes not currently on the market. The website also provides 鈥渮estimate鈥 home values and rents, allowing users to be more informed when comparing potential options.
Zillow.com (2010)
Over the past decade, Zillow Group has , as well as its own home loans company (formerly Mortgage Lenders of America). The company also has invested heavily in its website, making it more easily navigable for users.
Spotify.com (2019)
that allows patrons to stream millions of songs from artists all over the world. Users can listen for free or upgrade to a paid, ad-free subscription service. They also can create playlists and radio stations, see what friends and celebrities are listening to, and receive personalized recommendations based on individual tastes.
Spotify.com (2010)
Launched in 2008, Spotify has become the most popular audio streaming subscription service in the world over the past decade. , the streaming service has over 50 million tracks for its 248 million monthly users to browse through.
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AmazonAWS.com (2019)
Amazon Web Services is . AWS offers more fully featured services than any other cloud provider and has millions of customers and thousands of global partners. Amazon Web Services is one of the safest, most secure, and most reliable cloud providers currently available.
AmazonAWS.com (2010)
Over the past decade, Amazonaws.com has become an almost totally different website both in functionality and appearance. For example, the company has gone from offering two services upon its public launch in 2006, to offering . The growth was so fast that it allowed the company to surpass CEO Jeff Bezos鈥檚 $10 billion revenue target in 2016.
Sohu.com (2019)
Sohu.com is . Similar to Yahoo.com, Sohu offers a search engine and an internet directory, sells advertising, and hosts popular gaming and news platforms.
Sohu.com (2010)
Sohu has faced , as users have switched to surfing the web on their cellphones and have developed preferences for apps that deliver content straight to their handheld screens. In fact, in 2018 Sohu made news when it fell out of the league of companies worth $1 billion U.S. dollars in market value.
(2019)
A subsidiary of Tencent, . The website provides real-time news coverage and information services for Chinese internet users.
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(2010)
The website has continued to provide premium reporting of both hard-hitting and lifestyle news over the past decade. The main difference visitors will notice is that the website鈥檚 color scheme changed from red to blue. Blue is said 鈥攕omething a news company would certainly want to take advantage of.
IMDb.com (2019)
A searchable database, for movie, TV, and entertainment content. The website was designed to help fans explore the world of entertainment, choose what to watch next, and remember old favorites.
IMDb.com (2010)
The amount of information cataloged by . As of May 2019, the website has nearly 6 million titles (including movies and TV episodes) and nearly 10 million names in its database.
StackOverflow.com (2019)
, Stack Overflow is a question-and-answer site for professional and enthusiast programmers. The website aims to develop a library of answers for every conceivable programming question.
StackOverflow.com (2010)
One major change the Stack Overflow website has seen over the past decade is the . The feature allows programmers to find new roles based on title, technology stack, salary location, and a variety of other factors. In addition, the website now has answers to over 18 million questions, making it an invaluable resource for coders.
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Adobe.com (2019)
that it can give everyone from emerging artists to global brands everything they need to design and deliver exceptional digital experiences. The software company offers everything from pdf and e-signature services to creative tools like Photoshop and Lightroom to campaign management programs.
Adobe.com (2010)
One of the biggest changes Adobe has made over the past decade is switching its entire product lineup to the cloud. , which replaced the entire Creative Suite. Adobe users now use a subscription-based service via the company鈥檚 website to access classic programs like Photoshop and Lightroom鈥攁 far cry from the Adobe website of 2010 that sold CD-ROMs of the programs.
Walmart.com (2019)
The Walton family opened in Rogers, Ark., in 1962. By 1990, the superstore was the largest retailer in the United States. And in 2000, the company launched Walmart.com, providing its customers with a way to shop online.
Walmart.com (2010)
While online shopping was still somewhat of a novelty in the early 2000s, that鈥檚 certainly not the case today. Walmart , , but falling short of the sales made by Amazon and eBay.
Craigslist.org (2019)
Craig Newmark started Craigslist in 1995 as an email newsletter called 鈥淪an Francisco Events.鈥 Now one of the biggest classified ads websites on the internet, garnering over , Craigslist has hyperlocal websites for cities all over the world. Visitors will find everything from advertisements for cars for sale, job postings, and missed connections on the website.
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Craigslist.org (2010)
The Craigslist website still looks and functions much as it did a decade ago, but there have been a number of changes in what the company allows to be advertised on the site. For example, in , which had been a part of the website since its 1995 launch. The company removed the section in an effort to help with a nationwide crackdown on online sex trafficking.
NYTimes.com (2019)
One of the country鈥檚 most trusted news sources, is 鈥渄edicated to helping people understand the world through on-the-ground, expert, and deeply reported independent journalism.鈥 The news company has 1,600 reporters on staff who produce copy seen by 150 million monthly global readers.
NYTimes.com (2010)
One of the biggest changes to The New York Times website over the past decade has been the installation of a paywall. Rolled out on March 17, 2011, as a response to dropping hard-copy subscriptions, the paywall now requires readers to have at least a digital subscription to access all of the newspaper鈥檚 online content. Before the paywall, access to the website had been free.
Microsoft.com (2019)
A U.S. technology company, Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Now one of the leading tech giants in the industry, the company reports there are over .
Microsoft.com (2010)
, marking the first time in 25 years the company had gotten a facelift. The company鈥檚 sleeker look is the biggest change to the website, aside from the updated technology sold via the online store.
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Twitch.tv (2019)
Twitch is an online platform where people can come together to chat, interact, and make their own content via live streaming. , Twitch was .
Twitch.tv (2010)
Back in 2010, Twtich.tv was just a GoDaddy domain. The company . Despite its short history, . Nearly 1.2 million viewers tune in each week, watching a combined 1 billion hours of live streaming each month, according to the company.
Myshopify.com (2019)
Shopify is a commerce platform that allows individuals to start, grow, and manage their own online businesses. Called Shopify has grown 144% each year to date, making it the biggest small business platform on the web.
Myshopify.com (2010)
The biggest change to the Shopify website is the number of businesses that use the platform: back in 2010, Shopify boasted that . Today the website is home to . The growth hasn鈥檛 come without a few bumps, however, as plenty of that the platform doesn鈥檛 do enough to stop fraudsters and scammers from running amok on the platform.
Apple.com (2019)
In 2019, , which ranks the world鈥檚 largest public companies, named Apple the largest tech company in the world for the fourth year in a row. With an annual revenue of $262 billion, the Apple of today is a far cry from the Apple of 1997 that .
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Apple.com (2010)
Back in 2010, popular Apple products like Apple Music and Apple TV+ didn鈥檛 exist. While the tabs and ads for these services dominate the website today, the 2010 version of the website instead had tabs for iTunes and downloads above .
Dropbox.com (2019)
that offers everything from cloud storage to client software. Users can opt for a free 鈥渂asic鈥 account that provides 2GB of cloud storage, or they can pay for upgraded accounts that include project management tools and team collaboration opportunities.
Dropbox.com (2010)
The Dropbox of a decade ago was mostly a background service, only allowing its users to upload and share their files and photos via the platform. The , expanding its functions to become more like a conference room and less like a filing cabinet. Today鈥檚 Dropbox website offers new collaborative features like the Paper Collaborative Document Editor and allows users to download both desktop and mobile apps to keep their work at their fingertips 24/7.
LinkedIn.com (2019)
LinkedIn is . It allows users to post their resumes, search for jobs, and cultivate their professional lives via direct messaging and public posting.
LinkedIn.com (2010)
In December 2016, . While LinkedIn has remained its own independent entity since the sale, the website did undergo a . The update was intended to provide a more consistent experience for users, but some complain that the professional networking site now resembles Facebook a little too closely.
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Microsoftonline.com (2019)
As cloud computing technologies have grown, Microsoft has migrated all of its offerings completely online, eliminating the need to buy any of its products on CD-ROM. Throughout the process, Microsoft has given each product its own website like Office.com and Live.com. As a result, the once all-encompassing .
Microsoftonline.com (2010)
In 2010, Microsoft Online provided businesses with . The subscription-based service gave users access to programs like Microsoft Office Live Meeting and Microsoft Exchange Online. These programs allowed on-site and off-site employees to work together seamlessly, and were precursors to things like Microsoft 365.
Twitter.com (2019)
Described as a microblogging, social networking, and news website, Twitter allows users to communicate with each other and the world at large via short status updates called 鈥淭weets.鈥 Jack Dorsey started the website, now deemed , as a side hustle in 2006.
Twitter.com (2010)
The website has updated its look a handful of times over the past 10 years, now opting for a sleeker aesthetic than the bubble letters of 2010. The biggest functional change the website has seen over the past decade is an from 140 to 280, which happened in 2017.
CNN.com (2019)
Launched on June 1, 1980, . The cable news brand now reaches 96.2 million households. On Aug. 30, 1995, , which holds the title of the 鈥渘umber one online news destination,鈥 according to Comscore.
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CNN.com (2010)
The biggest change to the CNN website is the 鈥淟ive TV鈥 tab. In 2017, , a move the company said provided 鈥渧iewers [with] a revolutionary news-watching experience that offers the live CNN broadcast with unprecedented features.鈥 The feature, which , can also be found on the CNN app.
Instructure.com (2019)
Started in 2008, that developed the Canvas Learning Management System, which is currently the most used learning management system in North America. The company also developed the Canvas Network, an open, online course platform that allows for ongoing education.
Instructure.com (2010)
In 2015, with the launch of Bridge. Bridge is that helps companies provide their people with opportunities for connection and growth.
Salesforce.com (2019)
, Salesforce.com is a customer relationship management solution. The website aims to give every department in a company a singular, shared view of a customer via the cloud. Additionally, the website provides a variety of applications that help businesses develop customer service, sales, marketing, etc.
Salesforce.com (2010)
. The website had remained largely unchanged for the company鈥檚 first 16 years in business, but the 鈥渓ightning鈥 upgrade鈥攂right, vibrant, and clean, helped bring the website into the future. And, it gave users a more streamlined experience across all Salesforce platforms.
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Tmall.com (2019)
The biggest business-to-consumer e-commerce platform in China, Tmall had a as of the end of 2018. With over , Tmall reaches nearly 700 million customers in China each year.
Tmall.com (2010)
, after its parent company, Alibaba group, split it off from consumer-to-consumer e-commerce platform Taobao.com. The massive growth the platform has seen since then when it comes to the sheer number of products and brands represented on the website is undoubtedly the biggest change to the site over the past decade.
Chase.com (2019)
JP Morgan Chase & Co. traces its roots to 1799 with the establishment of its first predecessor, . Today, the bank is one of the country鈥檚 largest, serving nearly half of U.S. households and holding $2.6 trillion in assets and operations worldwide.
Chase.com (2010)
The in 2016. More than just a streamlined new look, the redesign included features that allowed customers to see a snapshot of their accounts as soon as they logged in and gave them the ability to pay both bills and another person all in one place.
Instagram.com (2019)
on Oct. 6, 2010. The picture- and video-sharing social networking site is now owned by Facebook and boasts 1 billion monthly active users, .
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Instagram.com (2010)
Instagram initially launched as an app, and its . While users still don鈥檛 have the ability to post photos via the website (that function is restricted to mobile apps), all of Instagram鈥檚 other functions, like Checkout and Stories, can be used on the online version.
Live.com (2019)
offers users a free Outlook email address that syncs with its personal calendar. In early 2018, Outlook reported that it had .
Live.com (2010)
In 2010, live.com provided Microsoft users with , which would get them into Hotmail, Microsoft Messenger, and Xbox Live. 鈥攖he company renamed its email service Outlook that same year and
ESPN.com (2019)
. Two years later it would follow in CNN鈥檚 footsteps and become a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service. In 1995, the company launched its website, originally titled .
ESPN.com (2010)
ESPN鈥檚 website has grown increasingly popular over the past decade. In July 2019, the Disney-owned company announced that users had spent consuming its digital content over the past year. The website is the , with a reach that鈥檚 .
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Office.com (2019)
Office 365 is the core product . The cloud-based subscription service combines classic programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with cloud services like OneDrive and Microsoft Teams.
Office.com (2010)
A decade ago, on Microsoft Online. Office.com simply provided customers with a from the Microsoft Office suite.
Netflix.com (2019)
The world鈥檚 leading entertainment service, Netflix has . Subscribers have access to a wealth of online content, including movies, TV shows, and Netflix Original series.
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Netflix.com (2010)
While Netflix launched its streaming service in 2007, the selection of on-demand titles was still limited in 2010 and many subscribers ( ) still preferred to have DVDs mailed directly to their homes. These days, Netflix is primarily a streaming service, with .
Bing.com (2019)
, which was launched on June 1, 2009. Replacing MSN鈥檚 Live Search, Bing is now the second-biggest search engine behind Google with a little over .
Bing.com (2010)
Over the past decade, Microsoft has redesigned the look of almost all of its products, breathing fresh life into the company. Bing is no exception. What was formerly just a search bar is now a website with a , designed to draw visitors in and bump up page views.
eBay.com (2019)
An online auction site and consumer-to-consumer e-commerce platform, eBay was founded in September 1995. As of May 2019, the company had done .
eBay.com (2010)
Over the past decade, eBay has used artificial intelligence in ways that have had a big effect on its bottom line. For example, in 2016 , a leading artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics firm. In 2017, the company rolled out powered by this structured data and designed to create more enticing shopping experiences.
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Wikipedia.org (2019)
Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia that allows anyone to create or edit articles. Begun in 2001, Wikipedia now has and has cataloged over .
Wikipedia.org (2010)
In 2017, the Wikimedia Foundation announced a project called that has been guiding growth and change for the online encyclopedia ever since. The project aims to provide free knowledge for all, especially for those in currently underserved countries, and to make knowledge more inclusive, encouraging more diversity in Wikipedia鈥檚 writing and editing. Additionally, Wikipedia has , pledging to do its best to scrub such entries from its site.
Reddit.com (2019)
Billed as 鈥 ,鈥 Reddit is a massive collection of forums on everything from international news to niche hobbies. The by Alexis Ohanian and Steve Huffman.
Reddit.com (2010)
The co-founders left Reddit in 2010, and the platform took a turn for the worse, becoming . In 2015, the duo returned as CEO (Huffman) and board member (Ohanian) saving the company from going under. Today, Reddit has .
Yahoo.com (2019)
One of the earliest pioneers of the internet, . Founded in 1995, the web directory has everything from news feeds, to email services, to shopping platforms, and offers an online dating platform.
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Yahoo.com (2010)
In 2016, Yahoo sold its core operating business to Verizon in what鈥檚 been called the 鈥.鈥 It was a sharp fall for the company which was worth $125 billion at its height.
Facebook.com (2019)
Fifteen years after its launch, Facebook is the largest social network in the world. With in 2019, Facebook is also one of the most influential companies in the world. The when he was a sophomore at Harvard University.
Facebook.com (2010)
While Facebook still remains immensely popular, several data privacy scandals, like the Cambridge Analytical scandal, have led many users to question their use of the site, with some leaving it altogether. In December 2018, the social media platform claimed to have working on the website鈥檚 safety and security to give users peace of mind. However, there has undeniably been a shift in how, and how much, users share with the website.
Amazon.com (2019)
Amazon started as an but has since grown to include cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. In 2018, Amazon became the biggest online retailer in the world, with
Amazon.com (2010)
The sheer number of ways Amazon.com has changed over the past decade is almost overwhelming. There are, however, highlights. In 2011, Amazon started , and in 2014, Amazon started to deeply integrate AI (artificial intelligence) into almost every aspect of its business and services, giving us household products like Alexa.
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YouTube.com (2019)
In 2005, three former PayPal employees, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim came together to . In 2006, they .
YouTube.com (2010)
The look and layout of YouTube . The platform unveiled a clean new design, updated discover features, and a brand new logo and icon. The updates were met with mixed reviews, and many accused the platform of not focusing on more pressing issues like .
Google.com (2019)
The most visited website in the world, Google holds of search engines. However, Google is far more than a search engine. The tech giant also specializes in online advertising technologies, cloud computing, hardware, and software.
Google.com (2010)
At best estimate, and over 3.5 billion searches each day. Over the past decade, the company has grown so much that in 2015 they announced the formation of a parent company that would better help to facilitate growth going forward. As of September 2019, the supported by 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
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