The man who gave us the web, and never claimed it

N an age when every click, every connection, and every emotion can be monetised, it feels almost unbelievable that the World Wide Web, the very architecture of our digital lives, was created by someone who gave it away for free. That someone was Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

- VR FEROSE

Born in the same year as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, Berners-Lee belonged to the same generation of pioneers who reshaped the modern world. But unlike them, he took a radically different path. He famously distributed his innovation without seeking commercial reward.

As the web rapidly gained users around the world, Berners-Lee focused on building its governance, developing the foundational protocols of HTML, HTTP, and the URL. His goal was to unleash creativity and collaboration for the benefit of all — a goal he continues to pursue today.

Reading his book This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web (his speech at the opening ceremony of 2012 Olympic Games was the same title!) and listening to his conversation with Thomas Friedman (at Kepler’s Bookstore in Menlo Park), I was reminded that behind every great invention lies both intellect and intent.

What makes Berners-Lee extraordinary is he built the web to make it open, accessible, and free for everyone. When Friedman asked him how he imagined the web when he built it, Berners-Lee replied that he wanted a universal space where anyone could share knowledge without hierarchy or permission. He didn't picture 'users' or 'consumers' — only people.