These 100 Sites Shaped the Internet

Gizmodo's staff takes a trip down cyber-memory lane
By Luke Roney,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 25, 2018 7:00 PM CDT
These 100 Sites Shaped the Internet
Stock image.   (Getty Images/NicoElNino)

It’s time, Gizmodo declares, "to start building a canon of the most significant websites of all time." In putting together a list of the "100 Websites That Shaped the Internet as We Know It," the Gizmodo staff considered sites (not apps or services) "that influenced the very nature of the Internet, changed the world, stole ideas better than anyone, pioneered a genre, or were just really important to us." And Gizmodo is quick to point out that a spot on the list doesn't mean the website is good ("a number of sites on this list are cesspools"). Among the sites that made the list are Blingee (2006), PizzaNet (1994; the LA Times was dubious), and Hampsterdance (1998). Keep reading to see Gizmodo's top 10 Internet-shaping websites.

  1. Wikipedia (2001)
  2. Google (1998)
  3. YouTube (2005)
  4. The Onion (1996)
  5. Internet Archive (1996)
  6. Twitter (2006)
  7. Netflix (1997)
  8. Reddit (2005)
  9. eBay (1995)
  10. MySpace (2003)
See the whole list here. (More internet stories.)

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