ReadWrite celebrates its 10th anniversary on Saturday, April 20, 2013. For the occasion, we’re running a series of articles looking back—and looking forward.
As ReadWrite founder Richard MacManus noted in observing the site’s 10th anniversary, our original goal was “to convert the Web into a two-way system.”
Back in 2003, only those with the technical skills to build websites could publish their thoughts. Those walls have broken down. For good or ill, the Web is now clearly a two-way system, and ReadWrite continues to explore what it means to live in a world where every object is something we can all read and write.
But it’s been a long journey to get there. For our 10th anniversary, we’ve highlighted the 10 most important stories in the publication’s history. Not just posts that generated lots of traffic or whipped up controversy, but the stories that set an agenda and mapped out what was coming next.
These were the stories that helped readers understand the monumental shifts in how we work, how we play, and how we communicate. From the evolution of Twitter as a platform for serious discourse to the steady rise of the Android operating system to rival Apple’s iPhone and iPad, these stories highlight ReadWrite’s history of invaluable analysis amid uncertain time.
1. 10 Future Web Trends
By Richard MacManus / September 2007
From Web services to personalization to the rise of Internet TV, our founder called some big shifts early on.
2. The Rise of Twitter as a Platform for Serious Discourse
By Josh Catone / January 2008
Twitter was not barely a year and a half old when writer Josh Catone commented on its potential to go beyond 140 characters.
3. ReadWriteWeb Interview With Tim Berners-Lee, Part 1: Linked Data
By Richard MacManus / July 2009
Called a “career highlight” by the man who started ReadWrite 10 years ago, Richard MacManus’s interview with Internet pioneer Sir Tim Berners-Lee explored the deeper meaning of the Web.
4. 13 Tools For Building Your Own iPhone App
By Sarah Perez / November 2009
Just as we covered the democratization of Web publishing, we were early in showing how the app economy was an opportunity for anyone.
5. Facebook Wants To Be Your One True Login
By Mike Melanson / February 2010
This story drew a lot of attention because confused search visitors thought this page would help them log in to the social network. What they found instead was a smart and prophetic take on how Facebook would become a universal login service for all kinds of websites and apps.
6. How Old Spice Won The Internet
By Marshall Kirkpatrick / July 2010
Marketing, too, became two-way, as a major consumer product adopted the Internet’s real-time ethic.
7. iPhone to Android: One Month with the Nexus S
By Sarah Perez / January 2011
For ReadWrite, testing gadgets isn’t about checking speeds and feeds. It’s about living with them.
8. Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today
By Marshall Kirkpatrick / March 2011
In a major scoop, ReadWrite learned about a key feature of Google’s Facebook killer months before its launch.
9. Top 10 YouTube Videos Of All Time
By Richard MacManus / September 2012
To write about a user-generated site, you have to understand the content its community embraces.
10. Why Are Dead People Liking Stuff On Facebook?
By Bernard Meisler / December 2012
This investigation into possibly bogus “likes” on Facebook raised big questions about the social network’s value to marketers.
Image courtesy of Richard MacManus. From the ReadWrite Summit in May of 2010 (from left to right), Frederic Lardinois, Chris Cameron, Richard ManManus, Marshall Kirkpatrick, Sean Ammirati.
