[ih] History of Online Databases

[Joe Touch]

Rick wrote:
> On 17 Jan 2003 at 21:17, David L. Mills wrote:
> 
>>I submit the first online ubiquitous database was the ARPANET host name
>>file. This may not be what you have in mind.
> 
> 
> Good point + you must be right. But the host name file
> was online of necessity, not through a choice of
> online vs offline.
> 
> What I really had in mind is when were the first
> databases designed for non-technical users -- research,
> academic or commercial -- that were online as a result
> of a conscious decision?
> 
> I would guess that the first such databases appeared
> very soon after the WWW became public. The need for
> dynamic content must have been apparent very quickly.

There were online FAQs, databases (including search engines - Archie), 
and even lists of jokes back in 1987 at least. I recall using FTP, later 
'fetch' on Apple Macs to access them regularly.

They definitely predate the web.

Joe