Web evolution and Web Science

This paper examines the evolution of the World Wide Web as a network ofnetworks and discusses the emergence of Web Science as aninterdisciplinary area that can provide us with insights on how the Webdeveloped, and how it has affected and is affected by society. Throughits different stages of evolution, the Web has gradually changed from atechnological network of documents to a network where documents, data,people and organisations are interlinked in various and often unexpectedways. It has developed from a technological artefact separate frompeople to an integral part of human activity that is having anincreasingly significant impact on the world. This paper outlines thelessons from this retrospective examination of the evolution of the Web,presents the main outcomes of Web Science activities and discussesdirections along which future developments could be anticipated. KEYWORDSWeb Science, Web evolution, Web Observatories, Social Machines