Ruth Ann S. Basnillo

SYSANAL

O0A

Brewster Kahle

Founder, WAIS, Internet Archive, Alexa Internet

            Brewster started WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers) in the late ‘80s and founded it as incorporation with John During. A year later, he also founded Alexa Internet simultaneously with Internet Archive and cofounded it with Bruce Gilliat.

            Kahle continues to run Internet Archive after Alexa was acquired by Amazon in 1999. Before moving over to build and run the Internet Archive, Kahle had already founded WAIS, Inc. the earliest form of Internet Search Software, and Alexa Internet.

            Internet Archive was stated with what Kahle really had wanted to do and had dreamed of ever since which is to build a great library after having finished building supercomputers and got the publishing going and running.

            Internet Archive, according to the book, was said to have helped build a history for the web. Thus, it could be concluded that the startup was something that’s entirely new. Basically, the problems with the couple of things the founder went through to be able to make this startup possible were the main problems of this startup. It took WAIS and Alexa Internet to make this possible and those startups have actually had particular problems. WAIS had a problem before with the Internet and how the idea behind it would be easily understood by people. Aside from that, the founders of this startup also had some technical problems about using computer network. Meanwhile, with Alexa, they couldn’t find a way of selling advertisements in such a way that it could turn into making money for them.

            Basically, people needed something where they could easily search for information, and Internet Archive together with WAIS and Alexa Internet qualified to them since these startups offered this kind of service.

            This startup had an impact in the history of the Internet in itself since it built the history for the web. WAIS became one of the earliest forms of the Internet Search Software and was in some ways a predecessor to Web Search Engines.

            One thing I believe that’s very unique with internet Archive is that it’s the only startup that would not be built without the other startups like WAIS and Alexa Internet. It’s like an “include” in the use case diagram. Without it or without having it as the goal to be achieved, there would be no WAIS and Alexa Internet. And without WAIS and Alexa Internet, it would also not be possible.

            If I were in the cofounders’ shoes, I would have also done things one step at a time. It’s because everything that we wanted to achieve should be done accordingly ad slowly but surely. But then, I would have not thought of search engines as something that would not be able to scale. It’s because if I were one of the cofounders, I should have also thought of the idea for search engines the way I’ve thought of mine as something that’s crazy but would be possible.

            I believe that these startups would not be possible to Third World countries because resources in here are very limited. I think this startup flourished in the place where it was conceived because there are many dreamers in this place who were thinking of creating something new and different. But then, I believe that the startup’s service would have applications in Third World countries because people in these places are mostly great imitators. They would, as much as they could, try to reach what other countries have reached now just for them to not be left behind. A parity others might think- a competitive necessity.

10 THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW:

1. After reading the case study, I learned that WAIS was one of the earliest forms of Internet Search Software and was in some ways a predecessor to the Web Search Engines we knew today. Before I read the case study, I thought that the Web was the very fist one.
2. After reading the case study, I learned that the idea for WAIS was to make network services and that it was not initially the project of its founder but of the company where he was formerly employed. Before I read the case study, I hadn’t heard of WAIS.
3. After reading the case study, I learned that WAIS was started at California with a contract to have a bootstrap information system for the presidential campaign in 1992. Before I read the case study, I thought that stuffs about the Web already existed before the ‘90s.
4. After reading the case study, I learned that newspapers are pretty much online now and that they could control their own distribution. I was thinking before that newspapers were still sol the traditional way in stores.
5. After reading the case study, I learned that Alexa internet was a navigation system for the Internet. Before reading this case study, I had heard of the Internet but I was not very familiar with Alexa Internet.
6. After reading the case study, I learned that Alexa was acquired by Amazon in 1999. Before I read the case study, I had heard of Amazon but I wasn’t aware that they’re also into acquisitions of different companies.
7. After reading the case study, I learned that Internet Archive is a non-profit startup. Before reading the case study, I didn’t know that there are startups where you can’t earn profits.
8. After reading the case study, I learned that there are companies whose power relied in the ideas of young engineers, just like Thinking Machines, who could see where things were going better than the top level management. Before I read the case study, I was thinking that top level management predicts everything and had the greatest power in the company.
9. After reading the case study, I learned that during the time when John Sculley was running Apple Computers, the company was likened to a “beanbag chair” where all of the levels of management needed to be pushed up and down to try to get everything to move. Before I read the case study, I thought that Apple Computer hadn’t had a problem with discipline inside the company.
10. After reading the case study, I learned that the main goal of Brewster Kahle was to build a great library through the Internet. Before reading the case study, I didn’t know about the possibility of a library in the Internet.

THREE THINGS I LEARNED:

      Basically, I learned from this case study that just like what the founder here has learned in doing a startup, picking setting carefully is very important. It should be a suitable place for you where you could be able to do something very interesting and also, it should be a place where people would think that the thing you’re doing is not a crazy stuff.

      Next, I learned that it’s very important in a startup to think of how to make people happy with what you’ve done from the day they started using it.

      Lastly, I learned that having and running your own company is not like lying on the bed of roses. Rather, it means having a very big responsibility and having difficulty blaming somebody else. Moreover, you also need to have the general attitude toward how to make the whole thing work and making sure that you’re creating a fun environment where people would want to work.