CNYNET
Directory, Lite! & Multisearch
These
CNYNET Directory
1997
Internet dial-up services such as AOL and CompuServe created a new means of communication - 'e-mail' and websites. To address local needs, CNYNET was created as the first and only listing of the rapidly growing number of Central New York business, school, government, and not for profit websites and e-mail addresses.
The manually created data tables initially launched as a website directory containing well over 1,000 email and website addresses, searchable either by name or category.
Multisearch
1999
There were over 50 search engines available to find content on the rapidly growing World Wide Web, some targeted, others either deploying bots or using human staff to build general content databases. CNYNET addressed this by creating a selective search engine aggregator - MultiSearch.
Interesting note: The third row contained a startup named Google, at the time only one of the 48 scoured by the CNYNET MultiSearch engine.
Lite!
1998
Whereas CNYNET was focused exclusively on addressing workplace needs, Lite! was created as an 'after work' communication portal.
On-demand communication and the concept of social media was in its infancy and Lite! Was offered the first iterations of embryonic social media.
The site included a chat site, advice, comedy pages, polls and more - each open to input from site users, without registration (managed for content). In addition, local events of broad interest, such as Woodstock '99 and the National Boxing Hall of Fame were featured.
CNYNET & LITE!
Early designs and web content included in CNYNET and Lite!:
