AIMIA unveils web history project

Peter Dinham
Monday, 03 August 2009 10:40

Business IT - Technology

The Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) has unveiled its new History of the Australian Web Project, revealing that the youth-oriented social networking website, Bebo.com, has had a significant impact on Australian use of the Internet over the past nine years, and that Internet usage overall grew even faster than penetration.

Unveiling its project today, the AIMIA said the repository gave Australia a permanent and public record of the major trends of the Australian Internet since 2001, and combines an “extraordinary interactive visual display” developed by The Interaction Consortium using data supplied by Nielsen Online, for users to track how the most popular online properties and services have evolved and continue to evolve in the early part of the 21st century.

The CEO of the AIMIA, John Butterworth said the project had revealed “some fascinating insights into Australian web usage,” adding that it “creates a much needed snapshot of the Australian Internet landscape and longer-term trends.

“Now, Australians have access to an engaging public record of the cultural, business and government impacts of our online economy.”

Paul McCarthy, chair of AIMIA awards judging and the creative force behind the web history project, said that many of Australia’s media industries including book, music and film publishing, have long maintained public records charting music sales, television ratings, bestseller lists and box office records, and that these have created “important and enduring chronicles of the evolution of these industries.

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