Technology Evolution
Take a journey back to April 1997 and explore the initial version of our school's website. While it might seem simple compared to modern standards, it's actually a testament to the early days of web design. You won't find any fancy JavaScript or intricate cascading style sheets here—just the basic building blocks of the web. Even though JavaScript and CSS had been invented by then, our first website kept things simple, avoiding complex technologies. Yet, within this minimalist framework, you can see the seeds of innovation as our school ventured into the vast landscape of the internet for the very first time.
Fast forward to the end of 1997, and Poly's website underwent a significant update. For the first time, JavaScript made its debut, adding a touch of interactivity by dynamically rendering images. This marked a monumental leap for the school, demonstrating its commitment to embracing cutting-edge technology. Additionally, this update made the use of the POST method of HTTP, a relatively new protocol introduced in May 1996 (Nielsen, Fielding, & Berners-Lee, n.d.). The adoption of this method allowed for a more sophisticated interaction between users and the website. Moreover, Poly made a switch to Microsoft Developer Studio for website development, later known as Visual Studio—a tool widely used across the globe nowadays. These updates showcased Poly's dedication to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, positioning the school as a leader in the digital landscape.
In late 1998, Poly's website got a minor updates, this time focusing on enhancing its metadata. Description metadata and keywords metadata were integrated into the header of the HTML. These additions were not just cosmetic; they played a crucial role in improving the website's visibility on search engines. By including relevant keywords and a concise description, Poly aimed to optimize its online presence, making it easier for search engines to accurately find the school's website. This update reflected Poly's proactive approach towards increasing its visibility and accessibility in an era when search engines were rapidly growing. Notably, this was a time when Google's PageRank algorithm was introduced, reshaping the landscape of online search and discovery.
Over the next several years, Poly's website underwent substantial expansion, both in terms of its pages and the adoption of new technologies. By the end of 1999, a significant update brought a noticeable improvement to the website's graphical user interface (GUI). Finally adorned with colors and beautiful shapes and images, Poly's website took on a more visually appealing appearance. However, the advancements weren't merely superficial; behind the scenes, technological innovations were driving the website's evolution. Among these innovations was the adoption of the map HTML tag, introduced in HTTP 3.2 in January 1997. This tag facilitated interactive image mapping, enhancing user experience and interaction on the site. Additionally, the introduction of Atomz marked a milestone as the first integration of a third-party service directly into the website. Atomz provided users with enhanced search functionality, easing the process of finding information within the website. Furthermore, CGI scripting techniques were implemented, which is a technique introduced in 1993 and more formally defined in November 1997 (Coar & Robinson, n.d.).. CGI served as an advanced tool for communication between the website's frontend and backend, enabling survey feature in Poly's case. As the website continued to grow both in terms of technology and content, Polytechnic Institution's online presence experienced rapid development and expansion.
A significant updates of the website occurred at 2005.9.20. Together with the update, is definitely some new innovations under the hood. These three functions in javascript code is first brought to the website. However, what these three functions actually conveyed is about the web development tool used by Polytechnic. During 2000s, some website development tools were gradually get more and more popularities. Among these tools, Adobe Dreamweaver is one of the outstanding one by its amazing visual interface alongside robust coding features, making it suitable for users with varying levels of expertise. And one characteristic of website built with Adobe Dreamweaver is just these three "weird" javascript functions inside of the website. Such technology innovation might come from the seek of effeiency and high quality in development of the website of Polytechnic's web team. And this version of the website indeed made a great step in delivering a more "modern" website in terms of website visual and functionalities.
Around August 2006, a significant technological advancement, Ajax, was introduced to websites. Ajax, short for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, had its roots in the early 2000s but gained considerable attention and adoption by 2005. With its dynamic loading capabilities, Ajax revolutionized website interactivity. Polytechnic quickly embraced this trend and integrate Ajax to enhance its user interface, providing users with a more responsive and seamless browsing experience.
In September 2009, a monumental transformation occured with the introduction of a new backend framework: Drupal. Drupal is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP, brought a new era for managing Poly's online presence. This powerful tool provided administrators with a robust platform to create, edit, and organize content seamlessly. Its flexibility and extensibility empowered Poly to tailor its website to meet the evolving needs of its students and community. Customizable themes allowed for a cohesive visual identity, aligning with the school's branding. This update marked a significant stride towards a more professional online presence, offering fast and adaptable services to users.
Additionally, the introduction of jQuery, a popular frontend library for dynamic web development, further enhanced Poly's website in this update. jQuery's efficient tools for creating dynamic web pages added another layer of functionality and interactivity to the site, contributing to an enriched user experience.
One noteworthy change on the website occurred in 2018 when Tandon made the switch from HTTP to HTTPS to serve web applications. HTTPS, an extension of HTTP, adds an extra layer of security to the communication between the browser and the server, ensuring full confidentiality of the entire communication process for users accessing the website ("HTTPS," 2024). This transition marked a significant enhancement in security protocols, further safeguarding sensitive data and protecting users' privacy.
In fact, Polytechnic had already begun prioritizing the protection of sensitive data earlier on. As early as the early 2000s, Polytechnic was using SSL, a component of HTTPS, on certain sensitive webpages. For instance, a webpage from 2004 required users to install their digital certificate to securely log in to the system, preventing the exposure of passwords during communication.
The 2018 update that switched to HTTPS represented a further reinforcement of security measures, ensuring that even non-sensitive data was encrypted and protected from unauthorized access or modification by potential attackers during communication. This action was likely prompted by announcements from browsers like Chrome, which indicated that websites not using HTTPS would be marked as "not secure" starting in 2018 ("A secure web is here to stay," 2018).