event loop – Automated Hacks

Chapter 97: Before Web Workers — How 1995–1998 Browser Scripting Pushed the Web Toward Background Processing

In 1995–1998, the web didn’t have Web Workers—but it definitely had the problem they solve. This chapter traces how early JavaScript, CGI, and form-driven interactivity revealed the need for background processing in browsers.

Chapter 27: Before Web Workers — How the Early Web (1990–1994) Handled “Background” Work

Long before Web Workers existed, early 1990s browsers and HTTP libraries faced the same problem: how to avoid locking up the user experience while fetching and processing network data. This chapter traces the API roots that later made true background processing possible.