WebSocket – Automated Hacks

Before WebSockets: How 1995–1998 Web APIs Set the Stage for Real-Time Web Communication

WebSockets weren’t a 1990s technology, but the need for real-time interaction was. From CGI and HTML forms to early JavaScript and frames, 1995–1998 introduced the patterns—and the pain—that later shaped the WebSocket API.

Chapter 28: Before WebSockets — Real-Time Web Communication Dreams in the Web’s First HTTP Interfaces (1990–1994)

In the Web’s first years, HTTP’s simple request/response model made “real-time” feel out of reach. This chapter traces the early interface patterns—HTTP/0.9, evolving headers, and CGI scripts—that set the stage for later solutions like the WebSocket API.