In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, radically changing our access to information. The prefix ‘http://‘ was developed to standardize web addresses (URLs). This prefix is used for the ‘Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)‘, which determines how resources on the internet are accessed.
Tim Berners-Lee’s Regrets About URL Format
However, years later, Berners-Lee admitted that this format was unnecessarily complex. The double slashes in the URL configuration represented the hierarchical arrangement of resources. However, with the advancement of technology, it became apparent that these structural elements were no longer necessary. Berners-Lee pointed out that modern web browsers can already understand that a URL points to a web resource, and the extra symbols brought unnecessary burden to both developers and users. If he had another chance, he would make the URL format much simpler, possibly using a structure like ‘http:example.com‘. These confessions by Tim Berners-Lee highlight the evolution of web technologies and how user needs have changed.
Tim Berners-Lee pointed out that modern web browsers can already understand that a URL points to a web resource, and the extra symbols brought unnecessary burden to both developers and users. If he had another chance, he would make the URL format much simpler, possibly using a structure like ‘http:example.com‘.
Source: Site Point