The early internet was open. It was built on blue links, traffic referrals and users flowing between destinations. Every site did one or two things well, then passed people along. Attention shifted over time as portals, social networks, and search engines fought to become the start of a journey, but rarely the end of it. Businesses learned to navigate each wave, studying algorithms, adapting behavior and understanding the value of owning their customer data. Formats evolved from static images to video to vertical clips.