Creator of Web apologises for use of forward slashes

Sir Tim Berners-Lee has apologised for the use of the forward slash in Web addresses and admits that he could have designed the Web without them.

The forward slashes which appear at the beginning of web addresses are deemed annoying by some Web users. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who included them when he helped created the Web, has apologised and admitted that the Web could have been designed without them. He confesses they were "unnecessary". Talking about the design of the World Wide Web Sir Tim admits that he could have easily designed URLs that did not require the double forward slash, or "//", in them. He said, "There you go, it seemed like a good idea at the time." He also said that he did not realise there would be "so much hassle" with having the double forward slash in web addresses when he devised the Web thirty years ago. Focusing on the green angle in his light-hearted apology, Sir Tim Berner-Lee highlights how having to add // to each web address causes wasted time and also ink and paper in printing. Sir Tim is currently working with the UK government in helping to open access to government data as well as being director of the World Wide Web Consortium.