1980 My literary era

The word “website building” may make people confused at first, but the meaning is extremely clear in a specific era.

In 1984, American Tom Jennings developed FidoNet based on BBS, which can transmit information to each other. This is a non-profit network built by everyone in their spare time. Everyone is an information provider and also a People who share information. By 1991, FidoNet was spread all over the world, with more than 12,000 sites dialing in by phone to chat on computers.

China's CFido is a branch of FidoNet, whose Chinese translation is Huiduo.com. In 1991, Roy built the first platform in mainland China, the Great Wall, in Yanjing. The next year, the Great Wall platform in Yanjing and the Hand-in-Hand platform in Shantou formed the earliest BBS exchange system in China, and the prototype of Huiduo Network was born.

In the following years, Huiduo.com CFido entered a period of rapid development in China, with the number of sites and influence increasing day by day.

The difficulty of building a website is not only the technology required, but also the funds required.

At that time, the platform generally had a single line. When a user connected to the platform to access the Internet through dial-up software, other users could only wait in front of the computer until the connection was disconnected.

Since Huiduo.com itself is not for profit, only some qualified webmasters will consider investing more funds to increase the number of lines to improve user experience, thereby attracting more netizens to their website.

The rapid development in China is naturally inseparable from the many webmasters who are obsessed with Internet technology and communication. In the early days, the webmasters of Huiduo.com were almost all the first people in China to come into contact with the Internet. Among them, there were naturally hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

In 1995, Ma Huateng invested 50,000 yuan in 4 telephones and 8 computers, and built a four-line radio station called Ponysoft at home.

Qiu Bojun of Kingsoft Software is the webmaster of Zhuhai West Line, and Wang Juntao, who once served as the chairman of 8848, is the webmaster of Blue Wave Fuzhou Station.

Even Lei Jun, who met with Lin Weimin today, is the webmaster of BJ West Point.

Now in 1997, there are already hundreds of Huiduo websites in China, and even the webmaster conference has been held twice.

Qu Xiaowei said that he wanted to build a website, and Lin Weimin commented on it: Even eating shit can't keep up with the hot ones.

BBSs have indeed become popular in the past two years. Whether they are BBSs organized by schools, governments and other organizations, or commercial BBSs that cooperate with the telecommunications department, or BBSs spontaneously established by netizens such as Huiduo.com, they have all begun to appear in the media. According to reports, the number of users increased sharply.

However, with the rapid development of users, it has also had an impact on the originally niche and stable CFido. The strong atmosphere of technical discussion and mutual help online experience eventually became a dream of yesterday under the impact of the gradually uneven quality of netizens. .

1997 was the last glory of Huiduo.com. Although users' demand for BBS has not disappeared, chat rooms have quietly emerged in Guangdong, where the reform atmosphere is strongest. One of the most well-known websites is NetEase Chat Room, with the highest peak. It has exceeded 50,000 people chatting online at the same time.

Early Internet users surfed the Internet. Except for a small number of technology geeks, most people still wanted to chat online. Compared with the mechanics and lag of BBS, the real-time nature of online chat rooms was more attractive to users.

Not to mention that ICQ has now appeared abroad.

"Why did you think of doing this?"

"Aren't I just chatting with people online? People told me that such a good resource in my hand would be wasted if I don't build something. Wouldn't it be nice to build Huiduo.com?"

Lin Weimin shook his head and said: "Huiduo.com is not fashionable now. This kind of BBS network that connects point-to-point through telephone lines has great limitations and is not profitable. If you are just for your own entertainment, there is no problem in getting one."

After understanding what Lin Weimin meant, Qu Xiaowei retreated and asked, "What do you think about setting up an online chat room?"

Lin Weimin joked: "Okay, do you still know about the chat room?"

"You look down on people, don't you? We are also engaged in the Internet now!"

As soon as I opened an Internet cafe, I was stunned to put gold on my face.

However, Lin Weimin did not criticize Qu Xiaowei. These days, even those who sell computer accessories can say that they are engaged in computers. There is nothing wrong with the owner of such a large chain of Internet cafes saying that he is engaged in Internet companies!

"That online chat room thing costs more money than Huiduo.com, are you sure you want to do it?" Lin Weimin asked.

Qu Xiaowei heard this and hesitated, "Is this thing really not profitable?"

"If you keep working for a few years, you might be able to make some money."

"How do you make money?"

Lin Weimin spread his hands and said, "Who knows?"

How do you make money on the Internet? Let alone Qu Xiaowei, this is a problem all over the world.

In addition to selling software and hardware, Internet practitioners have so far not yet explored a completely profitable path for this emerging industry.

Take Nasdaq on the other side of the ocean as an example. There are many Internet companies listed on the market, but their profit models are all in the exploratory stage. Each of them is burning money, and their future seems bleak.

Lin Weimin didn't intend to make himself omniscient and omnipotent. Qu Xiaowei had already opened an Internet cafe under his guidance, so there was no need to help anymore.

While Qu Xiaowei was struggling, Lin Weimin asked: "Who gave you the idea to start a forum?"

"There is a returnee from overseas who often comes to our Internet cafe to surf the Internet. That guy is pretty cool. He graduated from Shuimu and studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. He worked in a large foreign company for two years and took his teacher's money to come back and start an Internet company. "

Lin Weiming felt that this experience sounded familiar, "What is it called?"

"What's it called? Let me think about it, what is it called? Look at my brain. He told me once and I forgot about it." Qu Xiaowei patted his head, and after a while he didn't remember it. "I can't remember. He asked me to call him Charles. These people studying abroad don't like to be called by their real names, so they like to give them foreign names."

Sure enough, he was the man who rejected the entire Chinese Internet. Lin Weimin really felt like sitting back and watching the changes of the times. The Chinese Literature Society's Internet layout should also be tightened.

"If you want to get to know him, I'll introduce him to you when I get the chance."

Hearing this, Lin Weimin's heart moved, "Okay, if you think about it, contact me later."

Qu Xiaowei was very happy to be able to help Lin Weimin, "No problem."

The next morning, Lin Weimin went to the office for a meeting, and it was already past ten o'clock when he returned to the Chinese Literature Society.

Zhao Xin came to his office and said that people from Jinshan Company had arrived and the two parties had negotiated the software purchase.

Since the late 1980s, the Chinese Publishing House has successively purchased many computers. Now each editorial office and department has more than one computer, and the demand for software is still huge.

Jinshan Company received a total of 80 WPS software orders this time, as well as nearly 100 other small computer software orders, with a total amount of more than 200,000 yuan.

This number may not seem like much, but Kingsoft’s WPS only sells a few thousand copies a year. A visit to Guowenshe is equivalent to several days of sales for their company, and this order comes effortlessly. Where can I find such a number? Good things going?

"The person who came hasn't left yet. He said he wanted to see you." Zhao Xin said.

"Then let him come over." Lin Weimin said casually.

When he saw the person, he looked slightly surprised, "Why are you here?"

Lei Jun said with a smile: "The Chinese Literature Society is a large organization, and I, as the general manager, can show its importance!"

He held Lin Weimin's hand and said, "President Lin, thank you for supporting domestic software!"

Zhao Xin hadn't left yet, and Lei Jun paused when he called Lin Weimin.

"Your Kingsoft WPS can be said to be the light of domestic software. If the Chinese Literature Society has the ability, of course it should be supported." Lin Weimin said with a smile.

After Zhao Xin left, the two chatted for a few words.

Lin Weimin said: "It just so happens that you are here today. I have something to ask you."

"You say."

"What do you think of our Chinese Literature Society building a website..."

Lei Jun heard that Lin Weimin said he wanted to build a website for the Chinese Literature Society, but he didn't take it to heart at first.

In recent years, many units have followed the trend and set up Internet sites, but most of them are just for show and have almost no effect other than burning money and raising idle people.

But as he listened, he felt something was wrong.

In Lin Weimin's words, the official website of the Chinese Literature Society is a bit scary in its comprehensive functions. It combines many functions such as information introduction of the Chinese Literature Society + product promotion + reader exchange forum + book purchase.

“I hope to make the functions of this website more comprehensive. It is not just a show to the outside world, but also practical, and it must play a substantial role in helping the actual development of our Chinese literary society.

However, I am a layman in this regard. Although I have a certain understanding of industrial development, I am a layman in terms of specific operations, and what I say may not be very professional. Do you think it can be realized in the form I mentioned? "

After listening to Lin Weimin's words, Lei Jun thought quickly in his mind.

The ideas proposed by Lin Weimin are not difficult to implement. The real difficulty lies in the future operation of the website.

After all, no matter how good the hardware is, if the software is not good, it will be in vain.

After thinking for a moment, Lei Jun said: "It is not difficult to implement the functions you mentioned, but there are two problems that need to be solved. One is funding, and the other is future operations.

It doesn’t actually cost much to build a website, but the reader communication forum function you just mentioned must be supported by enough servers and bandwidth, which costs a lot of money. I see that your vision for the website is very comprehensive, and future development will definitely require some professionals to maintain and operate it. These things are easy to say, but not so easy to do. "

Lin Weimin nodded, "I am prepared for these, after all, the idea is a bit complicated. Just like the function I mentioned for readers to purchase online, it is not only necessary to put book information online, but also to organize information and products after readers purchase. Packaging, mailing and after-sales service are a whole set of things that need to be smoothed out.”

Lei Jun smiled and said: "Your book selection reminds me of Amazon, which was launched in the United States this year. They are an online bookstore."

"There are indeed ideas to learn from them. However, our domestic Internet development is still relatively backward and cannot compare with that of the United States."

Lei Jun thought for a while and said: "I don't think you should be too greedy for perfection. You just said so many plans for the website. They are all very comprehensive, but they may not all be good when put together. Why not put the plans of this online bookstore It would also be a good idea to do it on its own, or put it together with a readers’ forum.”

After thinking along Lei Jun's train of thought, Lin Weimin nodded slightly. His prophetic advantage was not omnipotent. Lei Jun's ability to achieve such high achievements in later generations was indeed something special.

"What you said makes sense..."

Lin Weimin had the advantage of being a prophet and Lei Jun had a keen sense of touch. The two got together to brainstorm. The more they talked, the more interesting they became and they became more and more practical.

The conversation got so exciting that I didn’t even bother to eat lunch.

In the end, the two of them had imagined almost every aspect of the future development of the website to perfection, and both of them were very happy.

But somehow, Lei Jun seemed to have thought of something, the joy on his face subsided, and he stopped talking.