Web inventor is 'Greatest Briton'
 

The inventor of the world wide web has been named Greatest Briton 2004 at a ceremony attended by Gordon Brown.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who developed the web in the late 1980s, said he was just "in the right place at the right time".

Accepting his award and £25,000 at the Royal Courts of Justice, Sir Tim said it was an "amazing honour".

Six other Britons, including Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes and fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, were also given awards at the ceremony.

The seven were given titles in fields such as the arts, science, business and public service.

On receiving his award on Thursday, Sir Tim said: "I have won awards for computers but I have never won an award for being British.

"I am very proud to be British, it is great fun to be British and this award is just an amazing honour."

Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, was awarded Greatest Briton in the Arts, and fashion designer Sir Paul Smith was named as Greatest Briton in Business.

In his opening speech, the chancellor hailed the power of "Britishness" and said he was humbled by the list of achievements.

"There is a real calibre of people who make our country great and proud to be British," he said.

Other awards went to Lord Norman Foster, the British architect behind the Millennium Bridge, and terminal cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson.

Mrs Tomlinson, who has completed three London marathons raising money for charity, said she was shocked to receive her award.

"I never expected to win - we just came down here because I was nominated, but it has been such a lovely night."

Veteran journalist Lord Bill Deedes, still UK ambassador for Unicef at the age of 91, won the Public Service category.

He said the ceremony was important to help restore pride in Britain.

"The importance of this contest is to try to restore in people's minds the idea of Britain.

"We should all be proud of being British."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4214473.stm

only 25k pounds for the web gtfo

what a sham id take that shit back

:1orglaugh

werd. he deserves a couple of million

http://www.algore04.com/gallery/citi...ident/811a.jpg

We all know who really invented the internet.

Do these people's accomplishments really have much to do with the fact that they're British? I look at these as personal accomplishments, and their government is trying to claim some form of responsibility for.

Besides, wasn't Tim Berners-Lee in Switzerland when he developed the WWW?

Quit taking his quote out of context. It was in fact Al Gore's legislation as a Senator that made the net what it is today. Notice the net didn't go anywhere until what, 1994, well by that time it had been around for almost 25 years.

Why do people cheer their team in NFL? It has nothing to do with them?
Why do people cheer their countrymen in the olympics? It has nothing to do with their country, or them. It's a personal accomplishment.
Why are americans so proud of their army? It has nothing to do with them personally.
etc.
Don't be a nitpicker.

The Internet and the World Wide Web are different things.

Because people are desperate to feel like winners even though they didn't contribute anything to the cause.

People suck. :(