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The WayBackMachine gives internet users the power to literally see into the past with 20/20 vision. Albeit indirectly, Google is how many people the world over connect to one another - its many users are almost an unrecognized online community - however, the friendly “do no evil” search bar may be overstepping its bounds. Given the recent Google Street View controversy, we thought it was worth taking a look back to the origins of Google.

Even though many new features have been added over time, the Google brand has succeeded by being predictable, straightforward and simple. Google has made its mark by adding new features on a reliable base rather than by reinventing itself with each new version.

Google is perhaps one of the best examples of keeping-it-simple. The Google logo has remained relatively unchanged since the start (save for special holiday versions). A straightforward primary-colors scheme and name-as-logo approach have survived since the search engine launched at Stanford almost a decade ago, losing only the exclamation point at the end! Of course, we can laugh now at their old subtitle “Index contains ~25 million pages (soon to be much bigger).” Today, Google has almost 30 times that many pages indexed just containing the word “Google.”

Even with their increased popularity, newly added features and tools (like Google News and Maps) are tucked up in the corner. Meanwhile, the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button remains in its prominent position right below the search box. Upcoming flashbacks will consider other sites that have or haven’t changed significantly over time. Meanwhile, try the WayBackMachine for yourself - it’s a great way to explore the past online through the internet archives!