Chris Heivly @ MapQuest: The Map Geek Who Gave Everyone Better Directions

On this episode of Web Masters, Aaron talks to Chris Heivly, co-founder of MapQuest. As one of the earliest websites to achieve broad consumer popularity, MapQuest introduced an entire generation to the potential of the World Wide Web to shape the future.

Show Notes

In 1995, a mapping company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that had been developing CD-ROMS for point-to-point navigation decided to see if it could provide the same service for consumers in real-time using a new technology called the World Wide Web. They contacted the owners of their nearest Internet node -- a local college -- and were given a tie-in to the network.

With access to the Web established, they launched their new website: MapQuest.com. It was an instant hit. MapQuest quickly became one of the most popular websites in the world while completely changing the way the world traveled from place to place.

This episode of Web Masters features host Aaron Dinin in conversation with Chris Heivly, one of MapQuest's co-founders and one of the world's earliest map geeks. He tells the story of how computer mapping grew out of the labs of a niche group of academics and ultimately became the backbone of the global economy.

For a complete transcript of the episode, click here.

What is Web Masters?

Web Masters is an original podcast that explores the history of the Internet through the stories of some of its most important innovators. In each episode, host Aaron Dinin, a serial entrepreneur and digital media scholar, talks with Internet entrepreneurs who created important websites, tools, services, and features. Some are hugely popular, some you’ve never heard of, and all of them have impacted everything you do online. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Internet has enabled -- and continues to create -- some of the greatest business opportunities in history from the people who have proven they know how to build successful Internet businesses.