Yahoo! Picks - bringing you the best of the Web since 1995

Ian wasn't on the Web from the very beginning, but he found his way there pretty fast. He pitched his first page online in 2000. In 2003, he expanded to a full-fledged website. Now, seven years later, he continues to build and polish what has become one of the world's foremost collections of information, advice, and trivia about shoelaces.

Yes, shoelaces. Ain't the Web grand? But before you dismiss this as another Internet-issue triviality, consider how often you lace up your sneakers or double-knot the ties of your boots. Venture in to Ian's emporium of ties, and you will find more fascinating fodder that you'd think possible...

Ian, you are an Internet pioneer! How have you seen the Web change since those early days?

I'd never thought of it that way, but I guess that my site was around in the "early days." Back then, it was sufficient to have a simple site because there were very few tools for creating anything sophisticated...

The Web has changed the way visitors find my site. Back in 2000, my few pages about shoelaces would have been invisible if not for native links from search engines or from hand-selected links from sites such as Yahoo! Picks. [Read our 2004 review of Ian's site!]

Today, more and more websites are embracing the concept of linking to other sites they consider worthwhile, with the "blog" format encouraging even individuals to make their own "picks." This means that there are now links to my site from literally thousands of other websites all over the world. Read the full profile...