ESPN.com, the 21st most popular site on the internet, according to Alexa.com, celebrated its 10th anniversary today (April 1). In honor of the achievement, the administrators of ESPN.com have provided a look back at the many variations of the site as it has developed over the years. This is especially interesting for anyone who develops websites for a living or as a hobby.

The changes that are made to websites often reflect more than a desire for a new coat of paint. Most sites are changed to incorporate new and growing technologies or capabilities (like broadband). Recently, technologies like RSS have been incorporated into websites to make them more user-friendly.

It’s fun to look back every once in a while to see how a website has developed, grown or changed over the course of time. Unfortunately with every new version of a website, the old version gets lost in the ether.

If you have a website then I would highly recommend that you periodically (or before a major revision) take the time to make a backup of the entire site. After all, you’ve poured your heart and soul into it creating something. Don’t lose it in all of the excitement surrounding the development of what will surely (in your mind) become the next big thing.

Click here to visit the ESPN.com 10th Anniversary Page.

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