A personal story behind the evolution of the web | Wendy Hall | TEDxUCLWomen

Dame Wendy Hall was rejected from her first job because the interviewer didn't think that she, as a woman, would be able to handle a class of men. Now, she is one of the most influential scientists in Britain, and is continuing to play a pivotal part in shaping our digital futures through research and policy. She tells us of how she went from a back garden in Walthamstow to working with Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Internet, and how she hopes to maintain a web that works for the good of humanity.
Dame Wendy Hall, DBE, FRS, FREng is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, and is the Executive Director of the Web Science Institute.
One of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia, she has been at its forefront ever since. The influence of her work has been significant in many areas including digital libraries, the development of the Semantic Web, and the emerging research discipline of Web Science. She is currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and is a member of the Global Commission on Internet Governance.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at