Yahoo will retire the namesake product that it started with in 1994, its directory of websites.
That January, Jerry Yang and David Filo, graduate students at Stanford University, created a directory of websites to help users navigate the Internet,
Ars Technica reports. It was called "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web."
Two months later, Yang and Filo named the directory "Yahoo!" — "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle."
Directories took the place of search engines in the early days of the Internet. They were the easiest ways to find specific sites, all categorized by subject, though they were not known for their speed or effectiveness, Ars Technica reports.
Yahoo eventually started its own search engine.
But as the Web exploded, and Google came to epitomize the speed and efficiency of search engines, directories became less popular.
Yahoo has kept its directory, but said on Friday that it would cease operation on Dec. 31. Its search engine, however, will be available for its users.
The company has closed down more than 60 products over the past two years to increase efficiency, Ars Technica reports.
Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo owns part of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce website that went public Sept. 19, Forbes magazine reports.
The sale has caused Yahoo's
stock to decline, Forbes reports, since many investors put funds into the site because of its Alibaba stake.
Investors now are more inclined to get involved directly with Alibaba than by dealing through Yahoo.
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
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