Twenty plus years ago, I was deep in the world of web standards. The work felt important, but was a very niche calling.

The effort itself was the definition of grassroots. A bunch of like-minded people getting together to make the place they congregated better. In hindsight, it’s hard to see the influence we had because those ideas championed are now a ubiquitous part of the modern landscape.

Reading that history, reflected back to the world in a whole new context was both oddly dissonant and inspiring.

The story told, while true, is burnished with the language of a legend. Still, if this story-myth can help energize a new generation to make their — our — world a better place, too, then I know Zeldman will be pleased.