Tim Berners-Lee, who in 1989 invented the software program known as the World Wide Web, is a scientist in the true sense of the word--idealistic, interested in the pure pursuit of knowledge, and uncomfortable in the media spotlight. Yet his invention, which provides an easy way to access the Internet, has made a huge impact on twentieth-century business and communications. Some experts would even go so far as to say the World Wide Web has revolutionized the ability of computer users around the world to connect to each other. It makes sharing information worldwide possible in a split second--at the click of a mouse. Indeed, in a 1997 article, one Time writer compared the importance of the Web to the Gutenberg printing press, which heralded the Scientific Revolution.

The Web has made money for some computer scientists, but Berners-Lee refuses to cash in on his invention. The Web has also...