Cybercultural chronicles internet history and its cultural impact, from the pre-web era to the dot-com boom, Web 2.0, and beyond. Written by pioneering tech blogger Richard MacManus.
-
Netscape in 1994: The Rise of the Webuloids
By the time Netscape Navigator was released in December 1994, the World Wide Web was beginning to overcome bandwidth restrictions and live up to its potential as a multimedia portal to the internet.
-
Internet Underground Music Archive in 1994
By early 1994, the Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) had migrated from Usenet and Gopher to the emerging internet platform, the World Wide Web. It was one of the first multimedia websites.
-
What the Internet Was Like in 2012
Internet culture pivoted to images and videos over 2012, with the growing popularity of image sharing apps like Instagram and Pinterest, video creators on YouTube, and pictures on Reddit.
-
How Lana Del Rey Found Internet Fame on YouTube in 2011
With YouTube growing fast in 2011, struggling musician Lizzy Grant decided to re-launch her career with a new name and image, new social media accounts, and a self-made video.
-
CD-ROMS in 1994: Bowie, Prince, Gabriel, and Cybermania '94
David Bowie, Prince and Peter Gabriel all had interactive CD-ROMs out in 1994, and had plans for further multimedia projects. But by the end of the year, the CD-ROM format was effectively over.
-
Multimedia Gulch in 1994: The Age of Interactive CD-ROMs
Multimedia Gulch was a trendy neighbourhood in San Francisco in the 1990s, home to wannabe rock stars making CD-ROM adventure games. They lived fast in a time of slow modems.
-
What the Internet Was Like in 2011
The internet in 2011 saw power plays in social networking, mobile apps, cloud computing, and streaming. Facebook was challenged by Google+, while new powers like Netflix and Spotify emerged.
-
The End of Web 2.0 — One Bubble Deflates, Another Starts Up
After leaving ReadWriteWeb in October 2012, it becomes apparent that the Web 2.0 era is over. I reflect on what the Web 2.0 bubble meant and how the internet industry continues to evolve.
To explore Cybercultural's archive of internet history articles, you can browse by internet era:
- Pre-web (1960s-80s)
- Dot-com (1990-2003)
- Web 2.0 (2004-2012)
- Enshittocene (2013-2021)
You can also read yearly reviews or search for a topic of interest.