Season 4
Season 4 of Cybercultural is publishing across 2025. Its theme is 'the birth of digital culture' and covers the dot-com period.
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Best Experienced With: MTV.com and the 90s Browser War
MTV's website in 1997 is a hodgepodge of technologies: Java, JavaScript, frames and more. The quality of your user experience depends on which browser you use: Netscape or IE.
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The 3 Gurus of 90s Web Design: Zeldman, Siegel, Nielsen
With the rise of Flash and CSS in 1997, three web design philosophies emerge. David Siegel advocates for 'hacks', Jakob Nielsen keeps it simple, while Jeffrey Zeldman combines flair with usability.
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The Age of Buffering: Video Streaming and Webcasts in 1997
During 1997, video streaming comes to web browsers through plug-ins like RealVideo, VDOLive and Microsoft's NetShow. David Bowie even attempts to 'cybercast' one of his concerts this year.
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Duran Duran and the Dawn of Digital Music Sales in 1997
In July 1997, N2K and Liquid Audio announce a way to sell digital songs online for 99 cents a pop. Soon after, Duran Duran becomes the first major label artist to release an online single for sale.
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Telling Lies: Bowie and Online Music Distribution in 1996
Online music retail is thriving by 1996, thanks to sites like Music Boulevard and CDnow. But music downloads and streaming is more of a challenge — as David Bowie discovers in September 1996.
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State of Online Music in 1996: RealAudio and Rocktroplis
Over 1996, the Web becomes an experimental testing ground for new ways of distributing and promoting music. RealAudio, Rocktropolis, Music Boulevard and IUMA are some of the leading sites.
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David Bowie’s Early Websites, 1995–1997: Outside to Earthling
During the mid-90s, David Bowie's website goes from a storytelling structure for the Outside album, to a striking, grunge-inspired design for Earthling. At the same time, Bowie fan sites emerge.
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Cyberculture 1960s-1990s and the Legacy of Alice Mary Hilton
Alice Mary Hilton coins the word 'cyberculture' in 1963, and by the mid-90s it’s in common use. Yet Hilton never gets her due, especially compared to her contemporary Marshall McLuhan.
