Cybercultural
@cybercultural.com
A website that chronicles internet history and its cultural impact, from the pre-web era to the dot-com boom, Web 2.0, and beyond. Written by @ricmac.cybercultural.com.
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Flash websites reach their peak in 2003, becoming almost the default for creative design on the web. David Bowie is on top of this internet trend and commissions a full Flash redesign of BowieNet. cybercultural.com/p/bowienet-v... #InternetHistory #Flash #BowieForever
2003: BowieNet 3 Launch and the Peak of Flash Web Design
Flash websites reach their peak in 2003, becoming almost the default for creative design on the web. David Bowie is on top of this internet trend and commissions a full Flash redesign of BowieNet.
cybercultural.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Flash websites reach their peak in 2003, becoming almost the default for creative design on the web. David Bowie is on top of this internet trend and commissions a full Flash redesign of BowieNet. cybercultural.com/p/bowienet-v... #InternetHistory #Flash #BowieForever
Reposted by Cybercultural
When social networks went mainstream in 2003, with Friendster and then its copycat MySpace, they were initially positioned as dating apps (later that year, Mark Zuckerberg would use the "hot or not" format in Facemash...but that's another, creepier, story!). cybercultural.com/p/myspace-20...
2003: MySpace vs. Friendster in a Battle for Digital Natives
Social networking becomes a trend in 2003, thanks largely to Friendster and a copycat called MySpace. But only one of these sites attracts the newly influential 'digital native' users of the internet.
cybercultural.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:13 PM
When social networks went mainstream in 2003, with Friendster and then its copycat MySpace, they were initially positioned as dating apps (later that year, Mark Zuckerberg would use the "hot or not" format in Facemash...but that's another, creepier, story!). cybercultural.com/p/myspace-20...
With Flash websites and CSS designs, the broadband-fueled 2002 internet is full of creativity. Meanwhile, online music is the wild west and the blogosphere points the way to a more social web. cybercultural.com/p/internet-2...
What the Internet Was Like in 2002
With Flash websites and CSS designs, the broadband-fueled 2002 internet is full of creativity. Meanwhile, online music is the wild west and the blogosphere points the way to a more social web.
cybercultural.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:47 PM
With Flash websites and CSS designs, the broadband-fueled 2002 internet is full of creativity. Meanwhile, online music is the wild west and the blogosphere points the way to a more social web. cybercultural.com/p/internet-2...
The blogosphere becomes a trend in 2002 — a growing ecosystem of weblogs interconnecting via feeds, comments and a new feature called trackback. We also see the debut of RSS 2.0 and Technorati. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
How the Blogosphere Takes Shape in 2002, Along With RSS 2.0
The blogosphere becomes a trend in 2002 — a growing ecosystem of weblogs interconnecting via feeds, comments and a new feature called trackback. We also see the debut of RSS 2.0 and Technorati.
cybercultural.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The blogosphere becomes a trend in 2002 — a growing ecosystem of weblogs interconnecting via feeds, comments and a new feature called trackback. We also see the debut of RSS 2.0 and Technorati. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
With its revolutionary 'touch wheel' and double the storage, Apple's 2nd gen iPod is the state of the art in digital music in 2002. But the future is online streaming, which Steve Jobs struggles to accept. cybercultural.com/p/ipod-2002/
2002: The Second iPod and Steve Jobs on Music Streaming
With its revolutionary 'touch wheel' and double the storage, Apple's 2nd gen iPod is the state of the art in digital music in 2002. But the future is online streaming, which Steve Jobs struggles to ac...
cybercultural.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:11 PM
With its revolutionary 'touch wheel' and double the storage, Apple's 2nd gen iPod is the state of the art in digital music in 2002. But the future is online streaming, which Steve Jobs struggles to accept. cybercultural.com/p/ipod-2002/
Following in Amazon's footsteps, two student projects independently use 'collaborative filtering' to bring recommendations and social networking to online music; soon they will join forces. cybercultural.com/p/lastfm-aud...
2002: Last.fm and Audioscrobbler Herald the Social Web
Following in Amazon's footsteps, two student projects independently use 'collaborative filtering' to bring recommendations and social networking to online music; soon they will join forces.
cybercultural.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Following in Amazon's footsteps, two student projects independently use 'collaborative filtering' to bring recommendations and social networking to online music; soon they will join forces. cybercultural.com/p/lastfm-aud...
Even in the middle of the dot-com bust in 2001, there are rays of hope: Wikipedia and the Wayback Machine launch, digital music turns legit with iTunes and the iPod, and blogging goes mainstream. cybercultural.com/p/internet-2...
What the Internet Was Like in 2001
Even in the middle of the dot-com bust in 2001, there are rays of hope: Wikipedia and the Wayback Machine launch, digital music turns legit with iTunes and the iPod, and blogging goes mainstream.
cybercultural.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Even in the middle of the dot-com bust in 2001, there are rays of hope: Wikipedia and the Wayback Machine launch, digital music turns legit with iTunes and the iPod, and blogging goes mainstream. cybercultural.com/p/internet-2...
After September 11, 2001, an influx of warblogs shakes up the blogosphere. It's part of a year-long transition in which blogging shifts from personal journaling to a more journalistic approach. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
Blogging Gets Serious in 2001 With Warblogs and Movable Type
After September 11, 2001, an influx of warblogs shakes up the blogosphere. It's part of a year-long transition in which blogging shifts from personal journaling to a more journalistic approach.
cybercultural.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
After September 11, 2001, an influx of warblogs shakes up the blogosphere. It's part of a year-long transition in which blogging shifts from personal journaling to a more journalistic approach. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
In October 2001, Brewster Kahle demonstrates a new time machine from the Internet Archive called the Wayback Machine. It will become a vital link between the Web's past and its present. cybercultural.com/p/wayback-ma...
2001: The Internet Gets a Memory With the Wayback Machine
In October 2001, Brewster Kahle demonstrates a new time machine from the Internet Archive called the Wayback Machine. It will become a vital link between the Web's past and its present.
cybercultural.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:04 PM
In October 2001, Brewster Kahle demonstrates a new time machine from the Internet Archive called the Wayback Machine. It will become a vital link between the Web's past and its present. cybercultural.com/p/wayback-ma...
Reposted by Cybercultural
This week on Cybercultural, I look back on Steve Jobs' January 2001 keynote at Macworld SF, when he announced iTunes and Apple's new "digital hub" concept. It set the company up for a renaissance in the 21st century, when *everything* became digital. cybercultural.com/p/itunes-lau... #AppleHistory
2001: Steve Jobs Launches iTunes and Apple’s Digital Hub
With the announcement of iTunes in January 2001, Apple CEO Steve Jobs ushers in the legal digital music era. It also marks the beginning of Apple's renaissance as a Silicon Valley pioneer.
cybercultural.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:29 PM
This week on Cybercultural, I look back on Steve Jobs' January 2001 keynote at Macworld SF, when he announced iTunes and Apple's new "digital hub" concept. It set the company up for a renaissance in the 21st century, when *everything* became digital. cybercultural.com/p/itunes-lau... #AppleHistory
In 2000, Flash websites proliferate, blogging expands, social news sites like Slashdot gain influence — all of this while the dot-com bubble slowly deflates and Napster dominates headlines. cybercultural.com/p/internet-2...
What the Internet Was Like in 2000
In 2000, Flash websites proliferate, blogging expands, social news sites like Slashdot gain influence — all of this while the dot-com bubble slowly deflates and Napster dominates headlines.
cybercultural.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
In 2000, Flash websites proliferate, blogging expands, social news sites like Slashdot gain influence — all of this while the dot-com bubble slowly deflates and Napster dominates headlines. cybercultural.com/p/internet-2...
Reposted by Cybercultural
Old articles and blog posts too often get removed from the web or neglected, left to rot on broken pages. Replanting lets you migrate legacy content to your current site so it can thrive again. Here's how I'm doing it... cybercultural.com/p/replanting/ #replanting #savetheweb
Replanting Articles: Bring Legacy Posts to Your Website
Old articles and blog posts too often get removed from the web or neglected, left to rot on broken pages. Replanting lets you migrate legacy content to your current site so it can thrive again.
cybercultural.com
October 2, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Old articles and blog posts too often get removed from the web or neglected, left to rot on broken pages. Replanting lets you migrate legacy content to your current site so it can thrive again. Here's how I'm doing it... cybercultural.com/p/replanting/ #replanting #savetheweb
Napster's legal woes intensify in 2000, even as creator Shawn Fanning is celebrated on MTV and on magazine covers. Meanwhile, Apple acquires a startup called SoundJam and turns it into iTunes. cybercultural.com/p/napster-it...
2000: The Napster Monster and Apple’s Heavenly Jukebox
Napster's legal woes intensify in 2000, even as creator Shawn Fanning is celebrated on MTV and on magazine covers. Meanwhile, Apple acquires a startup called SoundJam and turns it into iTunes.
cybercultural.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Napster's legal woes intensify in 2000, even as creator Shawn Fanning is celebrated on MTV and on magazine covers. Meanwhile, Apple acquires a startup called SoundJam and turns it into iTunes. cybercultural.com/p/napster-it...
By 2000, Slashdot's pioneering karma system is helping other online communities — like BowieNet — moderate user contributed content. Meanwhile, Google and Amazon enjoy good karma over 2000. cybercultural.com/p/karma-2000... #InternetHistory #BowieForever #Slashdot
Social Karma in 2000 With Slashdot and BowieNet Version 2.0
By 2000, Slashdot's pioneering karma system is helping other online communities — like BowieNet — moderate user contributed content. Meanwhile, Google and Amazon enjoy good karma over 2000.
cybercultural.com
September 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
By 2000, Slashdot's pioneering karma system is helping other online communities — like BowieNet — moderate user contributed content. Meanwhile, Google and Amazon enjoy good karma over 2000. cybercultural.com/p/karma-2000... #InternetHistory #BowieForever #Slashdot
In 2000, the blogroll becomes a trend as bloggers increasingly link to each other. Meanwhile, RSS bifurcates into two opposing formats: Dave Winer's RSS 0.92 and the RDF-based RSS 1.0. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
2000: Bloggers Make Friends, but RSS Format Wars Kick Off
In 2000, the blogroll becomes a trend as bloggers increasingly link to each other. Meanwhile, RSS bifurcates into two opposing formats: Dave Winer's RSS 0.92 and the RDF-based RSS 1.0.
cybercultural.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:13 PM
In 2000, the blogroll becomes a trend as bloggers increasingly link to each other. Meanwhile, RSS bifurcates into two opposing formats: Dave Winer's RSS 0.92 and the RDF-based RSS 1.0. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
The AOL-Time Warner merger in January 2000 triggers a slow deflation of the dot-com bubble, starting in March. Meanwhile, the Web's golden boy Marc Andreessen returns with a new startup. cybercultural.com/p/dotcom-cra...
The Dot-Com Crash of 2000 and Marc Andreessen’s Act 2
The AOL-Time Warner merger in January 2000 triggers a slow deflation of the dot-com bubble, starting in March. Meanwhile, the Web's golden boy Marc Andreessen returns with a new startup.
cybercultural.com
September 9, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The AOL-Time Warner merger in January 2000 triggers a slow deflation of the dot-com bubble, starting in March. Meanwhile, the Web's golden boy Marc Andreessen returns with a new startup. cybercultural.com/p/dotcom-cra...
By 1999, Microsoft had vanquished Netscape in the browser war, Google was starting to show up competing search engines, and Napster and Blogger had arrived to shake up our culture. cybercultural.com/p/internet-1...
What the Internet Was Like in 1999
By 1999, Microsoft had vanquished Netscape in the browser war, Google was starting to show up competing search engines, and Napster and Blogger had arrived to shake up our culture.
cybercultural.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:49 PM
By 1999, Microsoft had vanquished Netscape in the browser war, Google was starting to show up competing search engines, and Napster and Blogger had arrived to shake up our culture. cybercultural.com/p/internet-1...
The launch of Blogger in August 1999 signals the arrival of weblogs into mainstream web culture. At the same time, web syndication formats are being worked out — starting with Netscape's RSS 0.90. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
1999: Blogs Burst Onto the Scene, but RSS Is Slow To Settle
The launch of Blogger in August 1999 signals the arrival of weblogs into mainstream web culture. At the same time, web syndication formats are being worked out — starting with Netscape's RSS 0.90.
cybercultural.com
August 29, 2025 at 10:04 AM
The launch of Blogger in August 1999 signals the arrival of weblogs into mainstream web culture. At the same time, web syndication formats are being worked out — starting with Netscape's RSS 0.90. cybercultural.com/p/blogs-rss-...
Napster launched in May 1999 and soon there were millions of pirated songs online. Not even David Bowie, who released an album via digital download that year, could foresee Napster's future influence. cybercultural.com/p/napster-19... #InternetHistory #Napster #BowieForever
The Emergence of Napster and P2P File Sharing in 1999
Napster launched in May 1999 and soon there were millions of pirated songs online. Not even David Bowie, who released an album via digital download that year, could foresee Napster's future influence.
cybercultural.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Napster launched in May 1999 and soon there were millions of pirated songs online. Not even David Bowie, who released an album via digital download that year, could foresee Napster's future influence. cybercultural.com/p/napster-19... #InternetHistory #Napster #BowieForever
After seeing the movie 'The Matrix', Philip Rosedale started a dot-com company and attempted to build a full-body virtual reality rig. He soon pivoted to creating a virtual world on the Web. cybercultural.com/p/second-lif...
Second Life and the Beginnings of the Metaverse in 1999
After seeing the movie 'The Matrix', Philip Rosedale started a dot-com company and attempted to build a full-body virtual reality rig. He soon pivoted to creating a virtual world on the Web.
cybercultural.com
August 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
After seeing the movie 'The Matrix', Philip Rosedale started a dot-com company and attempted to build a full-body virtual reality rig. He soon pivoted to creating a virtual world on the Web. cybercultural.com/p/second-lif...
Continuing his exploration of virtual personas, in 1999 David Bowie played two 3D characters in a game called 'Omikron: The Nomad Soul'. The songs he contributed were later added to his album, Hours. cybercultural.com/p/bowie-1999... #InternetHistory #BowieForever
David Bowie’s 1999 Gaming Adventure and Virtual Album
Continuing his exploration of virtual personas, in 1999 David Bowie played two 3D characters in a game called 'Omikron: The Nomad Soul'. The songs he contributed were later added to his album, Hours.
cybercultural.com
August 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Continuing his exploration of virtual personas, in 1999 David Bowie played two 3D characters in a game called 'Omikron: The Nomad Soul'. The songs he contributed were later added to his album, Hours. cybercultural.com/p/bowie-1999... #InternetHistory #BowieForever
Exploring different personas on the web was a widespread trend in the late-1990s. Later, Facebook would neuter online identity, but in 1999 you could invent virtual characters on sites like BowieWorld. cybercultural.com/p/online-ide...
From BowieWorld to Facebook: How Online Identity Evolved
Exploring different personas on the web was a widespread trend in the late-1990s. Later, Facebook would neuter online identity, but in 1999 you could invent virtual characters on sites like BowieWorld...
cybercultural.com
July 30, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Exploring different personas on the web was a widespread trend in the late-1990s. Later, Facebook would neuter online identity, but in 1999 you could invent virtual characters on sites like BowieWorld. cybercultural.com/p/online-ide...
Like Morpheus in The Matrix, Google gave web users a stark choice in 1999: take the red pill and experience a new world of search quality, or choose the blue pill and stick with the bloated world of portal search. cybercultural.com/p/google-1999/
Google in 1999: Search Engines Escape the Portal Matrix
Like Morpheus in The Matrix, Google gave web users a stark choice in 1999: take the red pill and experience a new world of search quality, or choose the blue pill and stick with the bloated world of p...
cybercultural.com
July 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Like Morpheus in The Matrix, Google gave web users a stark choice in 1999: take the red pill and experience a new world of search quality, or choose the blue pill and stick with the bloated world of portal search. cybercultural.com/p/google-1999/
It's 1998, the middle of the dot-com boom. Portals are advertising on TV, web developers are fighting browser companies, Microsoft and Amazon are gaining power, and Netscape is going open source. cybercultural.com/p/internet-1... #DotCom #InternetHistory
What the Internet Was Like in 1998
It's 1998, the middle of the dot-com boom. Portals are advertising on TV, web developers are fighting browser companies, Microsoft and Amazon are gaining power, and Netscape is going open source.
cybercultural.com
July 15, 2025 at 2:39 PM
It's 1998, the middle of the dot-com boom. Portals are advertising on TV, web developers are fighting browser companies, Microsoft and Amazon are gaining power, and Netscape is going open source. cybercultural.com/p/internet-1... #DotCom #InternetHistory
Google makes the transition from Stanford project to company over 1998, but it is portals like Yahoo! and portal-wannabes like AltaVista that feature in Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Watch that year. cybercultural.com/p/search-1998/
Search Engines in 1998, Before Google Takes the Spotlight
Google makes the transition from Stanford project to company over 1998, but it is portals like Yahoo! and portal-wannabes like AltaVista that feature in Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Watch that year.
cybercultural.com
July 8, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Google makes the transition from Stanford project to company over 1998, but it is portals like Yahoo! and portal-wannabes like AltaVista that feature in Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Watch that year. cybercultural.com/p/search-1998/