Old Wide Web

This is a special crosspost from my new show Where I'm From, which you can subscribe to at https://billmeeks.com/whereimfrom.

Meet Dino Ignacio, the creator of the infamous 90s website Bert Is Evil. We'll dive into Dino's unique upbringing on the internet and recall the exciting early days of the World Wide Web. From connecting to CompuServe and exploring the BBS scene, to creating the first internet meme and winning a Webby Award, Dino takes us on a journey through the democratization of content. Don't miss this episode as we delve into the historical significance of the first meme with internet pioneer Dino Ignacio. PLUS: How Bert Is Evil influenced a conflict half a world away.

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LINKS
Full Uncut Interview (Livestream)
Where I'm From YouTube Channel
Dino Ignacio
The Original Bert Is Evil Website
Bert Is Evil: The True Story Behind the Web's First Viral Hit by Bill Meeks
Old Wide Web Episode 1 -- The Muppets Take Bangladesh (Podcast)
CompuServe
The CompuServe Comics and Animation Forum Awards
Geocities
Fark.com
FractalCow mirror
Mr. T Ate My Balls on The Old Wide Web
Braindom: We Can Defeat Brain Together
Internet Underground Magazine Archive
Webby Awards
Bert Is Evil on the Webby Awards site
Dino's Last Message on Bert Is Evil

TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:14 Even Nerds Have Tech Problems
00:03:09 Clip from Internet Superstar with Martin Sargent
00:03:32 Dino on The Old Wide Web
00:05:07 Getting Online In Manila
00:05:59 - Growing Up Under Marshall Law
00:06:21 - Enter The World Wide Web
00:07:07- Connecting To CompuServe
00:09:44- The BBS Scene and Legends of the Red Dragon
00:10:15- The Compuserve Comics and Animation Forums
00:11:05 Why The Early Internet Was So Exciting
00:11:34 - Geocities
00:11:38 - Fark.com
00:11:44 - Rotten.com
00:12:09 FractalCow.com
00:12:48 - Zines and Poetry
00:13:25 - The Early Days Of Viral Content
00:15:44 - Mr. T Ate My Balls
00:16:08 Bert Is Evil
00:18:07 - Braindom: We Can Defeat Brain Together Tripod Site
00:19:40 - Bert Is Evil Goes Viral
00:20:09 - Internet Underground Magazine
00:20:18 - Winning A Webby Award
00:20:48 - The Muppets Take Bangladesh
00:23:55 - The 1998 Webby Awards
00:26:58 Streann Studio Ad Read
00:28:34 Bert Is Evil Part 2
00:28:40 - Sesame Street Reacts and The End of Bert Is Evil
00:30:19 - The Historical Significance of The First Internet Meme
00:31:28 - The Art of Bert Is Evil
00:32:54 Stable Diffusion and AI Art
00:39:29 Wheel of Anecdotes
00:45:37 The Democratization of Content
00:49:34 Outro

We get all legal and cover the court cases of Napster and Microsoft. Hold on to your briefs… it’s the Old Wide Web!

Links:

Nabbing Napster: Napster Bad!, Barenaked Ladies battle Napster with ‘Trojan’ downloads, Napster Usage Numbers, Jammie Thomas Judgement, Napster’s High and Low Notes, Music by Atomsplit

United States v Microsoft: Bill Gates Deposition Videos, Gates Deposition Called Evasive, Microsoft Attacks Credibility of Intel Exec, Open Letter on Antitrust Protectionism, United States v Microsoft Ruling, Music

Progz: The TOR Project, FoxyProxy

Old Website of the Week: The Wyld Stallyns!

We talk to the creator of the Ate My Balls meme and pay tribute to the late author and techhead Douglas Adams. Grab your towel and thumb a ride to the Old Wide Web!

Links:

Mr. T Ate My Balls: Mr. T Ate My Balls

Douglas Adams and the Internet: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Internet, Hyperland on Youtube

Progz: Digital: A Love Story, Timeline of Web Browsers, The Evolution of HTML

Old Website of the Week: h2g2

Just when you least expected it… a game show! See how well you know classic Internet jargon as we COME ON DOWN…. to the Old Wide Web!

Links:

What The Heck Does That Mean?: Player One’s Twitter, Player Two’s Twitter, The Prize

Progz: The Jargon File, Free MIDI Files @ Home Musician

Old Website of the Week: Your Old Crap Website

Take a journey with me and Bryan Lunduke as we explore his past as a BBS Sysop and find out why Bulletin Board Systems are still relevant today. Make sure you use the prefix *70, we’re dialing up to the Old Wide Web!

Links:

I Was A Teenage Sysop: Bryan’s Blog, The House of Lunduke BBS

Memory Allocation: My So-Called 8bit Life (I’m in episodes 4 and 21)

Progz: Gopher Archive, Windows 3.1 Emulator

The Conscience of a Hacker by The Mentor

Old Website of the Week: Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy Tickets Site, 2007 Version

Learn about the Pets.com Sock Puppet, E-mail scams courtesy of Bill Gates, catch up on your chat jargon, and find out which Internet Service provider works best for you… if you still live in 1996. Break out your snacks, it’s time to head to the Old Wide Web!

Links:

A Sock on the Hand: The Sock Puppet That Roared: Internet Synergy or a Conflict of Interest?, Dirty Sock & Streisand’s Stocks, The Sock Puppet Tells His Story, Music from Various Sources

Provider Showdown 1996: America Online Prices, CompuServe Prices, Prodigy Prices, Earthlink Prices

Bill Gates Rich: Copy This Article & Win Quick Cash!, Music

Progz: Computer Chroincles Video Archive, Internet FAQ Archive

Old Website of the Week: The First Picture on the Internet

Only one week late, we now bring you episode 3! We explore the strange case of time-traveling troll John Titor (voiced by Tom Merritt), finish our cliff notes version of Internet History in A Brief History of the Internet, and honor the memory of internet pioneer Paul Baran. Now let’s hop in the Delorean and cruise down the skyway to the Old Wide Web!

Links:

The Strange Case of John Titor:Is John Titor An Upcoming Disney Franchise?, John Titor’s First Post, John Titor :: Time Traveler, Soldier or Prophet?, JohnTitor.com, John Titor: a Time Traveller From The Year 2036?,John Titor – I am from 2036, Music From arhipco

Paul Baron Obituary

Progz: Google Groups, 11 Best Old School Animated GIFs

Old Website of the Week: Space Jam

We cover the Great Internet Blackout Protest of 1996, continue our Cliff Notes version of Internet History in ‘A Brief History of the Internet,’ and try to solicit compensation for an unsung hero of the early web. So strap on your Chrono-belts, time cadets. It’s the first episode of The Old Wide Web!

Links:

The Day The Internet Went Dark: Web Blackout Commemorative, Remembering the Great Web Blackout, Communications Decency Act on Wikipedia, Mirror of Yahoo!’s page from the protest, List of Sites Who Participated (And Didn’t), The Great Australian Internet Blackout, Shabbir Safdar’s Personal Blog, and a special thanks to Stephan Carroll for the music.

Thanks For Trumpet Winsock – You can donate to the creator of Trumpet Winsock here or through Paypal at [email protected].

Progz:

Telnet BBS Guide
Legend of the Red Dragon (LORD) Online

Old Website of the Week:
Yahoo! in 1996