Has anyone worked out an #althistory where TCP/IP and/or HTTP(s) were proprietary? Could the internet meaningful exist in such a world?

Working through some reflections on progress and private property for my blog Misaligned Markets and this topic came up with friends.

Maybe the question just boils down to what size network effect do you need for the internet to facilitate communications and commerce and does fragmenting it change that?

I'm curious, does anyone know of a good way to find archived copies of videos from the video streaming app/service Periscope? I'm trying to find helpful suggestions for an acquaintance.

I took a look at archive.org, and it looks like there are a fair number of videos under the subject "periscope", but not a complete set and not containing what my acquaintance was looking for.

I did find this collection of files from @ArchiveTeam, but I have no idea what they are or how to make use of them:
https://archive.org/details/archiveteam_periscope

Today, April 13, 2009, a young man stands in his bedroom. It just so happens that today is his birthday… and the beginning of a sprawling, chaotic, internet-breaking epic. (Homestuck, 2009)

"It’s strange to think that streaming a song in stereo was so revolutionary back then, but that was the state of the art in online media circa 1996."

https://cybercultural.com/p/state-of-online-music-1996/

New on Cybercultural -> Over 1996, the Web became an experimental testing ground for new ways of distributing and promoting music. RealAudio, Rocktropolis, Music Boulevard and IUMA were some of the leading sites. https://cybercultural.com/p/state-of-online-music-1996/ #InternetHistory

New podcast episode!
We interviewed Shane Greenstein, economist at Harvard Business School, on the evolution of the internet—from Web 2.0 to the rise of AI.

His insights are sharp, surprising, and incredibly relevant to where we’re headed next.

Available on all podcast platforms.
https://youtu.be/z3z94qVCGp8

#theinternetiscrack #podcast #Web20 #AI #InternetHistory #ShaneGreenstein #TechPodcast #Harvard #DigitalEvolution #FediTech #economist
#HarvardBusinessSchool

We sat down with Harvard Business School economist Shane Greenstein for a lively and eye-opening conversation about Web 2.0 and the rise of AI. His perspective offered a fresh and thoughtful look at how the internet has evolved and where it might be going next.
Watch or listen to the full episode wherever your podcast is.
https://youtu.be/z3z94qVCGp8
#internetiscrack #podcast #AI #FutureOfWork #TechPodcast
#DigitalTransformation #InternetHistory #LearnWithUs #knowledgeispower

In our latest podcast, Professor Alberto Segre from the University of Iowa discusses the transformative power of AI, the origins of the internet, and the potential of quantum computing. Explore how these technologies influence our daily lives and what the future holds.​

Listen to the full conversation on your chosen podcast platform.
https://youtu.be/RqSkKahvlPA

#theinternetiscrack #podcast #Technology #AI #QuantumComputing #InternetHistory #PodcastDiscussion
#TechPodcast #internetethics

Was the internet ever supposed to be like this?

Professor Alberto Segre (Chair of Computer Science, University of Iowa) says it wasn’t—and he breaks down how the original intent was very different from where we ended up.

We also cover AI, machine learning, and quantum computing—in clear, human terms.

Full episode out now wherever you listen to podcasts. https://youtu.be/RqSkKahvlPA

New on Cybercultural: During the mid-1990s, David Bowie's website went from a storytelling structure for the Outside album, into a striking, grunge-inspired design for Earthling. At the same time, Bowie fan sites emerged. https://cybercultural.com/p/david-bowie-website-1995-1997/ #InternetHistory #WebDesign #BowieForever

Created in 1988 by Jarkko Oikarinen in Finland, IRC was designed to enable real-time, text-based communication over the internet. Inspired by the multi-user talk programs on UNIX systems, Oikarinen wanted a system that was more flexible and scalable.

IRC quickly became the backbone of online communities in the 90s and early 2000s, hosting discussions ranging from programming and hacking to gaming and general socializing. Unlike modern chat services, IRC was entirely decentralized—anyone could set up a server, create channels, and communicate without corporate control.

Though its popularity has declined with the rise of modern platforms, IRC still thrives among enthusiasts, open-source communities, and privacy advocates who prefer its lightweight, no-nonsense approach to online chat.

Ever feel like tech is evolving faster than we can understand it?

In our latest podcast, Professor Alberto Segre (Chair of @uiowa’s CS Department) joins us to unpack AI, the internet’s origins, and quantum computing—in plain, thoughtful language.

No jargon. Just clarity.

Listen or watch: https://youtu.be/RqSkKahvlPA
#AI #QuantumComputing #InternetHistory #DigitalLiteracy #TechPodcast #FediScience #STEM #OpenEducation

Today is the International Open Hackerspace Day!

I didn’t know about this (thank you for sharing your discovery, @liaizon), but it’s a wonderful coincidence that this very day at 15:00 I’ll be hosting Knitting Our Internet at the newly open SCIFT Makespace! The workshop will most probably be in Italian, but we’ll be open to switch to English if non-Italian speakers are coming.

See this event on Balotta, the local Gancio instance for Bologna

This is going to be the last stop of the Knitting Our Internet Italy Tour. After the workshop, I’m going to Queen Of Saba’s concert, in case you want to join and see one of the most incredible (and my favorite) artists!

What was the internet like 30 years ago? I'm glad you asked. In 1995, Netscape went public and Microsoft noticed the internet — the browser wars began. Also that year, Amazon and eBay launched, JavaScript and PHP debuted, and the web went mainstream. https://cybercultural.com/p/internet-1995/ #InternetHistory #1995Nostalgia

Humming along in an old church, the Internet Archive is more relevant than ever
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/23/nx-s1-5326573/internet-archive-wayback-machine-trump

Comment: incredibly valuable resource!

BBC: The hidden world beneath the shadows of YouTube’s algorithm. “That’s the vision of YouTube the company promotes – slick, professional, entertaining and loud – but from one perspective, it’s all a façade. Through another lens, the essence of YouTube is more like this video from 2020. Before I watched, it had only been seen twice. A man points the camera out of his bedroom window as a […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/23/bbc-the-hidden-world-beneath-the-shadows-of-youtubes-algorithm/

You may not be familiar with the name Alice Mary Hilton, but I'd argue she's just as significant as Marshall McLuhan in the history of cyberculture theory. In fact, she invented the word "cyberculture"! What's more, her 1960s focus on the practical impacts of computer automation on society is more important than ever in 2025, with the rise of AI. I'm quite proud of this post, so I hope you click through to learn more about this super-smart lady. https://cybercultural.com/p/cyberculture-alice-mary-hilton/ #InternetHistory

Three Hollywood movies were released in 1995 with internet themes: the Keanu Reeves cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic (with an accompanying website), The Net with Sandra Bullock, and Hackers. As well as these 3 films, I look back at William Gibson's now extinct mid-90s website, "William Gibson’s Yardshow", and the equally lost to time Johnny Mnemonic net.hunt, an online scavenger hunt. https://cybercultural.com/p/cyberspace-movies-1995/ #InternetHistory #90smovies

Ah, GeoCities: the prehistoric playground where everyone's cousin thought they were a web design genius, unleashing a cacophony of Comic Sans and blinking GIFs onto the unsuspecting public. Now let's fondly reminisce over why the internet needed a hard reset.
https://cybercultural.com/p/geocities-1995/ #GeoCities #Nostalgia #InternetHistory #WebDesign #Throwback #90sMemories #HackerNews #ngated