Advertise on podcast: Old Wide Web

A sneak peek at an upcoming episode of the new audio drama anthology from Bill Meeks. Meet the Special family, a theater-loving, stoner couple and their three very different kids. It’s 1994, and Michael and Jennifer Special are just trying to help fund in the arts in their community, but their son Ricky is on the run from a school bully, and their daughter Zara is betting everything on a plan to start the school year as a popular girl. With a mix of '90s nostalgia, sitcom homages, and a healthy dose of humor, "Welcome, Freshmen" will teach you the joys of scented oxygen, the perils of Crystal Pepsi, and why you should never trust a math teacher to do "creative accounting" for the arts. Equal parts funny, smart, and a little messed up, just like Everly Heights itself.     SPONSOR CAST LIST Bill Meeks - Ricky Special/Infomercial Announcer/Mr. MathesonSean Seigler - Michael SpecialKristyna Zahrek - Abby SpecialLaurin Skarr - Zara SpecialKaushal Patel - Phillip "Sinnimon Slush" SimonsonHelena Geraci - Jennifer SpecialDallis MaxKenzie - Beatrix KnappMandy McCullough - Rebbeca/VeronicaHoward F. Hulin - Ron Linus/Mayor BrownRichard Reynolds - Jock, Oxygen Bar AttendantClaire Forbes - Brenda, Beach Babe, Carrie TartDan Pavatich - Nosloo the GreatSean Weiland - Jerome Bentley, Surfer Dude "How Can You Be Sure?" and "Zara Special's Mini-Musical Suite" performed by Classic Tragic Hero, written by Bill Meeks   LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showBuy Mr. Matheson's Arithme-TIPS Comic CollectionSubscribe on YouTube

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.   SPONSORED BY SUBSCRIBEApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazonRSSYouTube (Live Streams)YouTube (Episodes)   LINKSFull Uncut Interview (Livestream)Where I'm From YouTube ChannelDino IgnacioThe Original Bert Is Evil WebsiteBert Is Evil: The True Story Behind the Web's First Viral Hit by Bill MeeksOld Wide Web Episode 1 -- The Muppets Take Bangladesh (Podcast)CompuServeThe CompuServe Comics and Animation Forum AwardsGeocitiesFark.comFractalCow mirrorMr. T Ate My Balls on The Old Wide WebBraindom: We Can Defeat Brain TogetherInternet Underground Magazine ArchiveWebby AwardsBert Is Evil on the Webby Awards siteDino's Last Message on Bert Is Evil TIMESTAMPS00:00:00 Intro00:02:14 Even Nerds Have Tech Problems00:03:09 Clip from Internet Superstar with Martin Sargent00:03:32 Dino on The Old Wide Web00:05:07 Getting Online In Manila00:05:59 - Growing Up Under Marshall Law00:06:21 - Enter The World Wide Web00:07:07- Connecting To CompuServe00:09:44- The BBS Scene and Legends of the Red Dragon00:10:15- The Compuserve Comics and Animation Forums00:11:05 Why The Early Internet Was So Exciting00:11:34 - Geocities00:11:38 - Fark.com00:11:44 - Rotten.com00:12:09 FractalCow.com00:12:48 - Zines and Poetry00:13:25 - The Early Days Of Viral Content00:15:44 - Mr. T Ate My Balls00:16:08 Bert Is Evil00:18:07 - Braindom: We Can Defeat Brain Together Tripod Site00:19:40 - Bert Is Evil Goes Viral00:20:09 - Internet Underground Magazine00:20:18 - Winning A Webby Award00:20:48 - The Muppets Take Bangladesh00:23:55 - The 1998 Webby Awards00:26:58 Streann Studio Ad Read00:28:34 Bert Is Evil Part 200:28:40 - Sesame Street Reacts and The End of Bert Is Evil00:30:19 - The Historical Significance of The First Internet Meme00:31:28 - The Art of Bert Is Evil00:32:54 Stable Diffusion and AI Art00:39:29 Wheel of Anecdotes00:45:37 The Democratization of Content00:49:34 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 GuideLegend of the Red Dragon (LORD) Online Old Website of the Week:Yahoo! in 1996

Hey, it’s our first episode! In this episode we talk about the Bert is Evil phenomenon, start our Cliff Notes version of Internet History, go over the 12 commandments of BBS Users, and hop into the Wayback Machine. So strap on your Chrono-belts, time cadets. It’s the first episode of The Old Wide Web! Links: Bert Is Evil: Dino’s Surrender Letter, Dino Ignacio on Internet Superstar, Official Bert is Evil Mirror, BBC: Bert in the frame with Bin Laden, Braindom The Twelve Commandments of BBS Users Progz:  The Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Geocities-izer Old Web Site of The Week: Symbolics.com

To know where the Internet is going you have to know where it's been. Every episode we'll examine the sites, terms, and personalities that have defined the online world. Strap on your Chrono-Belts, time cadets. It’s time to take a trip… to the Old Wide Web!