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 [https://dinoignacio.com/], the creator of the infamous 90s website Bert Is Evil [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 SUBSCRIBE Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-im-from/id1641156954] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5U2hbggLWXDoiiscR2Iu0y] Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6915b141-7c50-4d41-b0ee-a4fe5e2a4ebb/where-i'm-from] RSS [https://feeds.transistor.fm/where-im-from] YouTube (Live Streams) [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClcoVeYnkhFj1vNOkPsGjXw] YouTube (Episodes) [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC37E864pk41lKlSU3-s9bsw]   LINKS Full Uncut Interview (Livestream) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnU8lvayMgA] Where I'm From YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@whereimfrompodcast] Dino Ignacio [http://dinoignacio.com/] The Original Bert Is Evil Website [https://web.archive.org/web/20000615163401/http://fractalcow.com/bert/bert.htm] Bert Is Evil: The True Story Behind the Web's First Viral Hit by Bill Meeks [https://www.amazon.com/Bert-Evil-Story-Behind-First-ebook/dp/B00WIRT0M2] Old Wide Web Episode 1 -- The Muppets Take Bangladesh [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PotZN8f0hk0] (Podcast [https://share.transistor.fm/s/73fb912e]) CompuServe [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompuServe] The CompuServe Comics and Animation Forum Awards [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Thompson_Awards] Geocities [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahoo!_GeoCities] Fark.com [https://www.fark.com/] FractalCow mirror [https://web.archive.org/web/19990208013238/http://www.fractalcow.com/] Mr. T Ate My Balls on The Old Wide Web [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJSrIhLpa8] Braindom: We Can Defeat Brain Together [https://braindom.tripod.com/] Internet Underground Magazine Archive [https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Internet+Underground%22] Webby Awards [https://webbyawards.com] Bert Is Evil on the Webby Awards site [https://winners.webbyawards.com/1998/websites-and-mobile-sites/general-websites-and-mobile-sites/weird/142387/bert-is-evil] Dino's Last Message on Bert Is Evil [https://web.archive.org/web/20040701084631/http://www.fractalcow.com/bert/bert.htm] 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

In this preview episode, Anne Marie DeSimone joins Bill Meeks to discuss ABC's Cavemen sitcom, based on the character from the GEICO ads. Weird TV, a new podcast from Bill Meeks, shines a light into forgotten corners of television history to examine obscure media through a modern lens. Each week Bill Meeks reviews obscure television shows, made-for-tv movies, and primetime specials. He’ll watch just about anything, as long as it’s weird. SUBSCRIBE APPLE PODCASTS [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weird-tv/id1580667603] | SPOTIFY [https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcVsPEkK7MUZahyjg9i0z] | AMAZON [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7b84e499-3352-4a63-a774-b56cc4ad4f92/weird-tv] | RSS FEED [https://feeds.transistor.fm/weird-tv] Weird TV [https://billmeeks.com/weirdtv/]

Bill Meeks talks to passionate people executing their "Big Ideas" in realistic ways. From entrepreneurs to artists and everything in between, I Made This tells the stories of dreamers just like you. Premiering December 2nd with five stellar interviews.

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! [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS6udST6lbE], Barenaked Ladies battle Napster with ‘Trojan’ downloads [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://articles.cnn.com/2000-09-18/tech/trojan.music_1_napster-downloads-cd-sales?_s=PM:TECH], Napster Usage Numbers [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20080413104420/http:/www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?id=249], Jammie Thomas Judgement [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10268199-93.html], Napster’s High and Low Notes [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_33/b3694003.htm], Music by Atomsplit [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.atomsplit.com/] United States v Microsoft: Bill Gates Deposition Videos [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.youtube.com/user/USAvsMicrosoftTrial], Gates Deposition Called Evasive [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-214993.html], Microsoft Attacks Credibility of Intel Exec [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/microsoft/stories/1998/microsoft111398.htm], Open Letter on Antitrust Protectionism [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.independent.org/issues/article.asp?id=483], United States v Microsoft Ruling [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm], Music [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/17131] Progz: The TOR Project [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://www.torproject.org/], FoxyProxy [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://getfoxyproxy.org/] Old Website of the Week: The Wyld Stallyns! [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827200112/http://wyldstallyns.tripod.com/]

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 [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://classic-web.archive.org/web/19981202133702/http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~nkpatel/mr.t/] Douglas Adams and the Internet: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Internet [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/19990901-00-a.html], Hyperland on Youtube [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOsPKjbMvxY&playnext=1&list=PLE090E024E3E8E7A3] Progz: Digital: A Love Story [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://www.scoutshonour.com/digital/], Timeline of Web Browsers [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Timeline_of_web_browsers.svg], The Evolution of HTML [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://broadcast.rackspace.com/blog/HTMLtimeline/index.html] Old Website of the Week: h2g2 [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/] https://web.archive.org/web/20110829001459/http://podcastr.com/oldwideweb