Know Your Net Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/know-your-net A look at the history of the internet to provide context for today's technology ecosystem. From the birth of the internet to the evolution of the hellscape that is social media today. 2020 NERDLab 6377d56a-330e-5735-85f6-40ade0493e71 no en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:36:39 -0400 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:04:03 -0500 https://img.transistor.fm/82CHr2YY0JgaCmjhGYS-UctF_CW3BuZR2TvQCcbpMuw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzE2ODYxLzE2MTEx/NTQyODItYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg Know Your Net serial Clay Ewing A look at the history of the internet to provide context for today's technology ecosystem. From the birth of the internet to the evolution of the hellscape that is social media today. A look at the history of the internet to provide context for today's technology ecosystem. internet, media, society, technology, culture Clay Ewing No No Inception 1 1 Inception full e3c3a02a-3f74-4af1-81ef-620a87496610 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c304b929 Let's travel back in time to the birth of the internet when J.C.R. Licklider proposed the idea of networked computers. How profound was that idea? What were computers like during that time? How did we program them?


Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Let's travel back in time to the birth of the internet when J.C.R. Licklider proposed the idea of networked computers. How profound was that idea? What were computers like during that time? How did we program them?


Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2021 12:27:35 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 966 J.C.R. Licklider envisions a world of networked computers. A group of pioneers turn his idea into a reality. J.C.R. Licklider envisions a world of networked computers. A group of pioneers turn his idea into a reality. internet, media, society, technology, culture No Interfaces 2 2 Interfaces full d342b4a4-a9c6-4f71-9e77-5c95813d7aed https://share.transistor.fm/s/12ab2684 We take the interface of a computer for granted today. We see windows. We click on things with a mouse, we type with a keyboard. These things didn't appear out of thin air. They were invented.

Transcript can be found here.

]]> We take the interface of a computer for granted today. We see windows. We click on things with a mouse, we type with a keyboard. These things didn't appear out of thin air. They were invented.

Transcript can be found here.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 531 Douglas Engelbart founds the field of Human Computer Interaction and technology becomes mainstream through exponential growth in computing power and user friendly interfaces. Douglas Engelbart founds the field of Human Computer Interaction and technology becomes mainstream through exponential growth in computing power and user friendly interfaces. internet, media, society, technology, culture No Basics 3 3 Basics full 15a1b918-3681-4ed5-8cba-0a1e8fcca3d9 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c4441e88 What's going on inside your computer? How does it work? Where are my files?

Is real life hacking similar to what you see in movies?

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> What's going on inside your computer? How does it work? Where are my files?

Is real life hacking similar to what you see in movies?

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 1032 What makes a computer a computer? How does it work? What makes a computer a computer? How does it work? internet, media, society, technology, culture No Hacking 4 4 Hacking full f888feb2-a219-4dea-8011-6192fc50403e https://share.transistor.fm/s/c411ebf3 What is a hacker? If your only source of information is pop culture, you might think all hackers are criminals, but that's not the case. In this episode, we go back to the original hackers at MIT at the Tech Model Railroad Club. We look at hacker ethics in regards to open source and free software. We also look at some common exploits.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> What is a hacker? If your only source of information is pop culture, you might think all hackers are criminals, but that's not the case. In this episode, we go back to the original hackers at MIT at the Tech Model Railroad Club. We look at hacker ethics in regards to open source and free software. We also look at some common exploits.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 863 The Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT births the term hacker. What does it mean to be a hacker? The Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT births the term hacker. What does it mean to be a hacker? internet, media, society, technology, culture No Communities 5 5 Communities full cc5e2c76-f857-4cc0-a8cb-8fc89ace176f https://share.transistor.fm/s/60074341 What comes to mind when you think of online communities? Today, social media connects the world but... do we really live in a global village? What did online communities look like before the internet? I can only speak about what I know, so this is my story of bulletin boards and the underground ANSI art scene.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> What comes to mind when you think of online communities? Today, social media connects the world but... do we really live in a global village? What did online communities look like before the internet? I can only speak about what I know, so this is my story of bulletin boards and the underground ANSI art scene.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 658 What have online communities looked like? A memoiresque journey through the rise of walled gardens, bulletin board systems and underground scenes. What have online communities looked like? A memoiresque journey through the rise of walled gardens, bulletin board systems and underground scenes. internet, media, society, technology, culture No Communication Methods 6 6 Communication Methods full d543e331-b0e5-4cfc-aa6e-3a365ebbaaaf https://share.transistor.fm/s/cef32140 How do we communicate using the internet? What apps do you rely on? This episode takes a historical look at some of the communication platforms developed for the internet.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> How do we communicate using the internet? What apps do you rely on? This episode takes a historical look at some of the communication platforms developed for the internet.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Thu, 04 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 977 At it's heart, the internet is a communication tool. What can we learn from the ways we've tried communicating on the internet? At it's heart, the internet is a communication tool. What can we learn from the ways we've tried communicating on the internet? internet, media, society, technology, culture No Free Culture 7 7 Free Culture full 75db351b-a992-488b-861a-1643c8304f80 https://share.transistor.fm/s/43aeabf7 The internet has made copying digital goods ridiculously easy. How do we deal with copyright in a read/write culture? In this episode we talk about the rise of Napster, P2P networks, free culture, and creative commons.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> The internet has made copying digital goods ridiculously easy. How do we deal with copyright in a read/write culture? In this episode we talk about the rise of Napster, P2P networks, free culture, and creative commons.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 979 The rise of Napster ushers in P2P networks and concerns of piracy. Arguments for the distribution of cultural artifacts are made by Lawrence Lessig with the introduction of Creative Commons. The rise of Napster ushers in P2P networks and concerns of piracy. Arguments for the distribution of cultural artifacts are made by Lawrence Lessig with the introduction of Creative Commons. internet, media, society, technology, culture No Versions 8 8 Versions full 685a0442-2cf3-4299-9048-b18ef6d01cc3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9b14aa31 The World Wide Web didn't exist at the beginning of the internet. It started as a proof of concept and then it started to evolve. Tech writers have categorized eras of the web into versions. This explores each version.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> The World Wide Web didn't exist at the beginning of the internet. It started as a proof of concept and then it started to evolve. Tech writers have categorized eras of the web into versions. This explores each version.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Thu, 11 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 1020 Web 1, 2, 3... why do people refer to the World Wide Web with versions? Web 1, 2, 3... why do people refer to the World Wide Web with versions? internet, media, society, technology, culture No Before Facebook 9 9 Before Facebook full d247d12c-7c47-4f2a-a5a2-b7ef3ac3154c https://share.transistor.fm/s/43016f73 Are social networks a new invention brought about by the internet? Hardly. In this episode, we look at social networks before the internet and then move onto social networks before Facebook came along.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Are social networks a new invention brought about by the internet? Hardly. In this episode, we look at social networks before the internet and then move onto social networks before Facebook came along.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 634 What did social networking look like before Facebook? What did social networking look like before Facebook? internet, media, society, technology, culture No The Bubble 10 10 The Bubble full 19afd6a5-ad52-4a8f-91da-c66bed2bff05 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d608b6ff When the internet took off, it really took off. Speculation was rampant and it created the Dot Com Bubble. What was it like during the bubble? This episode explores the early commercial internet leading up to the crash.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> When the internet took off, it really took off. Speculation was rampant and it created the Dot Com Bubble. What was it like during the bubble? This episode explores the early commercial internet leading up to the crash.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 672 After extreme growth in the late 1990s, the tech industry crashed in March of 2000. Months later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks would alter our relationship with technology forever. After extreme growth in the late 1990s, the tech industry crashed in March of 2000. Months later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks would alter our relationship with technology forever. internet, media, society, technology, culture No Survivors 11 11 Survivors full 8aa62f34-6da6-450f-ab8d-fdbaf9102941 https://share.transistor.fm/s/de1b3bdc When the bubble popped, an industry had to figure out how to make a buck. This episode explores the survivors of the post-bubble internet landscape.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> When the bubble popped, an industry had to figure out how to make a buck. This episode explores the survivors of the post-bubble internet landscape.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Tue, 23 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 518 After the bubble burst, the remaining technology companies figure out how to survive. After the bubble burst, the remaining technology companies figure out how to survive. internet, media, society, technology, culture No Art and the Internet 12 12 Art and the Internet bonus 0ad0337e-bdb1-4d47-8d98-18e4c7c8d1e4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/20169243 A lot of attention is paid to the economic side of the internet, but what about the artists that use the internet as their medium? This episode takes a look at a few pioneers of net art and their creative innovations.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> A lot of attention is paid to the economic side of the internet, but what about the artists that use the internet as their medium? This episode takes a look at a few pioneers of net art and their creative innovations.

Transcripts can be found here.

]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500 Clay Ewing Clay Ewing 1173 We all know the mainstream internet, but what about the people that use the internet to make art? We all know the mainstream internet, but what about the people that use the internet to make art? internet, media, society, technology, culture No