Know Your Net

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.

Last refreshed: August 17th, 2025 at 1:24 AM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Art and the Internet

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 .

Feb 25, 2021•20 min•Ep. 12

Survivors

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 .

Feb 23, 2021•9 min•Ep. 11

The Bubble

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 .

Feb 18, 2021•11 min•Ep. 10

Before Facebook

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 .

Feb 16, 2021•11 min•Ep. 9

Versions

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 .

Feb 11, 2021•17 min•Ep. 8

Free Culture

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 .

Feb 09, 2021•16 min•Ep. 7

Communication Methods

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 .

Feb 04, 2021•16 min•Ep. 6

Communities

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 .

Feb 02, 2021•11 min•Ep. 5

Hacking

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 .

Jan 28, 2021•14 min•Ep. 4

Hosted on Transistor

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android