Digital Archaeology
Who Tells the 'Old Stories' of the Internet?
The dawn of the internet and early net culture is already becoming 'the past.' Bulletin board logs, early homepages, the writing style of early emails—who tells these as 'old stories'? Current net users, researchers, platform companies, or the people who were there at the time? This question asks who becomes the storyteller, thereby forming the 'official history' of digital culture, and highlights the relationship between memory selection and power. The history of the 'internet' that is told changes depending on who tells it.
The view that only those who actually experienced the dawn period have the qualification to tell the authentic 'old stories.' The voices of primary experiencers are most reliable and can convey emotions and atmosphere.
The view that digital archaeologists and media researchers should objectively and systematically tell the story based on materials. Emphasizes the role of positioning history from a broad perspective without being swayed by emotion.
The view that platforms like Google and Meta have the responsibility to officially tell their own history and user-generated content. Companies that hold the data can provide the most accurate 'old stories.'
The view that rather than one person telling the story, multiple voices (users, researchers, companies, next generation) layered together create a multifaceted and rich 'old story.' Avoids a single official history.
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Have you ever told anyone your 'old story' from when you first touched the internet?
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Who do you think is appropriate to tell the memories of early net culture (2ch, early blogs, IRC, etc.)?
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What kind of bias do you think arises when platform companies tell their own history?
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If you were to pass on 'old stories of the internet' to the next generation, what episodes would you choose?
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Which storytelling—researcher or participant—feels closer to the 'real thing' to you?
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Do you think an 'official storyteller' for internet history is necessary?
This theme is not about deciding who tells the 'correct history.' It is a space to feel through dialogue that rich memories of digital culture are born when multiple voices overlap.
- Storyteller of Net Culture
- The actor who passes on the history and culture of the internet to future generations through personal stories, research, or records. Diverse positions exist: individuals, researchers, companies, public institutions.
- Digital Official History
- The historical narrative of internet culture selected and authorized by specific storytellers. It tends to reflect the values and positions of those who tell it.
- Early Internet Users
- The generation that experienced the internet in the 1990s to early 2000s. They can become primary source providers for today's 'old stories.'
- Selection of Memory
- The act of choosing what to preserve and what to tell. Power and values easily intervene; a core ethical issue in digital archaeology.
If you had to name one episode that symbolizes the 'dawn of the internet,' what would it be?
If you were the sole storyteller, which part of internet history would you want to 'leave as a story'?
While listening to the other person's 'old story,' try to be aware of 'from whose perspective this story is being told.'
- The risk of AI-generated 'fake old stories' overwriting real memories
- Why net cultural history of women and minorities is difficult to tell
- The gap between platforms' official history and user experiences
- Who has the right to tell the 'old stories of the internet'
- The lack of reality that the next generation feels in 'old stories'
- How digital culture without storytellers is forgotten