The Archive: Season 1 Reflections

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Hey there, Danny here, and welcome back. Or perhaps, welcome to the archive.

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This isn't a new artifact, it's something a little different.

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Think of it as sitting down together after the museum's closed for the evening,

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the lights are a little dimmer, and the crowds have gone home,

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and all that's left are the stories.

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Well, that's what this bonus episode is.

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When I started Artifacts, I hoped people would enjoy revisiting the old technology

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and that a few episodes might make someone smile.

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What I didn't expect was how many people would write to tell me about the memories

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these episodes had unlocked.

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Because it turns out none of these episodes were ever really about the Dreamcast,

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or burned CDs or Away messages.

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They were about the people connected to them.

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And over the last few weeks, you've shared those stories with me.

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So I thought I'd share some of them with you.

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The first one is from Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal, co-host of the Branching Out Geneaology podcast,

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who reached out to share a video episode of the show where she reviewed Artifacts,

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specifically episode 4, Why We Miss AIM, or AOL Instant Messenger messages.

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Elizabeth talked about how this episode had made her cry, as it was through

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AIM that she stayed connected with her now husband after meeting on an online

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dating site, and this simple little messenger helped their love grow over a long

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distance until they could physically be together.

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That made me smile because it's so similar to how I met my wife.

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We met in the community forum of emo band Dashboard Confessional back in November 2005.

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And while we didn't use AIM, we did use Microsoft Messenger to chat.

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More than 20 years and two kids later, that simple connection through old tech

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was a spark that made me move from the UK to Canada, get married and start a

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life with the person who's now my wife.

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And as Elizabeth shared, it's a spark that changed her life too.

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So thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your story.

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Then there's Matt Cundill of the Sound Off Media Company. In Matt's own words,

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each episode brings back memories I hadn't thought about in years,

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from the excitement of new gadgets to the communities and experiences that formed around them.

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What I appreciate most is that it isn't just nostalgia for nostalgia's sake.

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There's thoughtful storytelling and genuine reflection on how these Artifacts

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influenced our lives and continue to echo in today's digital world.

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I loved what Matt has to say there because it fully captures what I hoped the

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show's key message would be, and that's these artifacts belong to all of us.

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But they don't necessarily mean the same thing to all of us.

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They're personal, and that's what makes them worth talking about.

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One question I've been asked a few times is how do you decide what becomes an episode?

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And the answer is, I don't start with the technology. I start with the feeling.

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The Dreamcast became an episode because it represented hope.

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Forums represented belonging.

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Burned CDs represented connection. Away messages represented identity.

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Midnight launches represented anticipation.

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The family computer represented togetherness. Game manuals represented imagination.

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And when the internet belonged to us, well that became a story about creativity.

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The artifact is simply the doorway. The story begins when we walk through it.

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So what's next? Well, Season 2 has already taken shape.

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If Season 1 explored the objects that shaped the internet generation,

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Season 2 will explore the places and platforms that shaped us.

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We'll spend some time with old friends, and maybe revisit a few names already mentioned.

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There are still plenty of stories waiting inside the archive,

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and judging by your emails, you've given me quite a few new ones to explore too, so thank you.

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I've also created a few ways for you to be more involved with the podcast,

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so that your story can also be heard.

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The first is The Archive, the sister newsletter to the podcast,

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but it's not your usual newsletter.

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It won't be weekly and it won't just be a recap of an episode.

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Instead, think of it as sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode,

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or a forgotten corner of the internet that I've stumbled across,

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or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away.

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You can find out more and sign up at artifactspodcast.com forward slash newsletter.

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On top of that, I've created a special little membership option for you to help preserve the memories.

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If Artifacts has reminded you of a feeling, a memory, or a version of the internet

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you thought had disappeared, you can support the show with a one-off tip of your choosing.

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Or, for just three bucks per month, become an Archivist. You can find out more

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info or support at artifactspodcast.com forward slash support.

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And I'll be sure to leave these links in the episode show notes for you to check out later.

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There's absolutely no obligation and the podcast will always be free.

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But if you'd like to help support the time, research, writing and production

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it goes into each episode, it genuinely means a lot.

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Before we go, I just want to say thank you, whether you've listened to one episode or all of them.

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Whether you've left a review, sent an email, shared an episode or simply spent

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five to seven minutes remembering something you'd forgotten. Thank you.

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This show only works because these memories mean something to all of us.

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So, until Season 2, which drops on August 7, take care of the things that matter

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to you, even the small ones, because sometimes the objects fade,

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but the feeling doesn't.

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I'm Danny Brown, and this is Artifacts.