One of the things I've enjoyed most since launching Artifacts has been reading your emails.
Some of you have shared memories about your first computer. Others have told me about forgotten websites, old games, or a song you hadn't thought about in twenty years until an episode brought it back.
What struck me wasn't the technology itself.
It was how personal every story was.
The same object meant something completely different depending on who was remembering it.
That stayed with me while I was planning Season Two.
Originally, I had a completely different idea. I thought I'd make a season about places on the internet - ICQ, MySpace, GeoCities, LiveJournal. The more I planned it, though, the more I realized I wasn't actually interested in the platforms.
I was interested in what they changed.
That's what led to the new season.
Instead of asking, "What old technology should we talk about?" I started asking, "What everyday experiences did technology quietly reshape?"
Waiting.
Discovery.
Ownership.
Getting lost.
Being present.
Those became the real stories.
The artifacts are still there, of course. In fact, they might be more important than ever. But instead of being the destination, they're now the doorway into something much more human.
The first two episodes are available now.
The first looks at one of the most overlooked artifacts of the digital age: the humble progress bar. Not because anyone misses watching a green bar crawl across a screen, but because waiting used to be part of the experience.
The second explores discovery before algorithms. Video rental stores. Record shops. Wandering the early internet with no real destination in mind. While writing it, I found myself remembering the afternoon I discovered Arcade Fire simply because Wake Up happened to be playing over the speakers in my local HMV. I wasn't looking for a new favourite band. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
That's the kind of memory this season is built around.
Not the object.
The moment.
If you've been listening since Season One, thank you for coming back. And if you're only just discovering Artifacts, I hope these new episodes feel like a good place to begin.
Either way, I'm really glad you're here.
Until next time,
~ Danny
Found in the Archive
The little rectangle that taught an entire generation that exciting things were worth waiting for.
