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JOHN HIGGINBOTHAM

PROJECTS & DIGITAL HISTORY

Building the Future.
Remembering the Digital Past.

I've always been fascinated by technology, especially the ways it brings people together. From dial-up bulletin board systems to today's social networks, the tools may have changed, but the desire to connect, share, and build communities has never gone away.

This is where I share some of the projects I've been building and explore the history of online communication — part personal archive, part ongoing experiment, and part appreciation for the digital world that came before us.

Explore the projects ↓

▣  FEATURED PROJECTS

Experiments in technology and connection

FEATURED PROJECT

Modern OS: Building a Desktop Environment Inside WordPress

A WordPress-based desktop environment with movable windows, a taskbar, applications, and productivity tools.

Explore Project ↗Read project story →

FEATURED PROJECT

The BBS Experience: Revisiting the Online World Before the Web

A WordPress BBS theme and a live Telnet-accessible bulletin board system inspired by the golden age of dial-up.

Explore Project ↗Read project story →

◷  THE EVOLUTION OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION

From bulletin board systems to social media, here's a look at how we got here.

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1970s–1980s

The BBS Era

Dial-up bulletin boards, early online communities, file sharing, and message boards.

♧
1980s–1990s

Online Services

CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL, and large online communities.

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1990s

The World Wide Web

Web portals, CNET, chat rooms, and independent websites.

▤
2000s

The Social Web

Forums, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and online communities at scale.

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2010s–Today

The Platform Era

Mobile-first networks, algorithmic feeds, short-form video, and AI.

▤  REMEMBER WHEN?

Stories and reflections from the early internet

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Same People.
Different Technology.
Still Connected.

Technology will continue to change, but the human desire to connect, share ideas, and build communities remains the same.