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From Dial Up to Downloads: The Evolution of The Internet

Dial-up tones. AOL chat rooms. LimeWire viruses. The Internet was once slow, weird, and kinda dangerous—and now it runs our lives. We take you from the basement modem days to today’s TikTok scroll hole, with plenty of nostalgia and stories from the early, chaotic web.

What was the first thing you did on the internet? In this episode of Original Geek, Steve and Jeff take a nostalgia-loaded deep dive into the early days of geekdom—from Commodore 64s and hot-seating strategy games, to dial-up, AIM, and LimeWire piracy. But this isn’t just a trip down Amnesia Lane. The guys tackle how the internet reshaped geek culture, empowered awkward kids, and also let anonymous trolls run wild. They debate whether the web saved or wrecked the geek community, explore the rise of DIY content creation, and geek out over how AI tools are changing the game. Plus: a canon correction, a mixtape memory, and the haunting return of Salad Fingers.

geek culture, internet history, Gen X, online gaming, anonymity, AI, nostalgia, comic books, D&D, pop culture

#OriginalGeekPodcast #GenXGeeks #InternetHistory #GeekCulture #ComicBookNerd #DungeonsAndDragons #AIcontent #OnlineGaming #SaladFingers #MixtapeLife #GeekFlashback #CanonCorrection #GeekCourt #CriticalHits #NostalgiaFeels #LimeWire #DialUpPain

Welcome to Original Geek—the podcast for anyone who rolled their first d20 on shag carpet, waited hours for a comic book JPEG to load on dial-up, and wore the label “geek” back when it got you mocked, not monetized.

Hosted by stand-up comic Steve Scarfo and Forever DM Jeff Shaw, we dive deep into what it meant to be a geek in the '70s and '80s—and how that underground culture became the mainstream multiverse we live in today.

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly episodes on Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, comic book chaos, geek court debates, and critical hits from your childhood basement.

👾 Follow us @OriginalGeekPodcast on socials and visit OriginalGeekPodcast.com for merch, extras, and to send us your own geeky tales.

If you ever hid a Monster Manual like it was porn, you’re not alone. You’re an Original Geek. Welcome home.