Rachel Whitmore

What If: The European Digital Superpower

22 July 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

What if Europe, not Silicon Valley, had built the digital world? Step into an alternate timeline where Cambridge, not California, becomes the heart of tech innovation. From privacy-first laws to BBC Micros in every classroom, Rachel Whitmore explores how a European digital superpower could shape our everyday lives, online communities, and sense of belonging. Join us for a nostalgic, playful look at the world that might have been, and what we can still learn from it.

early digital identity represented by a 1990s vintage computer setup on a wooden desk with scattered cassettes and a rainy window in the background, capturing the nostalgia and privacy of the early internet era

Early Digital Identity: My Life as Rainydaze75

20 July 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

Explore the nostalgia and intrinsic privacy of early digital identities in the 90s, focusing on the personal transformation experienced through anonymous online presence and the pure freedom it provided to individuals.

photograph features two versions of the same woman—one as a 90s teenager in headphones holding a Sony Walkman, the other as an adult in a blue jumper—seated together in a warmly lit, nostalgic study filled with vintage computers and old magazines.

From Mixtapes to Modems: My Digital Coming of Age in 90s Britain

16 July 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

Relive the transformative digital experiences of a Northern teenager that paved her path to finding her unique voice and space on the early internet. This narrative explores the era’s music, first computers, and the early chatrooms that became a sanctuary for many.

From WarGames to WhatsApp: The 80s Films That Dreamt Our Digital Future

24 June 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

Explore the digital future envisioned by 80s films in this captivating article, from WarGames to WhatsApp, revealing what came true and what we’re still waiting for.

Pixel art of a man using a TK90X computer at a wooden desk, with cassette tapes, a ZX Spectrum Next, and a Brazilian flag on the wall. The screen displays a BASIC loop: “10 PRINT / 20 GOTO 10.”

Part 6: Clones, Codes, and Comebacks – Brazil’s 8-Bit Parallel Universe

2 June 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

In 1980s Brazil, import bans sparked a revolution of cloned micros, bootleg games, and BASIC code on cassette. This is the untold story of how Brazil created its own 8-bit world — and how it helped preserve the soul of the ZX Spectrum.

Part 1: 8-Bit in the Bush – Australia’s Home Computing Revolution

28 May 2025 Rachel Whitmore 3

From ceiling-fanned classrooms to late-night BBS logins, Australia’s 8-bit era was hot, dusty, and fiercely DIY. Discover how the MicroBee and mail-order micros shaped a unique chapter of home computing history.

nternet Pornography Evolution illustrated from dial-up modem images to immersive AI experiences

From Dial-Up Desire to AI Lovers: How Internet Pornography Shaped Digital Evolution

18 April 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

Tracing the journey of adult content from dial-up patience to instant AI gratification reveals how internet pornography drove technological advancements—and sparked critical ethical debates. Explore how past digital desires shape our future

The IndieWeb movement: A nostalgic split-screen of a 90s GeoCities-style homepage and a modern decentralised website, symbolizing the web’s rebirth

IndieWeb & The Fight for a Decentralised Internet

14 March 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

The IndieWeb movement is reviving the lost era of personal websites, giving users back control over their content, privacy, and digital independence. Learn how platforms like Neocities and Mastodon are rebuilding a decentralized internet—and how you can take back your online presence.

A nostalgic collage of old search engine logos from the 1990s, including AltaVista, Lycos, and Ask Jeeves, contrasted with Google’s rise

The Forgotten Search Engines That Could Have Been Google

14 March 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

Before Google dominated search, engines like AltaVista, Lycos, and Ask Jeeves shaped the internet. But where did they go wrong? This article revisits the giants of search that could have been Google.

The Million Dollar Homepage: A CRT monitor displaying a chaotic grid of colorful ads, surrounded by early 2000s internet paraphernalia, evoking Web 1.0 nostalgia

The Million Dollar Homepage: A Web 1.0 Relic That Still Shapes the Internet Today

14 March 2025 Rachel Whitmore 0

In 2005, The Million Dollar Homepage turned pixels into profit, proving that hype, scarcity, and curiosity could make anything go viral. Nearly 20 years later, its influence is still felt in digital marketing, NFTs, and the modern creator economy. But could it work again today