Artifacts Podcast: Stories from the Emotional History of the Internet

 It's ironic that technology can become as obsolete as the physical things it replaces. The graveyard of discarded tech is full of devices and systems that either didn't attract customers, didn't work right, or, in the case of the Apple Newton, were ahead of its time. 

Thanks to podcasting pro Danny Brown, there's now a podcast for that.

 Artifacts (Artifacts: Stories from the Emotional History of the Internet) is a storytelling podcast hosted by award-winning podcaster Danny Brown. It explores lost media, old internet culture, forgotten technology, and retro gaming, focusing on why we still feel deeply connected to these early digital eras. Rather than just discussing hardware or software, the show highlights how platforms like old message boards, physical media (like burned CDs), and dead consoles defined human connections before the internet became heavily polished and algorithm-driven. 

Season one features topics such as the legacy of the Sega Dreamcast and why early internet forums felt like tight-knit digital neighborhoods. You can listen to episodes, check analytics, or view the trailer on the Artifacts Podcast page on Podscan.

I listened to the Dreamcast episode, and it brought back good memories. I love it when Danny says, "Nobody forms emotional support groups for forgotten printers." When Danny tells his audience that people still love the Dreamcast 25 years later, that's true. My son still has the one I bought him that long ago. 

My son and I played Crazy Taxi hundreds of times when, as Danny says, "You drive like a maniac as punk music blasts at you!"

Danny observes that when people talk about old tech, they never talk about specs. Instead, they talk about moments and feelings..."

As Danny says in the episode, "Success and impact aren't always the same thing. Some things leave a mark because they've disappeared."

If narration was an Olympic sport, Danny Brown would be a gold medal winner. You may not have heard of Danny Brown, but many in the podcasting industry, know him, his reputation for excellence, and his work.

 Currently, he hosts or co-hosts the following shows: One Minute Podcast Tips and 5 Random Questions.

 Danny is also the author of The Little Book of Inspiration, a collection of inspiring stories and poems of love, redemption, and change. Inspiration is all around us. All we have to do is look. 

He is also the Co-author of Influence Marketing: How to Create, Manage and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing, described as “…the book that will change the way we do business today,” and recognized as one of the Top 100 Business Books in America by Nielsen Book Scan. 

Danny is a multiple award-winning marketer and blogger; voted one of Canada’s Top 50 Marketing Blogs; and won the Hive Award for Best Social Media Blog at the South by Southwest festival.

In 2024, Danny and One Minute Podcast Tips won the first annual Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards for Best Podcast Tips Podcast. In addition, 5 Random Questions was voted one of the five best Independent Podcasts of the Year. 

 Danny confesses to living in Port Sydney, Ontario, with his awesome wife, soccer-loving son, headstrong daughter, and two very cute little Chinese Crested dogs.

 Artifacts (Artifacts: Stories from the Emotional History of the Internet) is one of those superb narrative podcasts that make podcasting unique. Can we talk about dot matrix printers or pagers? How about VCRs or VHS players?