Home > Documentary TV Show > Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet

Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet

1998

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 Networking the Nerds Nov 25, 1998

Invention is rarely the isolated product of a lone scientist or engineer. Instead, every significant technology in the modern world is the product of a long history of numerous people and events. One of our most modern inventions, the Internet, is itself the result of decades of work and innovation by thousands of people who may have never dreamed of the possibility or potential of a global network. At the beginning of 1989 over 80,000 host computers were connected to what was now called the Internet. That same year, after some solemn thought, the aging ARPAnet was turned off signaling a transfer of the Internet from the hands of the Nerds to the Suits.

EP2 Connecting the Suits Nov 25, 1998

In the 1980's, personal computers became a common fixture in homes and offices. Supplying business with computers and software grew into one of the biggest industries in less than a decade. Soon, networking became a profitable business for engineers previously restricted to networking mainframes. The Internet opened a gold rush in the 1980's that built huge fortunes and toppled old empires. Passionate engineers and savvy venture capitalists built a new economy that would lay the tracks for the Information Super Highway.

EP3 Wiring the World Nov 25, 1998

The rise of the personal computer by Apple and IBM introduced the rest of the world to computing. At first, computers were the tools of technically inclined nerds, but new applications drew other people to the keyboard. With an affordable modem, people could connect with other computer enthusiasts and commercial online services. People were using the computer as Bush and Licklider had prophesized, as a medium to interact with other people.
7.8| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet is a 1998 three hour American PBS documentary film that explores the development of the Arpanet, the Internet, and the World Wide Web in the United States from 1969 to 1998. It was created during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. The documentary was written and hosted by Robert X. Cringely and is the sequel to the 1996 documentary, Triumph of the Nerds.

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Reviews

EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise
ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Beulah Bram A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Desertman84 Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet is a 1998 three hour documentary film that explores the development the internet.It was written and hosted by Robert X. Cringely.It is broken into three parts: Networking The Nerds;Serving The Suits; and Wiring The World.It serves as a sequel to Triumph of the Nerds,a documentary about personal computers.The documentary explores the development of the Arpanet and email from the Department of Defense in the Military, the Internet, and the World Wide Web in the United States from 1969 to the time the documentary was featured.Also,it discussed the invention of the ethernet at the XEROX PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) during the 1970's.In addition to that,it discussed what created dot-com boom of the late 90's.I would say that this was a great documentary about the early days of the internet.Many of the dominant companies of the internet that were features when the documentary was done are no longer relevant at present like Excite and 3Com.In fact,it rarely discussed Google,who at that time still has yet to be incorporated. Cringley stated in 2012 during the commentary of the Steve Jobs:The Lost Interview that Google has yet to incorporate itself and the check was still in the hands of its venture capitalists.Aside from that,it also features some of the rising titans of the early dot-com bubble wherein Netscape and AOL were still dominated the web at that time and the early days of networking companies like Novell Systems and SUN Microsystems as well as software companies like McAffee and online shopping company called Amazon.Finally,I felt sorry after the founders of Cisco Systems - Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack - were politically outmanuevered by the venture capitalists by kicking them out of the company.And last but not the least,it also features the early days of the browser wars especially between Netscape and Microsoft.Too bad that it was made just two years before the dot-com bubble was about to explode that would cause millions of loses for many businessmen.It could have become more interesting.But overall,one would surely enjoy this if for techies who want to learn about the early days of the internet revolution.It maybe needs a lot of updating considering it is now 201 but one would surely enjoy this.No question about it.
jalq Being a follower to the internet dawn i couldn't be more excited about this documentary. Rob Cring take us to the history of the internet and visits all places and folks that did make it happens. The most amazing thing is to discover that all people involved (ok, except for some freaks) were really like you and me... real people. It's a truly human look over the bits and bytes that gave us the greatest invention to man kind since the television.Followers and Connections to that movie-show includes: - The Triumph of The Nerds (by Bob Cringley) - Pirates of the Sillycon Valley - NERD TV (on PBS)