17 December: An open lecture online by Nathalie Fridzema “Researching the Early Dutch Web: Digital Methods for Historical and Historiographical Objectives in Internet Studies”

2024/12/13

Nathalie Fridzema is a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen specializing in early Dutch web cultures and digital heritage. She has a bachelor and (research) master in Media Studies with a minor in Digital Humanities. Whilst working as research assistant together with Prof. Dr Susan Aasman on a preliminary web project, Nathalie delved into internet provider XS4ALL and personal homepages. These pilot studies formed the foundation for her ICOG PhD project at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies in Groningen. The objective of the PhD project is to create a cultural history of web practices before web 2.0, specifically in the Netherlands between 1994 and 2004. This period of the preliminary web – characterized by idealistic initiatives adhering to utopian ideals like participatory democracy, freedom, and accessibility – is often overshadowed by the swift development of platforms and social media. In this project, Nathalie will take a critical look into this influential period, focusing on the everyday user and website maker.