Computer Freaks

About Computer Freaks

This is the untold history of how the internet almost didn’t happen. It’s an ode to fathers and daughters. And it’s a tale about the origins of the man-computer symbiosis that’s still profoundly relevant to our society today. Host Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan, an editor-at-large at Inc., is a James Beard Award-winning journalist who has worked for NBC News as well as three of the nation’s largest newspapers, and who created the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Rotten. Dare-Bryan’s connection to the story is deeply personal—her father, Joseph Haughney, was one of the internet’s founding fathers. Dare-Bryan spent 10 months traveling the nation interviewing these iconic founders about their work, and how it all led to the economy—and society—we inhabit today. In this six-episode series, she explores the invention, the contention, the bragging, the fighting, and the decisions that have led to our digital life. Just as the book Hamilton explored the founding fathers of democracy in the United States, this project explores the founding fathers of the internet and how their high-stakes battles over ownership, internet privacy, internet protocols, and internet access mirror what we face today. By looking to the past, Computer Freaks dives into modern debates: Could we have prevented online harm from the start? What is the balance between free speech and online content moderation? How much human work should be delegated to technology and A.I.? And what direction should this growing labyrinthine network of computers take? The narrative behind Computer Freaks stretches from after World War II through the 1980s, and up to the consequences we face from this technology today. During that early period, the federal government was funding the first workable prototype of the internet, called the Arpanet, but fighting with researchers at MIT about just how far access to the Arpanet should extend. Computer Freaks tells the dramatic, untold history of the internet straight from the mouths of its pioneering inventors: Len Kleinrock, Robert Kahn, Charley Kline, Steve Crocker, Vinton Cerf, and Bob Metcalfe, among many others. Exclusive interviews uncover hidden stories found nowhere else about the Arpanet, online harm, hacking, authentication, cybersecurity, Ethernet, TCP IP, packet switching, queuing theory, and the early contributions of women in tech. And, perhaps most important, this series is a love letter from a daughter to an aging father and the world-changing legacy he will leave behind.

Publisher

Inc. Magazine

Category

history · society & culture · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 May 2023

Latest episode

17 Apr 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Apr 2025

   Season 2, Episode 6: Briefly Famous

   This episode revisits the main characters of "Computer Freaks," examining their post-tech boom lives and the lessons they've gleaned from their experiences.

2. 

   10 Apr 2025

   Season 2, Episode 5: Crazy Bill

   This episode examines Goto.com's rise and fall, exploring the factors that led to its ultimate failure despite attempts to acquire Google.

3. 

   3 Apr 2025

   Season 2, Episode 4: Permissionless Innovation

   Bill Gross explores the rapidly evolving landscape of paid search and its impact on the expanding world of e-commerce, revealing insights into permissionless innovation; this is an interview.

4. 

   27 Mar 2025

   Season 2, Chapter 3: Bad Blood

   This episode examines the emerging protocol conflict between EIT and Netscape regarding security measures.

5. 

   20 Mar 2025

   Season 2, Chapter 2: Marc the Shark

   Marc Andreessen's arrival in Silicon Valley shapes his early career as the episode explores his initial relationships and experiences in the tech world; this is an origin story.

6. 

   13 Mar 2025

   Season 2, Chapter 1: Illegal, Immoral and Fattening

   This episode explores the emergence of new technologies like the world wide web and e-commerce as they become accessible to a wider audience.

7. 

   27 Feb 2025

   Computer Freaks is back for a second season!

   Computer Freaks previews its second season, spotlighting interviews with internet pioneers from companies like Google and Netscape, examining the dawn of internet entrepreneurship and its cultural impact.

8. 

   20 Jul 2023

   Chapter Six: Unintended Consequences

   Joseph Haughney discusses his original aspirations for the Arpanet, while other founders reflect on the internet's evolution, and Hans Werner Braun's daughters share their perspectives on their father's legacy in this interview episode.

9. 

   13 Jul 2023

   Chapter Five: The Protocol Wars

   This episode explores the late 1970s and early 1980s, examining the decline of Arpanet and the rise of NSFnet to understand why Arpanet was eclipsed.

10. 

    6 Jul 2023

    Chapter Four: The French Connection

    Louis Pouzin's role in the Arpanet's creation is examined, questioning whether one person deserves sole credit for the network's invention in this interview.

11. 

    29 Jun 2023

    Chapter Three: Let's Have a Ball

    This episode explores the Arpanet's rising popularity after its 1972 debut and the simultaneous emergence of resistance to its widespread accessibility.

12. 

    22 Jun 2023

    Chapter Two: In the Air

    This episode explores the origins of the Arpanet and internet, questioning the commonly accepted birthdate and identifying key figures in its early development.

13. 

    15 Jun 2023

    Chapter One: The Dollhouse

    This episode explores how J.C.R. Licklider's vision for communication technology emerged after World War II, ultimately sparking the creation of the internet to address Cold War challenges.

14. 

    4 May 2023

    Inc. Magazine Presents: Computer Freaks

    Host Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan explores the untold history of the internet through interviews with pioneers like Len Kleinrock and Vinton Cerf, revealing the origins of man-computer symbiosis and its relevance to modern debates.

Who has been a guest on Computer Freaks

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• internet pioneers
• Joseph Haughney
• Hans Werner Braun
• Louis Pouzin
• Len Kleinrock

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

72 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

16 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 11 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

1

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Computer Freaks

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.