The Internet started in San Fransisco
Freelancer for HotWired, San Francisco
1995-1996
In January 1995 I moved to San Francisco. What was meant to be indefinite turned out to last a year. Lived in the Lower Haight district and started to freelance for HotWired. One of the world's first few websites with original content.
A year earlier I had heard an exciting talk by Howard Rheingold at the Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria about how Wired Magazine was to go online. This talk made me wanting to work with them and be part of the next step. HotWired was the first commercial web magazine, launched on October 27, 1994. Although it was part of Wired Ventures, HotWired was a separate entity from Wired, the print magazine, and had original content.
Coming from a motion design background the speed or more precisely the slowness of the web back then made it very difficult for me to adapt. No more motion graphics but silent slide shows - nothing audiovisual.
But it was tremendously inspiring to be in the HotWired offices, and to meet all their incredibly brilliant staff. Thanks to Barbara Kuhr for all her awesome inspiration!