If I were to be sent back to 2004, I would call my sister, my grandmother, my mother, my father, & my father-in-law.


Cat

But not in this era. You may not underestimate the influence of the internet which gained popularity in the mid-late 90s. 1994 was still before this time. In 1994, the internet was still not relevant for most people. Today it is a system which rules our lives and this was also the case in 2004.

Even with Internet... It's just different forms of it in each year. 1994 Internet was used by researchers in science lab's and rich people. 2004 Internet was used on Desktop computers and laptops. 2014 Internet is used on mobile phones and tablets. Same thing just completely different forms of usage.

Even with Internet... It's just different forms of it in each year. 1994 Internet was used by researchers in science lab's and rich people. 2004 Internet was used on Desktop computers and laptops. 2014 Internet is used on mobile phones and tablets. Same thing just completely different forms of usage.


In 1994, internet was a big exception for normal people and it did not provide lots of information. This was totally different in 2004 when due to high speed internet nearly everything was possible on-line.
You could even use internet on mobile phones in 2004 by the way.

Even with Internet... It's just different forms of it in each year. 1994 Internet was used by researchers in science lab's and rich people. 2004 Internet was used on Desktop computers and laptops. 2014 Internet is used on mobile phones and tablets. Same thing just completely different forms of usage.
As the Internet got better, the more we stay in?

How can you miss such bulky gadgets?  :o ;)
It's more like I miss the memories I had with it, you know, sentimental reasons.

It's more like I miss the memories I had with it, you know, sentimental reasons.


I think I hated my Diskman because it ran out of power too fast and it was not very resistant against shocks from outside.

I have read the topic you sent me and it goes back to 2005. See, Ipods weren't popular until about 2006. Even if some people wanted one in 2004/05, they couldn't buy one because of the high cost Ipods were. Unless they were rich.


I know the thread was started in 05 hence my comment certain people wanted them in early 2005....which is before 06.


Plenty if people had iPods in 04 all of the people who owned apple computers.  Just because you didn't have doesn't mean it wasn't popular... Yes apple boasted higher sales in 06 than 04 but the sales in 04 were good enough to keep the product on the market. There are still message boards in the net about people buying iPods in 04.

I know the thread was started in 05 hence my comment certain people wanted them in early 2005....which is before 06.


Plenty if people had iPods in 04 all of the people who owned apple computers.  Just because you didn't have doesn't mean it wasn't popular... Yes apple boasted higher sales in 06 than 04 but the sales in 04 were good enough to keep the product on the market. There are still message boards in the net about people buying iPods in 04.
I understand now. Its crazy how they were only popular for only 4 or 5 years, then they were replaced by the Iphone.

Same here, when I was in middle school, I saw people with cellphones, but not Ipods. I didn't see anyone with a Ipod until I got to high school.


I had a Sony Discman and I also had a smaller cellphone.

These days I mainly use YouTube. If I really like a song I will download it from Amazon and add it to my Windows Media Player library. I was never really into music until fairly recently. But for the handful of CDs I did own back in the day, I used this:

http://www.caixapretta.com.br/wp-content/uploads/coisas-anos-90-4.jpg


How much would they go for today? ???

Even with Internet... It's just different forms of it in each year. 1994 Internet was used by researchers in science lab's and rich people. 2004 Internet was used on Desktop computers and laptops. 2014 Internet is used on mobile phones and tablets. Same thing just completely different forms of usage.


and I think in 2004 people were using cable modems.

As the Internet got better, the more we stay in?


Yep, you could say that.

I think I hated my Diskman because it ran out of power too fast and it was not very resistant against shocks from outside.



Didn't you have batteries? ???

Yep, you could say that.
...and public libraries began to shut down.

Didn't you have batteries? ???


It was a waste of batteries.

I had a Sony Discman and I also had a smaller cellphone.
Same here. I had both. The company my phone was from was Samsung.

I was still using a Discman in 2004. I didn´t get my first iPod until about 2008. Then again, I´ve always waited until it is absolutely necessary to buy new technology before doing so. Incidentally, I didn't get my first cell-phone until the end of 2004, when I was a junior in high school.

I still have a flip phone, which is what I use when I go back to Seattle to visit my family (I'm currently living in Mexico).

In 1994, internet was a big exception for normal people and it did not provide lots of information. This was totally different in 2004 when due to high speed internet nearly everything was possible on-line.
You could even use internet on mobile phones in 2004 by the way.


In 2004, there was no YouTube. In 2004, websites had a much more primitive design and social networking was largely unheard of. Few people knew of Facebook and MySpace was just known by the fringe. People would use instant messenger and go on AOL chat rooms basically. It was also less saturated and easier to become internet famous back then as opposed to now. Politicians were not as interactive on the internet in the 04 elections vs. the 08 elections and later, when social networking became much bigger. I would also say there is a lot more reliable information online today vs. 2004. The internet is taken much more seriously as a source of information today vs. back then.

Agreed.  You don't see that much hip-hop attire any more today like you did then.  It also was still socially acceptable and even somewhat popular to be a Republican.  Adult contemporary stations still played 1980s and 1990s "soft rock."  Today, Adult Contemporary stations are mostly playing last year's Top 40.


If people doubt it, they should check out the 2004 billboard top 100.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_2004
You couldn't really escape it.
As for adult contemporary I noticed the same with playing recent hits but I think they actually play more 80s now than back in the 00s. The mostly 80s/90s adult contemporary is what I noticed in the actual 90s and they threw in some late 70s into the mix.

I disagree.  The emo/scene look was starting to get big in 2004 and peaked in the late '00s.  You didn't have hipsters in 2004 like you do today.  In 2004, it was mostly preppy mall store clothes like Abercrombie and Fitch and the like that was popular, at least where I lived.  One thing you are right on is that you could dress today like you did in 2004 and still be acceptable.


I think it was a mix of what you said and people dressing like the rappers in the music videos. There were some who dressed alternative though.

How do you think people would react to someone acting like this today?

"The equivalent of that would probably be some guy driving up to a High School in a Lincoln Navigator, blasting 50 Cent, wearing an oversized football jersey with gold chains"

Yeah it would feel different, if my body went back to the way it was, I'd be 90 lbs heavier. I don't want to have the weight of a 10-year-old on me again.  ;D

But I don't think it would feel AS scary as it does now. I know alot of us were still shaken up in the post 9/11 world, but it wasn't nearly as crazy then as it is now, with all kinds of shootings and bombings and things in random places.

It felt safer back then to me.

If people doubt it, they should check out the 2004 billboard top 100.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_2004
You couldn't really escape it.
As for adult contemporary I noticed the same with playing recent hits but I think they actually play more 80s now than back in the 00s. The mostly 80s/90s adult contemporary is what I noticed in the actual 90s and they threw in some late 70s into the mix.


If you look at the songs that hit number one in the U.S. in 2004, every single one of them was hip-hop/R&B...perhaps the only exception being Fantasia's "I Believe"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_2004

that and a paper with all the lotto numbers

Yes me too!

These days I mainly use YouTube. If I really like a song I will download it from Amazon and add it to my Windows Media Player library. I was never really into music until fairly recently. But for the handful of CDs I did own back in the day, I used this:

http://www.caixapretta.com.br/wp-content/uploads/coisas-anos-90-4.jpg

I still use one of these and I'm not afraid to admit it  :P

If people doubt it, they should check out the 2004 billboard top 100.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_2004
You couldn't really escape it.
As for adult contemporary I noticed the same with playing recent hits but I think they actually play more 80s now than back in the 00s. The mostly 80s/90s adult contemporary is what I noticed in the actual 90s and they threw in some late 70s into the mix.
Believe or not, I got by in 2004 without having to listen to a whole lot of rap, and on top of that I lived in Houston, TX, at the time, probably one of the best cities for hip hop.
I mostly listened to Radio Disney and Mix 96.5, the latter mostly playing a mix of 90s and current pop hits.
There was a lot of good rock music in 2004, it makes me sad that it was mostly overshadowed by rap.

In 2004, there was no YouTube. In 2004, websites had a much more primitive design and social networking was largely unheard of. Few people knew of Facebook and MySpace was just known by the fringe. People would use instant messenger and go on AOL chat rooms basically. It was also less saturated and easier to become internet famous back then as opposed to now. Politicians were not as interactive on the internet in the 04 elections vs. the 08 elections and later, when social networking became much bigger. I would also say there is a lot more reliable information online today vs. 2004. The internet is taken much more seriously as a source of information today vs. back then.


No, there was no Youtube, but its not that there was absolutely no video streaming. I remember watching videos on-line as early as 2001.
It's true that the internet has changed a lot since 2004 but it was already highly advanced and a reliable resource.

My main point is that I have to agree with those who are saying that the gap between 1994 and 2004 is bigger than the one between 2004 and 2014. The way of communicating totally changed between the mid 90s and the early 00s. As I have often mentioned in this forum, I technically don't see much difference between writing an E-Mail and writing one on facebook. Both are instantly on the other side of the Atlantic or elsewhere... But in 1994, people were still writing letters. I actually had 'penfriends' in the late 90s for instance.

Believe or not, I got by in 2004 without having to listen to a whole lot of rap, and on top of that I lived in Houston, TX, at the time, probably one of the best cities for hip hop.
I mostly listened to Radio Disney and Mix 96.5, the latter mostly playing a mix of 90s and current pop hits.
There was a lot of good rock music in 2004, it makes me sad that it was mostly overshadowed by rap.


I remember a lot of the rock in 2004 and it was very good quality. It saddens me too because there was so much of it. The thing is, in 2004, you could easily get to it by turning on a rock station. If you turn on a rock station today, you don't get this quality. Ironic hipster music is more popular now but what was considered hipster music back in 2004 was a lot better than what you hear today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijk4j-r7qPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5fBdpreJiU

This is from 2006 and it proves my point

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn1DU2DzJPk

But all of this is forgotten

No, there was no Youtube, but its not that there was absolutely no video streaming. I remember watching videos on-line as early as 2001.
It's true that the internet has changed a lot since 2004 but it was already highly advanced and a reliable resource.

My main point is that I have to agree with those who are saying that the gap between 1994 and 2004 is bigger than the one between 2004 and 2014. The way of communicating totally changed between the mid 90s and the early 00s. As I have often mentioned in this forum, I technically don't see much difference between writing an E-Mail and writing one on facebook. Both are instantly on the other side of the Atlantic or elsewhere... But in 1994, people were still writing letters. I actually had 'penfriends' in the late 90s for instance.


It would take forever to stream back then. It was extremely slow and you had to wait a long time. Facebook is different because you could instantly connect to people by name, people that were in your past. It made it a lot easier to connect to people. With email, you couldn't find people in your past as easily. I agree 1994 and 2004 has a lot more of a gap technologically. However, it doesn't negate that the difference between now and 2004 is a lot more than people think.

One thing I don't think people have mentioned is that in 2004, there was 1 in 2 chance you still had a dial-up Internet connection.  If you did, there was no streaming or Web 2.0 services.  You were pretty much still stuck in a 90s Internet.  2004 was the year that in the US the percentage of all Internet connections that were high-speed crossed the 50% mark.  Broadband connections at the time weren't near as good at reaching people in less densely populated areas let alone rural America.

One thing I don't think people have mentioned is that in 2004, there was 1 in 2 chance you still had a dial-up Internet connection.  If you did, there was no streaming or Web 2.0 services.  You were pretty much still stuck in a 90s Internet.  2004 was the year that in the US the percentage of all Internet connections that were high-speed crossed the 50% mark.  Broadband connections at the time weren't near as good at reaching people in less densely populated areas let alone rural America.
  That's I had. I still had dial-up internet in 2004 because my family didn't get broadband Internet until 2006.

I remember a lot of the rock in 2004 and it was very good quality. It saddens me too because there was so much of it. The thing is, in 2004, you could easily get to it by turning on a rock station. If you turn on a rock station today, you don't get this quality. Ironic hipster music is more popular now but what was considered hipster music back in 2004 was a lot better than what you hear today.
I know it's sad.
This song is one of my favourites of 2004, the album itself was released a year prior but this song gained airplay in the summer of '04.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9fLbfzCqWw

It would take forever to stream back then. It was extremely slow and you had to wait a long time.


Videos had a lower resolution, so it was not a big problem to stream even with (digital) dial-up. The biggest issue is probably the variety that has changed. Nowadays you can find a video on any topic - in 2004 it was very limited.

Same here. I had both. The company my phone was from was Samsung.


I think I still have mine.  ???

In 2004, there was no YouTube

Yep, that's right. YouTube didn't happen for another year.

It's true that the internet has changed a lot since 2004 but it was already highly advanced and a reliable resource.

Now, people can watch videos and listen to music as well from plenty of websites.

One thing I don't think people have mentioned is that in 2004, there was 1 in 2 chance you still had a dial-up Internet connection.  If you did, there was no streaming or Web 2.0 services.  You were pretty much still stuck in a 90s Internet.  2004 was the year that in the US the percentage of all Internet connections that were high-speed crossed the 50% mark.  Broadband connections at the time weren't near as good at reaching people in less densely populated areas let alone rural America.


dial-up was so damn slow!

Lot's of things have changed since 2004. 2004 has way more in  common with the late 90's and early 00's than now. Even the show Friends was still airing in 2004.

Just a few subtle changes including more compact cars out on the streets, people looking at their cellphones more often, Facebook/Twitter, wood flooring in kitchens, similar music except with more indie tracks, a few fashion trends that I no longer see...

Lot's of things have changed since 2004. 2004 has way more in  common with the late 90's and early 00's than now. Even the show Friends was still airing in 2004.
I agree, 2004 still had a bit of that late 90s leftover feel, but that was mostly gone by 2005.
You still had late 90s style dance pop coming out in 2004, like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-hz3rk1HUc

I agree, 2004 still had a bit of that late 90s leftover feel, but that was mostly gone by 2005.
You still had late 90s style dance pop coming out in 2004, like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-hz3rk1HUc



Lot's of things have changed since 2004. 2004 has way more in  common with the late 90's and early 00's than now. Even the show Friends was still airing in 2004.



I agree with both of you. 2004 will always be part of the late 90s/early 00s. To me, 2004 looks a little old school now.

No YouTube...the "on demand" society we enjoy today didn't exist yet. No hulu

Facebook was still in its crib and unkown. It was still a myspace world

HD television still hadn't reached a majority of American homes

A good deal of early 90's cars were still on the road. A 1990 Ford Taurus looks like a relic today...it didn't quite in 2004

People still went out to rent movies. Rent DVD's. No blu ray

No PS3/360. It was still PS2.

No Twitter. Nowadays you can tweet at a celebrity and athlete...and they might tweet back! Not in 2004. There were less ways to connect. Plus athletes/celebrities got into less trouble back then because of no twitter

In 2004, not only was facebook relatively unknown, it had its membership restricted to university students. I first found out about it in 2005 after my brother had finished his first year at the university and I had finished my penultimate year of high school.

No YouTube...the "on demand" society we enjoy today didn't exist yet. No hulu

Facebook was still in its crib and unkown. It was still a myspace world

HD television still hadn't reached a majority of American homes

A good deal of early 90's cars were still on the road. A 1990 Ford Taurus looks like a relic today...it didn't quite in 2004

People still went out to rent movies. Rent DVD's. No blu ray

No PS3/360. It was still PS2.
That's why 2004 looks old because we didn't have any of that yet.

Lot's of things have changed since 2004. 2004 has way more in  common with the late 90's and early 00's than now.


Yes, because the 90s weren't even over for 5 years then, while 2004 is a decade ago today.

Lot's of things have changed since 2004. 2004 has way more in  common with the late 90's and early 00's than now. Even the show Friends was still airing in 2004.


also Frasier & Desperate Housewives started.

No YouTube...the "on demand" society we enjoy today didn't exist yet. No hulu

YouTube was probably in the works.

YouTube was probably in the works.
I read somewhere recently that apple came up with the idea for the iPhone in 2004.

and In 2004, we were still feeling the effects of 9/11 3 years later.

I remember a lot of the rock in 2004 and it was very good quality. It saddens me too because there was so much of it. The thing is, in 2004, you could easily get to it by turning on a rock station. If you turn on a rock station today, you don't get this quality. Ironic hipster music is more popular now but what was considered hipster music back in 2004 was a lot better than what you hear today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijk4j-r7qPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5fBdpreJiU

This is from 2006 and it proves my point

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn1DU2DzJPk

But all of this is forgotten


I was a big fan of Rock music throughout the 00s and I do think the mainstream Rock scene was a lot better then than it is now.  I genuinely miss the Rock scene from back then.  I think that top 40 music and Rap music have both improved in the 2010s, but Rock music sadly has not. 

As far as other stuff goes, I'll just echo what was said here by most people about technological differences and stuff.  I'll just add in a few more specific things:

- MP3 players were starting to be commonplace by 2005 at last.  I remember a girl in class one time seeing a guy with a CD player in 2005 and saying "Oh my god, you still have a CD player?"  Myspace's popularity also dates back to around that same year. 
- Baggy Hip-Hop clothing, Emo clothing, and preppy clothing represented the mainstream for teens.  Preppy clothing then was all about the brightly colored West Coast "beach" look, perhaps best epitomized by Hollister.  Stuff like H&M and Forever 21 that I see all over now were not around, or at least not popular, then.
- Reality shows were worse on network tv than they now, but cable tv was in better shape.  That said, the past few years have seen some amazing shows, so today is arguably better than 2004 tv-wise.
- A more conservative political climate than now.  Remember, multiple states banned gay marriage in 2004, whereas now it is increasingly being legalized state by state.  Transgenders are talked increasingly about now, whereas they weren't even close to being on the radar in 2004.
- Online gaming was, of course, much smaller compared to now.  Online gaming in 2004 was basically solely limited to the Xbox.  PS2 could go online with optional add-ons, but them being optional and not adopted by 90% of the owners meant they were rarely used.  By 2006, though, online gaming was taking off.
- Lastly, attitudes to 90s things were different.  90s nostalgia was still mostly eclipsed by 80s nostalgia.  NSync and the Backstreet Boys were still viewed as outdated and cheesy, not as nostalgic timepieces.  Nostalgia in general seems to be bigger now I think.

Online gaming was, of course, much smaller compared to now.  Online gaming in 2004 was basically solely limited to the Xbox.  PS2 could go online with optional add-ons, but them being optional and not adopted by 90% of the owners meant they were rarely used.  By 2006, though, online gaming was taking off.

Let me add also the PS3 as well, with the PS3 you can download Crackle, Netflix, Redbox and a load of music videos to watch all day.

A good amount of subtle differences.

and In 2004, we were still feeling the effects of 9/11 3 years later.


Many of us are still feeling the effects.

I think this topic past the border of Decadology especially with the 1994, 2004, 2014 discussion.  :P

I think this topic past the border of Decadology especially with the 1994, 2004, 2014 discussion.  :P


I agree, maybe it should be locked?  ???

How is it decadeology to talk about the changes noticeable in a ten year period? This thread isn't talking about baseless similarities or differences, but rather traceable changes. I didn't think that was decadeology.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that people ( Americans, at least), generally, dress better than they did in '04. 

- Online gaming was, of course, much smaller compared to now.  Online gaming in 2004 was basically solely limited to the Xbox.  PS2 could go online with optional add-ons, but them being optional and not adopted by 90% of the owners meant they were rarely used.  By 2006, though, online gaming was taking off.


In 2004, the PC was still king of online gaming.  In fact, that was the year that PC gaming really peaked.  2004 was the year World of Warcraft came out and exploded, and it was a PC exclusive.  Therefore, you cannot say that online gaming didn't exist or was small in 2004, it was just different.  A lot of people forget about the PC today being that it as a gaming platform is for the most part dead, but up until around 2007 it was still a very popular platform.

In 2004, the PC was still king of online gaming.  In fact, that was the year that PC gaming really peaked.  2004 was the year World of Warcraft came out and exploded, and it was a PC exclusive.  Therefore, you cannot say that online gaming didn't exist or was small in 2004, it was just different.  A lot of people forget about the PC today being that it as a gaming platform is for the most part dead, but up until around 2007 it was still a very popular platform.
I should also add that I began playing Runescape in late 2004.

I have recently watched the first episode of our German version of "The Office" which aired in late 2004. It was shot a great location to identify datedness and it is definetly there: Late 90s/Early 00s-like white desktop pcs, CRT monitors, old windows versions and flip phones were used.

Now if I can rip a hole in the space-time continuum...

I would feel lost without my smart phone and high speed internet. We didn't get flat screen anything until 2009 so I could live with that. It was also nice that internet was more user friendly and TV shows didn't have so many copies of eachother.

I think the internet now is much faster compared to 10 years ago.

I think the internet now is much faster compared to 10 years ago.


O0
Nothing gets past you, Howard.

I think the internet now is much faster compared to 10 years ago.
...and bigger!

...and bigger!


screens are larger.

screens are larger.
My new monitor is CinemaScope shaped!

My new monitor is CinemaScope shaped!


Is it big enough to view?

Is it big enough to view?
The view is better

I think the internet now is much faster compared to 10 years ago.


10 years ago, the internet still felt as fast as it is today, because we weren't used to receive/transfer that much data like we do today.
And websites were not overloaded like today.

10 years ago, the internet still felt as fast as it is today, because we weren't used to receive/transfer that much data like we do today.
And websites were not overloaded like today.


I know, with all this 4G and super fast speeds webpages come up in an instant.

We're losing privacy now though.

We're losing privacy now though.


Back then you didn't have Facebook Instagram or Twitter now just about everyone wants to know what you're doing.

Back then you didn't have Facebook Instagram or Twitter now just about everyone wants to know what you're doing.


But you don't have to offer them the information.

Back then you didn't have Facebook Instagram or Twitter now just about everyone wants to know what you're doing.

I know, and your real name shouldn't be their buisness nor where you live. There are reasons people want anonymity.

I would feel ten years younger!

I would feel ten years younger!


I would be 30.

I would be 30.

I would be 18, going on 19.

I would feel ten years younger!
Lees aches and pains!

Lees aches and pains!


and for me, more hair.

and for me, more hair.
Some cases as some of my friends, less hair.

I would look younger.

I would look younger.
Less grey hair and winkles.

I would weigh less!  8)

I would weigh less!  8)
The same here.

Less grey hair and winkles.


and a bit more energetic.

The same here.

Oh to be 125 again!  :(

Oh to be 125 again!  :(
In fact I do not know what my weight was back then, but it must have been less than it is now.

I would have Windows 2000.

I would have Windows 2000.

Not me. I went from Windows 98 to Windows Vista.

I would be very close to my 18th birthday and working on Windows XP with digital (ISDN) dial-up.

Up through 2005 would feel very different
2006 was when it started to transition into today.

14 years ago? ???

Four years ago.

I would be on my first date.

--Music would be better.
--Mom would be here.
--Michael would be here.
--My kidneys would actually work, but I would be 100 pounds fatter. LOL.  ::)

I would be getting ready to graduate high school
would be registered for college in the fall

I would have Windows 2000.

I reckon I'd feel at least 10 years younger!

I wish I could go back an relive the summer of 2004, it was really one of the best times of my life. Hanging out with my older cousin and feeling like one of the big boys (I was 10 at the time), and getting to have my first kiss. Also the music! Boy do I miss it.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet, but is something that everyone would immediately notice if they were sent back 10 years in time, is that in 2004 you could still smoke indoors in public places (with the exception of California).

If I woke up and it was 2004 again then, well, I'd certainly do a lot of things, but I'd definitely go into a bar, order a drink, put my feet up and light up a big, fat cigar. 8)

I think there would be a difference. Not just "hey, the calendar says this date instead of a different one!" but:

No smartphones, less broadband (many people, including me, having dial-up internet), TV and radio still being the main source of information for many people, No real "social media" in the current sense of the word, different music styles, different clothes, the start of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I think there would be a difference. Not just "hey, the calendar says this date instead of a different one!" but:

No smartphones, less broadband (many people, including me, having dial-up internet), TV and radio still being the main source of information for many people, No real "social media" in the current sense of the word, different music styles, different clothes, the start of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.


In my street, broadband was not yet available in June 2004. I didn't even know the term social media in that year... I only used ICQ and E-Mail.

In my street, broadband was not yet available in June 2004. I didn't even know the term social media in that year... I only used ICQ and E-Mail.

High speed was available back then, but never terribly affordable. Nowadays they bundle it with other services. I don't know if that's better, but it's an option.

I used to have AIM, YIM, and MSN. Now just Skype and I'm never on. I lost the password, I should make a new name. What is this ICQ I hear about?

High speed was available back then, but never terribly affordable. Nowadays they bundle it with other services. I don't know if that's better, but it's an option.

I used to have AIM, YIM, and MSN. Now just Skype and I'm never on. I lost the password, I should make a new name. What is this ICQ I hear about?
We always had the fastest possible internet in my house because my dad's work required him to have fast internet. Back in 1997, we were actually able to get high speed dialup.

Justin Bieber wasn't famous yet.

Justin Bieber wasn't famous yet.


Aahhh ... the good old days!  :)

High speed was available back then, but never terribly affordable. Nowadays they bundle it with other services. I don't know if that's better, but it's an option.

I used to have AIM, YIM, and MSN. Now just Skype and I'm never on. I lost the password, I should make a new name. What is this ICQ I hear about?


Yes, it was available in Germany where I live. I think I first used it in a bigger city in 2001. But in the country, it took much longer... October 2004, and that was only a very slow type of broadband. Nowadays I can get a speed of about 13 MBit/s.

Back in 2004 the popular site everyone went on was funnyjunk.com  ;D

Back in 2004 the popular site everyone went on was funnyjunk.com  ;D
I remember that site. I also remember Albino Black Sheep.

Back in 2004 the popular site everyone went on was funnyjunk.com  ;D

I think I've been there. I used to frequent FlowGo and sometimes RatedToons.

Aahhh ... the good old days!  :)


I remember the dreaded Facebook being born out of its mother's womb.  :-\\

I remember the dreaded Facebook being born out of its mother's womb.  :-\\

I hope one day something more privacy oriented will replace it.

I think there would be a difference. Not just "hey, the calendar says this date instead of a different one!" but:

No smartphones, less broadband (many people, including me, having dial-up internet), TV and radio still being the main source of information for many people, No real "social media" in the current sense of the word, different music styles, different clothes, the start of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.


I think we were still chatting from chat rooms.

Justin Bieber wasn't famous yet.

It was peaceful till 2009!

High speed was available back then, but never terribly affordable. Nowadays they bundle it with other services. I don't know if that's better, but it's an option.

I used to have AIM, YIM, and MSN. Now just Skype and I'm never on. I lost the password, I should make a new name. What is this ICQ I hear about?


It's pronounced I Seek You but they shortened it to ICQ, it was another form of communication like what Skype is now.

Justin Bieber wasn't famous yet.


and that was a good thing.

It was peaceful till 2009!


till he came along! ::)

Yes and no.

Technology wise, the differences would be very noticeable. Nokias and fliphones instead of smartphones, a less developed internet, no YouTube, fewer large-screen TVs. That would be the easiest way to tell what time I was in.

If I turned on the radio, I would be able to work out from the lack of EDM, the remnants of pop-punk and the older style R&B that it was the earlier part of the 00s. However, there isn't a particularly defining sound that would make you realise that it is 2004.

Fashion wise, the amount of baggy clothing would be a good clue. But there are plenty of people who dress the same now as they did in 2004.

The contents of the news would be very noticeably different.

Haha I would notice the different as fast as my heart would skip a beat. I would instantly catch on to the feel. Cartoon Network would still be in its prime, which would be shocking/unbelievable. Hip Hop would still be tolerable and I would be thinking about how even distant and futuristic 2007 seem from that time. People that don't see the distinctiveness from now and 2004 is ridiculous to me.

Most people would panic about the lack of YouTube and social media sans MySpace, but frankly my life would hardly be affected at all.  I mostly do stuff on the Internet, which was well-established by 2004, not to mention things like iTunes, plus most of my favorite video games, already existed. 

Not as different than if you were sent back to the 80s but it would still feel radically different.

Haha I would notice the different as fast as my heart would skip a beat. I would instantly catch on to the feel. Cartoon Network would still be in its prime, which would be shocking/unbelievable. Hip Hop would still be tolerable and I would be thinking about how even distant and futuristic 2007 seem from that time. People that don't see the distinctiveness from now and 2004 is ridiculous to me.

Cartoon network still in it's prime??? ???  2003 was the last year it was still in it's prime for me! Before the CN city era began and they changed the logo!

Cartoon network still in it's prime??? ???  2003 was the last year it was still in it's prime for me! Before the CN city era began and they changed the logo!


Cartoon Network was still pretty good for most of 2004, but it jumped the shark in my eyes around the end of the year, when classic shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Johnny Bravo were being taken off the air to make room for a bunch of mediocre new ones, like Atomic Betty and Camp Lazlo.  The continued presence of Codename:  Kids Next Door and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy was not enough to save the channel from its suddenly worsened lineup of programs.  I distinctly remember I stopped tuning in by the beginning of 2005.

Cartoon Network was still pretty good for most of 2004, but it jumped the shark in my eyes around the end of the year, when classic shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Johnny Bravo were being taken off the air to make room for a bunch of mediocre new ones, like Atomic Betty and Camp Lazlo.  The continued presence of Codename:  Kids Next Door and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy was not enough to save the channel from its suddenly worsened lineup of programs.  I distinctly remember I stopped tuning in by the beginning of 2005.


Don't forget that in 2004, Toonami was also taken to the Saturday night time-slots rather than weekdays in place for Miguzi, which a lot of people considered as a kiddy friendly watered down version of Toonami, but at least Miguzi had some great action shows so I still liked it anyway. Classics like LOONEY TUNES and many others were taken off the air, which really sucked, in place for more reruns of that Baby Looney Tunes crap. I honestly don't know why Cartoon Network had to change all at once in 2004 in the middle of my childhood  >:( and you're right. Around 2005 you started noticing less of the Cartoon Cartoons and a lot of newer shows started premiering that year that weren't good, however you DID still have some Cartoon Cartoon reruns from time to time on certain occasions.

I'll admit though the Cartoon Network Summer 2005 event was really great and I believe Summer 2005 was the last high point of Cartoon Network, plus don't forget that Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited, What's New Scooby-Doo, and Duck Dodgers still had tons of episodes at the time as well. Ed, Edd n Eddy was still around too, and I liked Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. However, after Summer 2005 ended, I believe that was the official turning point in Cartoon Network's history, then by 2006 Cartoon Cartoon reruns were GONE permanently and it started to get worse with greenlit shows like My Gym Partner's A Monkey, Squirrel Boy, Cramp Twins, etc. Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited got cancelled, then it was just meeehhh barely anything on the network anymore. 2006 is when I believe Cartoon Network started to get worse imo. While Spring/Summer 2005 was the last good period, no where near as good as 2000-early 2004 however, it was still watchable at the time.

Cartoon network still in it's prime??? ???  2003 was the last year it was still in it's prime for me! Before the CN city era began and they changed the logo!


Or another way you could say it is late 2003-early 2004, basically our 2nd grade year was the last season it was in its prime before the logo changed that following Summer. It wasn't until June 2004 when that bittersweet day happened so January-May 2004 they still used the original logo.

Most people would panic about the lack of YouTube and social media sans MySpace, but frankly my life would hardly be affected at all.  I mostly do stuff on the Internet, which was well-established by 2004, not to mention things like iTunes, plus most of my favorite video games, already existed.


YouTube didn't exist just yet until a year later.

Most people would panic about the lack of YouTube and social media sans MySpace, but frankly my life would hardly be affected at all.  I mostly do stuff on the Internet, which was well-established by 2004, not to mention things like iTunes, plus most of my favorite video games, already existed. 

YouTube didn't exist just yet until a year later.
Too true, and how can you panic for something when it has yet to be created?

Cartoon network still in it's prime??? ???  2003 was the last year it was still in it's prime for me! Before the CN city era began and they changed the logo!


Didn't they change to something else?

Too true, and how can you panic for something when it has yet to be created?


and when YouTube started, everyone was happy.

Or another way you could say it is late 2003-early 2004, basically our 2nd grade year was the last season it was in its prime before the logo changed that following Summer. It wasn't until June 2004 when that bittersweet day happened so January-May 2004 they still used the original logo.

Yep 2nd grade was when the culture shifted from early 00s culture to mid 00s culture; the last year CN was still in it's prime, last year toon disney was still the REAL toon disney, last year Jerry Orbach was on Law and Order, The Practice, last great season of West Wing,Rugrats,Hey Arnold, Friaser and Friends ended and also it was the last year I still considered to Nick to be in the same class!

Then; 3rd grade came I was starting to be seen as a big kid literally and age wise (I got kinda chubby when I turned 9)! Jetix debuted on toon Disney, Teen Nick came out; I thought nickelodeon was starting to go downhill that season, Cartoon network's city era began! The Iraq war was in full swing; The Incredibles,Collateral, Aviator, Million dollar baby  Mean Girls and Napoleon Dynamite being released! As you can see my tastes were beginning to change as well! I watched more mature programming on tv networks, even more news etc.

Yep 2nd grade was when the culture shifted from early 00s culture to mid 00s culture; the last year CN was still in it's prime, last year toon disney was still the REAL toon disney, last year Jerry Orbach was on Law and Order, The Practice, last great season of West Wing,Rugrats,Hey Arnold, Friaser and Friends ended and also it was the last year I still considered to Nick to be in the same class!

Then; 3rd grade came I was starting to be seen as a big kid literally and age wise (I got kinda chubby when I turned 9)! Jetix debuted on toon Disney, Teen Nick came out; I thought nickelodeon was starting to go downhill that season, Cartoon network's city era began! The Iraq war was in full swing; The Incredibles,Collateral, Aviator, Million dollar baby  Mean Girls and Napoleon Dynamite being released! As you can see my tastes were beginning to change as well! I watched more mature programming on tv networks, even more news etc.


Yep, I always say that 1997-early 2001 was still mostly 90's culture with the earliest signs of 00's culture phasing in. Late 2001-2003 was when there was mostly 00's culture but you still had some 90's pop cultural fad's leftover. There's a reason why people say "late 90's and early 2000's", because we're always talking about 1997-1999 & 2000-2003. By the time 2004 came, there was pretty much was no sign of any 90's pop culture left and it was the start of the core 2000's. There's a lot more to it. This is not just from me, but from what other folks have said as well and I've noticed this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_access
"In 2000, most Internet access to homes was provided using dial-up, while many businesses and schools were using broadband connections. In 2000 there were just under 150 million dial-up subscriptions in the 34 OECD countries and fewer than 20 million broadband subscriptions. By 2004, broadband had grown and dial-up had declined so that the number of subscriptions were roughly equal at 130 million each."
As you can see, by 2004, broadband sales had became predominantly popular and dial up declined in most people's households.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace "July 2003"
https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Facebook "February 4, 2004"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "February 14, 2005"
Throughout 2003-2005, one by one, 3 years in a row, we had the debuts of Myspace, Facebook, and Youtube. Which was right in between 2004. Which was the start of social media getting real popular.

Friends and Frasier ended in 2004, including Angel as well. Even kid channels like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Toon Disney, and Disney Channel went through HUGE LOADS of changes throughout 2004 which marked the end of an era and the beginning of the new generation of each of these channels. Logos changing. Shows getting removed and replaced. Including many Nicktoons like Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Rocket Power, etc. & Cartoon Cartoons like Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo, Powerpuff Girls, etc. from the 90's that all got cancelled or ended around same year. Lizzie McGuire/Even Stevens era comes to an end. Snick block ended in 2004 and got replaced by Teen Nick. Heck even Toonami was taken to the Saturday night time-slot in 2004 instead of the weekday afternoons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod
"Though the iPod was released in 2001, its price and Mac-only compatibility caused sales to be relatively slow until 2004. The iPod line came from Apple's "digital hub" category, when the company began creating software for the growing market of personal digital devices."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_animation
The last major feature film to use traditional ink and paint was Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke (1997); the last major animation production to use the traditional process is Cartoon Network's Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999–2009), although it was forced to switch to digital paint in 2004. Minor productions such as Hair High (2004) by Bill Plympton have used traditional cels long after the introduction of digital techniques. As the cost of both inking and painting new cels for animated films and TV programs and the repeated usage of older cels for newer animated TV programs and films went up and the cost of doing the same thing digitally went down, eventually, the digital ink-and-paint process became the standard for future animated movies and TV programs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS
"The Nintendo DS (ニンテンドーDS Nintendō DS?) is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and released by Nintendo. The device went on sale in North America on November 21, 2004."
Although the Gameboy Advance SP had just came out a year in a half ago at this time and was still relevant, the release of the Nintendo DS in 2004 marked the end of the Gameboy era for Nintendo and the official start of the DS era.

Now when it comes to VHS to DVD's, that transition really happened throughout the early 2000's, and I believe 2002 was the first year DVD's sales started getting more popular than VHS's, or was it 2003? Then you have the cultural shift in music, well, a lot of people I've noticed tend to say that 2003 was around the time emo music, crunk rap, and R&B got real big. Oh and actually, the Iraq War started in 2003 as well.

So all of these things led up to the official death of 90's pop culture in 2004 and the beginning of the core 2000's, although I know there's a lot more to it, but this is all I got so far.