Ancient Web: An ASCII-art campaign asked people to keep the

In 1998, an artist using the name truffle asked people not to strip initials from text pictures when sharing or modifying them. ASCII art traveled easily through email and Usenet; attribution didn’t travel automatically. The campaign’s practical rule—keep the original signature and add yours—still fits remix culture rather well.

Preserved campaign: https://asciiartist.com/respectartistscampaign.html

Full Switchboard article: https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/ancient-web-a-1998-ascii-art-ribbon-asked-people-to-credit-the-artist/

#ancientweb #asciiart #digitalculture #attribution