Welcome to Down to the Wire, the story of New Zealand's Internet and how it changed our Nation. Featuring video interviews with over 50 Internet personalities and players downtothewire.co.nz brings alive a journey that has revolutionised our lives and shaped our future. Enjoy exploring the website, get connected and please don't hesitate to contribute.
It was a year of privacy issues, award-winning excellence, social media embarrassments, continued copyright calamities and finally some hope that faster Internet was coming for all.
View 2010 › or Start at 1989Every chapter of the story is introduced by actress Madeleine Sami who will transport you back in time through humour, anecdotes and the odd song. Prepare to reminisce!
As well as a written story of the key events of each year you'll be able to view videos of over 60 local personalities – from those who wired the country, to the people who made use of the internet in innovative or unique ways over the years.
Legendary New Zealand label Flying Nun Records have provided a free iconic track from each year for you to enjoy as you read.
Read Down to the Wire like a book, flicking between chapters using the left and right arrows in the header and footer. Read it from beginning to end, or find a year you remember well and start there.
If you'd like to access more information about the site hit the "navigate" button in the footer to pop open the options panel. Here you can access the timeline and a link to our project blog for behind-the-scenes information.
In the footer you'll find a timeline which allows you to quickly access any year or view the site credits. Choose a year you remember well and add your memories.
Down to the Wire is a story that we evolve with your memories and contributions – just hit the "add your story" button to contribute. We'd love to hear from you to grow the resource.
To the right of each entry you'll find content from other readers which may interest you. This might be links to other sites, personal anecdotes and events that haven't been mentioned in the main storyline.
When you're done reading and contributing you can share the story with your friends and colleagues on Facebook and Twitter. Like an individual page or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates.