What happened to the Counterculture?

Just when you thought we were 'pod-fading' (whatever the hell that means), we return with a BANG!  Back in the early 1990's a strange thing occurred: fringe-culture exploded. Not only did we see shows like The X-Files take centre stage; but also the apparent rise of a new fringe-community online. But, like all really cool things, it seemed to evaporate at the begining of the new Millennium.