The STEMNET was the product of off-worlds bringing in the technology required to complete the Nexus' database and Lawmen integration. Stem City folk became more familiar with the technology as time went on and attempted to create a service everyone could use. Using the Grand Shroom's stems to carry electrical information, Stem City's STEMNET was born.
Anybody, if given the proper tools and enough determination, could create their own .STEM addresses and host sites. The Council of 12 only used the technology for storing information.
Under the SILENCE and NATIVE PRIORITY ACTs, Ahsonov's Stem Tower outlawed anybody besides Stem Rams utilizing the technology. Using access point location programs, Stem Tower systematically carried out the physical destruction of any computers and/or servers that were owned by the hands of off-worlders.
Ahsonov's new STEMNET had one major restriction that affected nobles as well: Any and all written activity must go through trained moderation Lawmen Type-3s before being posted. That, of course, was an attempt to snuff out the rampant protests. This simple restriction shut down a majority of sites.
In the modern day, the two major sites are FORUMS.STEM and the default .STEM news page, where Stem Tower posts weekly news and legislation updates. An extremely expensive license is required to be held by companies that wish to develop unique sites for the STEMNET.
NOBLECREATE.STEM used to be a tradition in STEMNET culture. It was open for a grand total of 156 years, starting in XX660 and shutting down in XX816. It was a major video, art, and audio sharing site. It was shut down due to its company mysteriously falling into bankruptsy.
SLIMEWORLD.STEM was an ambitious MMORPG project open from XX807 to XX813 that could be connected to by little figurines. It closed due to a lack of profits.