dude's recent activity
-
Comment on Killing community in ~tech
-
Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech
dude Link Parentwhiskerwick is a very active petz forum! you can find links to other petz sites there. litterz factory is the oldest site with regular updates AFAIK.whiskerwick is a very active petz forum! you can find links to other petz sites there. litterz factory is the oldest site with regular updates AFAIK.
-
Comment on Every time you click this link, it will send you to a random Web 1.0 website in ~tech
dude Link ParentSafari sometimes tints the window to match the background color of the website, it's not the page causing it. I can't even think of a script that could do that. Web 1.0 mostly refers to static...Safari sometimes tints the window to match the background color of the website, it's not the page causing it. I can't even think of a script that could do that.
Web 1.0 mostly refers to static websites, this page qualifies.
-
Comment on Every time you click this link, it will send you to a random Web 1.0 website in ~tech
dude Link ParentThe background color? Sorry, I can't tell if you're joking.The background color? Sorry, I can't tell if you're joking.
-
Comment on Every time you click this link, it will send you to a random Web 1.0 website in ~tech
dude Link ParentTheir "nice messages" page is like a manually updated guestbook, last updated in 2020. But the first page is a neat time capsule of the early Internet! This message is from 1995. Just eight years...Their "nice messages" page is like a manually updated guestbook, last updated in 2020. But the first page is a neat time capsule of the early Internet! This message is from 1995. Just eight years after Tiffany's one big hit.
I was taking my first tour of the Internet the other day and, lucky for me, I found your Tiffany site. I didn't think anyone else still liked her. I'm 19 and everyone thinks I'm weird for liking the teen star of the 80's.
-
Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech
dude Link ParentYeah, some folks have seen what the internet has become and either remembered or never forgot that we are still free to make websites. I think some of the new wave of webweavers like the old...Yeah, some folks have seen what the internet has become and either remembered or never forgot that we are still free to make websites. I think some of the new wave of webweavers like the old buttons and images, almost like historical artifacts.
-
Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech
-
Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech
dude Link ParentUntil it curls up into a ball and then throwing it around the room? I would never.Until it curls up into a ball and then throwing it around the room?
-
Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech
dude (edited )Link ParentPetz is pure f***ing magic, the community is still doing new things with the game. I don't spend too much time on that side of the internet these days but knowing that people still make their...Petz is pure f***ing magic, the community is still doing new things with the game. I don't spend too much time on that side of the internet these days but knowing that people still make their little kennel sites and post on forums makes me pretty happy.
PFM really nailed the timing, Petz II was released in '97 and really hyped their website. My first ever experience with the internet was going on petz.com (rip) to download the web-exclusive breeds and toys. (Free DLC, what a concept.) I've met so many people with similar stories to yours - they got into hexing or building websites as kids, some of them went on to make it a career or significant hobby.
Okay, for hyper specific nostalgia, I'm nostalgic for the way petz would react to the music box in Petz II? They seemed to take out the dancing behavior in later versions.
-
Comment on Dumb internet ideas in ~tech
dude Link ParentNot OP, but here are some ways to "bring back the old internet" surf the web: check out some webrings, look for links pages on sites you like sign guestbooks, reach out to webmasters! interact!...Not OP, but here are some ways to "bring back the old internet"
- surf the web: check out some webrings, look for links pages on sites you like
- sign guestbooks, reach out to webmasters! interact!
- build a site & link to other sites you like!
There are actually quite a few rings these days, some are specialized, others are free-for-alls. Several are linked in this tildes post. Here are two more random rings that seem mostly geared towards personal sites:
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
dude (edited )LinkI don't mind, social media hasn't felt truly social in a while. I found my way back to the slow web a few years back, now most of my online socializing is through personal sites and forums. I hope...I don't mind, social media hasn't felt truly social in a while. I found my way back to the slow web a few years back, now most of my online socializing is through personal sites and forums. I hope more folks will realize that the "old web" never died.
I will say though, Twitter has been great for getting relevant & timely local information in crises and protests. I worry about this, actually. We had some pretty intense storms early this year, people died just because they went down the wrong road at the wrong time. Radio was useless, like all the local broadcasts were replaced with the same stuff iheartradio sends around the country, local news gave a few updates but mostly "follow us on twitter".
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
dude Link ParentNowhere near this scale, but I've thought about collecting some of the best information as a web repository. Even something super basic, an old school directory of static standalone pages. I say...Nowhere near this scale, but I've thought about collecting some of the best information as a web repository. Even something super basic, an old school directory of static standalone pages. I say static, that way it could be easily downloaded or mirrored and future-proof.
Ideally it would be a collaborative effort, to account for the wide range of communities & interests. Of course there's the issue of getting permission from post authors and some of this content is old or from abandoned accounts, not sure what to do about that.
-
Comment on The small web and minimalist websites - what are your thoughts and experiences? in ~tech
dude LinkGreat topic! I've been guilty of using the term small web interchangeably with retro web, revival web, indie web, etc. I do think they're in the same family, but I'm not sure how to define small...Great topic! I've been guilty of using the term small web interchangeably with retro web, revival web, indie web, etc. I do think they're in the same family, but I'm not sure how to define small web. The lines blur.
I like your distinction between minimalist design and minimalist sites. I've done some work archiving and cleaning up old Tripod & Angelfire sites, because they're primary sources from the early internet that I don't want to get lost. The oldest ones are pretty basic, maybe some BODY BGCOLOR=#CCFFFF to spice things up, no CSS. They fit the bill aesthetically and functionally. But many have silly fonts, animated gifs and tiled backgrounds - do these count? What if they try to play a midi?
Do we measure the small web in kilobytes, load time, HTML version they comply to, or number of pages? I think there might be something to that last one. Small websites are finite. Not necessarily static, but new content isn't generated every second. No endless scrolling, no tricks to get people to stay for hours.
That's scratching the surface of course. I love the small web, spending time on that side of the net makes me less tolerant of sites with intrusive (obtrusive?) ads. And those damn full-page popups asking me to sign up for a mailing list? Well now I'm definitely not doing that
-
Comment on Let's talk nostalgia in ~talk
dude Link ParentOh man, you unlocked a memory. I had an uncle who smoked Camels back when they came with Camel Cash, they looked like dollars and he always gave them to me to play with. Cigarettes felt more...Oh man, you unlocked a memory. I had an uncle who smoked Camels back when they came with Camel Cash, they looked like dollars and he always gave them to me to play with. Cigarettes felt more acceptable back then (I was born a few years before you)
I'm fine leaving that in the past!
-
Comment on Let's talk nostalgia in ~talk
dude (edited )LinkI was born in the early 90s, in that sliver of time where there was no World Wide Web but there were two Germanys and a Soviet Union. I feel nostalgic for a world I observed but was too young to...I was born in the early 90s, in that sliver of time where there was no World Wide Web but there were two Germanys and a Soviet Union. I feel nostalgic for a world I observed but was too young to participate in. Serif fonts, commercial jingles, cassette tape littering the roads, the sound of my mom talking to my aunt for hours from a spiral-corded phone, falling asleep to the sound of Dennis Richmond's voice on the 10 o'clock news. Wood paneling, thrifty's ice cream, Alphie and Teddy Ruxpin.
They call my generation the first digital natives, but it's more like coming to a new land as a child. Quick to adapt, but it's not where I was born. I remember being in the old world and those memories feel more substantial, in some ways that world felt more real. We didn't have the internet at home until 1999 or 2000, a little late, so that might count for something.
I also feel nostalgic for the elder generation. I cried for days when Betty White died, not because she was gone, she had a good run. I cried realizing that her time was up, all these people we shared the earth with were going to be leaving, and this was going to keep happening. I guess it never hit me before that.
-
Comment on How bad is it to live in San Francisco? in ~talk
dude LinkI grew up all up and down the Peninsula, including that one city at the northern tip. I will say that it's always been a city, there were rough parts in the 90s! But that's not what we're talking...I grew up all up and down the Peninsula, including that one city at the northern tip. I will say that it's always been a city, there were rough parts in the 90s! But that's not what we're talking about.
I don't know if San Francisco is a failed city or not, but it's certainly an unbalanced one. Of course it's unlivable for a lot of people, but not the people you're probably talking about. San Francisco lost artists, activists, small business owners, and a whole lot of diversity. People who knew the city intimately, who cared deeply about their home. This happened in a relatively short period of time. What effect do these losses have on a city? I think their departure changed the city.
I'm not trying to imply that this is a moral failing, karma for gentrification. Nor am I saying that all locals left, that people who moved here don't care, or that this is the source of San Francisco's problems.
But I think it's something worth thinking about. There's more I'd like to say, but it's a bit of a touchy subject for me. I'll leave with this scene from The Last Black Man in San Francisco:
-
Comment on This feels dumb to ask, but how do you get your news? in ~news
dude LinkNot my only source, but I recently started watching local news broadcasts. I'm probably the only person I know who still watches television, including my parents. The local news programs seem less...Not my only source, but I recently started watching local news broadcasts. I'm probably the only person I know who still watches television, including my parents. The local news programs seem less biased than their national counterparts, and the low-budget local commercials during the ad breaks are a nice touch.
I found some old bunny ears at Goodwill, there's something cool about picking up a signal from hot local towers in my area. Seriously though, the World Wide Web is great and all, but I think it's important to have different options for mass communication and I'd hate to see OTA television go away.
-
Comment on The Apollo app for Reddit closes this evening. End of an era. in ~tech
dude (edited )LinkThe fact that I have an account on tildes tells me this isn't the first time I've wanted to ditch Reddit. I guess I feel a bit relieved. I had my "final straw" with Facebook years ago, more...The fact that I have an account on tildes tells me this isn't the first time I've wanted to ditch Reddit. I guess I feel a bit relieved.
I had my "final straw" with Facebook years ago, more recently with Twitter, but I stuck with Reddit, even though the platform felt more and more toxic. It was a slow boil, reminiscing about the "good old days" has me realizing how much it changed. Apollo was a bit of a buffer and it made me forget that Reddit is a company that doesn't care about its users.
I'm keeping the app installed to see if I try to open it... muscle memory, you know. Maybe it will remind me why I'm leaving the site.
-
Comment on Reddit is Fun, Apollo, BaconReader, and other third-party Reddit apps have officially shut down in ~tech
dude Link ParentMissed opportunity to say "so long, and thanks for all the bacon". I guess I should be glad there's still third party option available, but it feels a bit... scabby. But I know isn't fair to the...Missed opportunity to say "so long, and thanks for all the bacon".
I guess I should be glad there's still third party option available, but it feels a bit... scabby. But I know isn't fair to the devs of the apps that decided to work with Reddit's new API policy. The whole thing just sucks.
-
Comment on Where ya from? in ~talk
dude LinkCalifornia, USA. I'm originally from the SF Peninsula. I was born in that sweet spot when a single mom could afford an apartment without working in tech. I know tildes is pretty small but I'm...California, USA. I'm originally from the SF Peninsula. I was born in that sweet spot when a single mom could afford an apartment without working in tech. I know tildes is pretty small but I'm curious if anyone else has this experience.
It was interesting to grow up with the internet, but sometimes I'm a little salty about being priced out of my hometown. Then I remember that my grandparents came to America because of civil wars, and being broken about leaving a place I can visit anytime feels pretty silly.
Great post. Even though this isn't the focus of the post, I can't help buy think of the different interactions I see on old-style forums versus sites like reddit. I wonder if there's more to this than just profit vs nonprofit.
versus