Relics Of Internet History
The past is a foreign country, and the ad-filled internet of today is a far cry from the internet of yesteryear, when people didn't really know what they were doing. Many of these websites were shut down, while others exist as shadows of their former selves. Let's take a digital walk down memory lane.
1. GeoCities
GeoCities wasn't a single site so much as it was a free hosting platform where anyone could make their own site. GeoCities sites were true labors of love, adorned with bright colors, background music, and low-res GIFs. Fun fact: if you Google "GeoCities" all the results are in Comic Sans!
2. Pitchfork
Yep, Pitchfork, like a few sites on this list, is much older than you would guess. One of the original online music mags, Pitchfork was founded in 1996. The snarky, passionate, and sometimes pretentious review style helped launch the careers of several indie darlings.
3. Aliweb
Before there was Google or Yahoo, there was Aliweb, the world's first search engine! Aliweb (government name: Archie-Like Indexing for the WEB) was closer to a fan-run wiki than a modern search engine. Website owners submitted their sites and a description to the directory.
4. Craigslist
In 1995, Craig Newmark created Craigslist as a way to inform friends in the San Francisco area of upcoming events. Craigslist quickly evolved from an email list to a classified site serving more than 70 countries! Newmark used his substantial revenue from the site to support voter registration and women in tech.
5. Hampster Dance
Perhaps the earliest internet meme, the Hampster Dance was a GeoCities site created by a Canadian college student. The site, created to win a competition, featured looping GIFs of hamsters dancing to a sped-up sample of a song from Disney's 1973 film Robin Hood. The misplaced 'p' in 'hampster' is intentional.
6. Yahoo
The first proper search engine, if you aren't counting Aliweb's directory, Yahoo was launched in 1994 by two PhD students at Stanford. The site's original name was “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web.” Later, it was renamed “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.”
7. Got Milk
Got milk? was responsible for some of the most iconic ads of the '90s, so it isn't surprising that their presence quickly spread online. The campaign was created by the California Milk Processor Board to encourage people to drink more cow's milk. Got milk? was a smash success, contributing to increased milk sales in California.
8. AuctionWeb
If you read the name "AuctionWeb" and thought it was a precursor to eBay, you'd be correct! AuctionWeb was founded in 1995 and changed its name to eBay two years later. The first item sold was a broken laser pointer for $14.83.
9. MapQuest
Before everyone carried a GPS around in their pockets, there was MapQuest. MapQuest helped many families plan their summer road trips down the gas station, with only a little stress along the way. Better hope that the printer isn't running low on ink!
10. PizzaNet
The grand-daddy of DoorDash and SkipTheDishes, PizzaNet was Pizza Hut's early foray into online ordering. Granted, after filling out the form, customers still had to confirm their order via phone call and pay in cash. However, PizzaNet took a lot of the work out of ordering over dial-up phones.
Now that we've covered some of the most iconic sites of the 1990s, let's leap into the 2000s!
1. Ask Jeeves
Technically, Ask Jeeves—now simply Ask.com—was launched in the '90s. However, like a lot of sites on this half of the list, it's best remembered as an answer machine of the 2000s. Unlike other search engines, Ask Jeeves provided users with clear answers in everyday English.
2. RuneScape
Developed in 2001, RuneScape is a fantasy MMORPG set in the world of Gielinor. Compared to other MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, RuneScape was extremely accessible as it is free to play in your browser. A Steam variant was launched in 2020.
3. Omegle
One of the more infamous sites of the late 2000s, Omegle was a video chat site that randomly paired users. Unfortunately, Omegle became known for rampant child abuse and hate speech, particularly during the pandemic. The site was shut down in 2023.
4. Neopets
Neopets is another site that was launched in 1999 but isn't really a "'90s site." Neopets' launch signalled the start of a golden age of children's sites on the internet. Here, kids could care of their virtual pets and play games without being sold anything.
Neopets Metaverse on Wikimedia
5. Webkinz
Another kids' site, Webkinz actually celebrated its 20th anniversary this year! Like Neopets, Webkinz allowed kids to care for their virtual pets, make friends, and rack up points. Unlike Neopets, however, you had to buy a Webkinz plushie with a "secret code" attached to access the site.
Webkinz_kids_by_David_Shankbone.jpg: David Shankbone
derivative work: Oblongo (talk) on Wikimedia
6. Picnik
Before people facetuned their photos to the high heavens, they used Picnik. This free-to-use editing tool birthed many a Facebook album of blurry, over-exposed photos from half-remembered nights out, whose names were taken from Usher lyrics. Sadly, the Picnik ended for good in 2013.
7. MySpace
From 2005-2009, MySpace was the most cutthroat corner of the internet. Friendships were lost over Top 8 placements and early YouTube videos were embedded directly into the site. MySpace was instrumental in launching the careers of My Chemical Romance and Lady Gaga, among others.
egg (Hong, Yun Seon) from Seoul, Korea on Wikimedia
8. BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed is alive in kicking, but its' online presence is a far cry from what it used to be, mainly revolving around listicles of Amazon products. While some may argue that, while founded in the 2000s, BuzzFeed didn't reach its peak until the 2010s. However, BuzzFeed directly helped shape listicle format and content to this day
Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
9. Club Penguin
The last of our Great Kids Sites Trifecta, Club Penguin looms large over the 2000s internet scene for many a zillennial. From ice fishing, to endless games of mancala, to top-secret spy missions, Club Penguin was the hottest club in town. We miss it dearly.
10. Mashable
Launched in 2005, Mashable is probably one of the sites that has changed the least in the past 20 years. While Mashable's range has expanded from tech to basically everything pop culture, it doesn't feel too different. You can still find tech reviews without much trouble!
