this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024
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Asklemmy

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What should I add to my '90s website?

So I'm currently toying around with NeoCities, and decided to trial it by building your classic mid '90s Geocities/Tripod/Angelfire pastiche website.

Some of the most important elements are already in place.

Tile background? Large font? Heading in bright pink with a shadow? Unusual colour choices? Random cat gifs? Under construction gif? Check! Check! Check!

In the true spirit of the '90s DIY web, some more pages (including the links page) are coming soon.

(I'm thinking of adding a page dedicated to either Britney or a nu-metal band.)

You can see the page so far here: https://that90ssite.neocities.org/

There are a few things that I want to add to make it complete, and I'm looking for suggestions.

The first, is to embed a midi file that plays automatically. Any suggestions on the best way of doing this?

Second, it's just not going to be complete without a guestbook.

Third, any webring suggestions?

Fourth, what's the best way of adding a java chat room in 2024?

Finally, anything else that really needs to be a part of a great '90s website?

UPDATE: Thanks for all the feedback! I've added more annoying GIFs, a guestbook, a links page, and a cyber cat hangout.

UPDATE 2: And added even more gifs, an amazing Amiga demo, and a ton of links.

@asklemmy #tech #webdev #neocities #technology

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[–] taladar@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

One of those Java applets at the bottom that looks like water reflecting the site background perhaps?

[–] nutsack@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

It has a cat gif I don't think it needs anything else I'm sorry

[–] tokenwizard@social.tandj-homelab.dev 2 points 8 months ago (6 children)

@ajsadauskas@aus.social @asklemmy@lemmy.ml I think I actually have a few of my 90s-era sites archived. One of them should have an auto play midi for the background music. I'll see if I can dig it up!

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[–] oxjox@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago

You've got the under construction gif. Done.

[–] luca@sironi.tk 2 points 8 months ago

@ajsadauskas@aus.social @asklemmy@lemmy.ml uh, nice vibes!

[–] Kelly@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] Pulptastic@midwest.social 2 points 8 months ago

I miss midis.

[–] scrummy@jawns.club 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy (Trying to remember my own GeoCities site from back then), Many had a β€œbest viewed on Netscape” icon

I think mine had mostly my own song lyrics, with a different background for each page, with a menu page and forward/back links on each lyrics page.

Were frames 90s? Friend of mine used frames to make his site look like a console from Star Trek TNG

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[–] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Add a visitor counter like this one - https://retrowptheme.com/retro-visitor-counter/

for more vintage gif's check this website - https://gifcities.org

[–] Hackerman_uwu@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

You need to offer something banal for download with a spinning stiffy disk gif.

[–] Quexotic@infosec.pub 2 points 8 months ago

The problem is the MIDI file doesn't automatically play.

[–] rusl@mstdn.social 1 points 8 months ago
[–] billgamesh@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Check out maya.land. especially webmentions.

I don't know how to tag a user on lemmy. Is maya still around?

I'm also a big fan of confusing landing pages.

EDIT: an RSS feed for any website, old or new

[–] lemmyreader@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago

Nice project. I like the nostalgia. πŸ‘

After some searching I learned that Tripod and Angelfire still exist today as web hosting providers. Your page could have a few more Under construction signs here and there.

[–] statsguy@mas.to 1 points 8 months ago

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy

That's brilliant! Those were simpler times, that's for sure :)

[–] _thegeoff@mastodon.social 1 points 8 months ago

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy Width doesn't fit properly on mobile, well done πŸ€£πŸ‘

[–] retrohondajunki@mstdn.social 1 points 8 months ago

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy
A little music player with a playlist that plays that eras music. Links to retro sites that no longer exist that actually work, that way we can bring the internet of the past back.

[–] Klepsis@mastodonbooks.net 1 points 8 months ago

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy
The Netscape logo at the bottom killed me

[–] BackOnMyBS@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

I recommend a "gallery" of photos of whatever topic you want, but probably something obscure like your favorite McDonalds playgrounds or of you holding up fish you've caught. The resolution on the pictures can't more than 640x480 tho.

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy neko cat website pet thing

[–] geoma@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago

The cat art style doesnt look 90ish to me

[–] ramsey@phpc.social 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@ajsadauskas @neil @asklemmy Looks amazing!

My only question is about whether drop shadows on text was prominent. I’m having trouble remembering how that effect would have been accomplished in the 90s, since I don’t think CSS got it until later. Would it have been something on the <font> tag only supported in Internet Explorer?

[–] ramsey@phpc.social 1 points 8 months ago

@ajsadauskas @neil @asklemmy As for chat, probably the best way to do that today is to use Web Sockets but style it to look like frames or a Java applet on the page.

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