RIP GeoCities, You Will Be Missed

In 1999 I made my first webpage on GeoCities. It was so I could trade concert tapes with strangers on the Internet. Now I’m sad to report that GeoCities is finally dead. So let’s reminisce.

If you’re like me, you may be surprised to hear that GeoCities still existed in any form—but it does, apparently, hosting flat HTML pages and dithered GIFs for free just like it’s been doing since ’94, before anyone knew anything about the word blog, or Google, or much of anything. Yahoo just quietly pulled the plug; no new accounts can be registered, and those with pages still being hosted will receive further instructions on how to save them from the fire this summer.

I was debating on whether or not to show you my original Geocities page, but it’s kind of late, so what the fuck. Here it is. Like my first phone number I still remember its awkward, faux-geography-based URL by heart.

Yes, revel in my hilariously precious high school writings on Magnolia, seeing REM and other bands I worshipped play around the Midwest, and trading concert tapes. Yeah, concert tapes. You kids today may not remember, but back in the old days it took like 45 minutes to download a single 96kbps MP3 on a 28.8 modem over Napster. And Lord knows I couldn’t tie up the phone lines that long. Also note my overuse of the semi-colon; I love it to this day! I must say though I was kind of way ahead of the curve in terms of the mixed-typography-size, minimalist-web-design tip. And boy was I funny.

I’ll miss you GeoCities, you were my first. Now that I’ve shown mine, commenters, show me yours! This will be the first and last time I ever ask anything resembling that question ever. [TechCrunch]