Assignment 1: Web archaeology
Exploring the ruins and fringes of the web
Weâre going to spend some time exploring different corners of the internet, then make something with what we find. The web of today, the one that is mainstream, is a little boring, do weâll explore the ruins and the fringes instead.
Start with the ruins. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine lets you see old versions of websites. Pick a year that interests you and search for random things. Maybe it is websites you already know of right now. What did Apple.com look like 20 years ago? How did your current favorite websites evolve in their visual aesthetic over time?
You can also explore The GeoCities Archive, which has thousands of personal homepages from the late 90s and early 2000s. One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age just shows you random screenshots from that era.
Then look at whatâs happening now. Go back to those personal website examples from the slides and click around. Use Marginalia Search to find small, non-commercial sites about topics you care about (search for a keyword and play with the filters on the sides. What do you end up with when you select âVintageâ? What about âSmall webâ?). When you find a personal site you like, look for links or blogs that they refer you to.
Follow whatever interests you. If you see something that makes you curious, click on it. The goal is to get a sense of how many different ways people use this medium.
There is no mandated number of websites to visit but I would want you to explore at least 10-15 from each âeraâ or type. I mean, this is just surfing the web as an assignment, so the more the better for you. The whole point here is to see that the web contains a lot more variety than you might expect if you mostly stick to the same few platforms.
Make a mood board
Take screenshots of things that catch your attention for any reason. Put them together in whatever tool you prefer. This could be a Figma artboard, a Miro board, a Google doc with images, or you could print stuff out and make a physical collage. Donât worry about organizing it or making it look professional. Just collect things that seem worth remembering. Weâll keep coming back to these later.
Links to explore
This is by no means a prescriptive list, it is to get you started. I welcome you to add anything else you find!
The ruins:
Current small web:
- Marginalia Search
- Personal sites from slide examples
- IndieWeb - Directory of people with personal sites
- Are.na boards such as Internet Surfing Club
- Bearblog - Simple personal blogs
- Neocities - Modern GeoCities successor
- Blogroll - Curated list of updated blogs
- Wiby.me - A search engine for âsmall webâ sites
Webrings: