Nostalgia is a weird feeling.
When you’re young, you don’t really have anything to feel nostalgic about, and hearing your patents feel it so much so as to preach “the good old days” was, at the very least, annoying.
Well, now, 30 to 40 years later, you find yourself understanding the thing your parents felt all this time as you now begin reminiscing about everything that was cool about the early days of the internet (and tech of the time in general), and then you realize you have become your parents as you fight and possibly fail to push away that relentless urge to preach about the good old days.
Speaking of which, Redditors have recently been listing old-timer things from when the internet was young, wild and free. User Marambal17 went to AskReddit with the question “what is so ancient only an internet veteran can remember?”, and got loads of answers from said internet veterans.
Bored Panda gathered them all up oh so nostalgically and created a curated list for you to peruse. And while you’re at it, go vote, go comment, and tell everyone what’s an ancient piece of internet or other technology that you fondly remember from several decades ago!
More Info: Reddit
#1 Winamp
awesabre said:
Winamp. It really whips the lamas a&s. So much time perfecting skins.
Winamp. It really whips the lamas a&s. So much time perfecting skins.
KlaatuBrute replied:
> "So much time perfecting skins."
> "So much time perfecting skins."
Honestly that's kind of one of the things I miss the most about old internet—everything was unique down to the individual user. Flashing marquees, neon text on a different neon color background, dancing gifs everywhere. The entire internet had this cobbled-together look like an old alley in Hong Kong.
Now everything looks the same, like digital urban sprawl.
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252points
#2 The Internet Can't Work If Someone's Using The Landline
Conny_and_Theo said:
Having to make sure no one is on the phone so you can use the internet.
Having to make sure no one is on the phone so you can use the internet.
ltBurnsWhenlPvP replied:
When I set up our internet for the first time mid 90s I accidentally had it calling a long distance number. Dad received a phone bill for $2800. We no longer had the internet in our house after that.
When I set up our internet for the first time mid 90s I accidentally had it calling a long distance number. Dad received a phone bill for $2800. We no longer had the internet in our house after that.
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244points
#3 Website Visitor Counters
grendel54 said:
Counters on webpages.
Counters on webpages.
Wildcat_twister12 replied:
When doing research online—Wow this site has had 300,000 people visit, the information must be legit.
When doing research online—Wow this site has had 300,000 people visit, the information must be legit.
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229points
#4 Custom Mouse Cursors
Blackout1322 said:
When we used to risk getting viruses just to get cool cursors.
When we used to risk getting viruses just to get cool cursors.
AmoreLucky replied:
Or smileys for your instant messenger like AIM, MSN, or Yahoo Messenger.
Or smileys for your instant messenger like AIM, MSN, or Yahoo Messenger.
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215points
#5 Dial-Up Internet
ThisBroDo said:
Dial up.
Dial up.
ResponsibleBase replied:
And that unforgettable tone sequence while connecting!
And that unforgettable tone sequence while connecting!
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215points
#6 Having To Type Out The Beginning Of Each Website
Having to actually type out “http://www.” before entering the website.
214points
#7 MapQuest Struggles
ItsBulkingSeasonLads said:
If going on a long car journey, having to print off directions from MapQuest.
If going on a long car journey, having to print off directions from MapQuest.
keb1965 replied:
And the first three pages were how to get out of your driveway.
And the first three pages were how to get out of your driveway.
208points
#8 Desktop Themes For Windows
Remember desktop themes? Changing all your icons, mouse pointer, computer sounds, etc., to images and sounds from, like, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist or whatever.
201points
#9 Not Being Able To Play Flash Games Any More
joothinkso said:
Not being able to play flash games until the flash player had been updated.
Not being able to play flash games until the flash player had been updated.
the_hell_you_say replied:
Having to update flash player every time you turned the computer on.
Having to update flash player every time you turned the computer on.
drunk98 replied:
[That thing] updated hourly & never got any better, it's like me if I was an app.
[That thing] updated hourly & never got any better, it's like me if I was an app.
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198points
#10 RealPlayer
Orinocobro said:
Real Player.
Real Player.
Also: uninstalling Real Player.
UebelKanuebel replied:
Yeah. And Quicktime.
Yeah. And Quicktime.
1Eternallylost replied:
Reminds me of those postage stamp sized movies at 6 fps.
Reminds me of those postage stamp sized movies at 6 fps.
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191points
#11 Bringing Your Computer To A Friend's House To Play Multiplayer
Having to physically carry your computer around to a friend's house if you wanted to play multiplayer
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177points
#12 Ask Jeeves
sev45day said:
Ask Jeeves.
Ask Jeeves.
Sht_Hawk replied:
I remember me and a friend using Ask Jeeves at school and thinking we had to type things in as questions.
I remember me and a friend using Ask Jeeves at school and thinking we had to type things in as questions.
Sad_Ambassador4096 replied:
2nd grade our teacher polled the class what to ask Jeeves because we thought we only got one question.
2nd grade our teacher polled the class what to ask Jeeves because we thought we only got one question.
We went with: "Jeeves, why is it called a pair of pants but not a pair of shirt?"
176points
#13 Cleaning The Gunk Out Of The Mouse
gfyans said:
Having to clean the gunk out of your trackball mouse with your fingernail.
Having to clean the gunk out of your trackball mouse with your fingernail.
Jrxbrg replied:
I am so glad I don’t have to boil eggs for the new mouse balls anymore.
I am so glad I don’t have to boil eggs for the new mouse balls anymore.
lightbulbfragment replied:
Really had to boil them a long time to get that good gray color and rubbery texture.
Really had to boil them a long time to get that good gray color and rubbery texture.
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175points
#14 The Hamster Dance
DriveCreepy9057 said:
Hamster dance is one I think of a lot.
Hamster dance is one I think of a lot.
Wyattbw09 replied:
Badger,Badger,Badger.
Badger,Badger,Badger.
Woofles85 replied:
MUSHROOM MUSHROOM!
MUSHROOM MUSHROOM!
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168points
#15 AOL's Promotional Media
Keithninety said:
Floppy disks and CD’s that came in the mail containing 500 free hours from AOL.
Floppy disks and CD’s that came in the mail containing 500 free hours from AOL.
HatchlingChibi replied:
One of my sisters friends decorated their dorm with those. They stuck them on the ceiling and had enough to cover the whole thing. It was interesting decor.
One of my sisters friends decorated their dorm with those. They stuck them on the ceiling and had enough to cover the whole thing. It was interesting decor.
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158points
#16 Under Construction Gifs For Geocities
Lindseykkl said:
You forgot the construction worker excavating gifs and the under construction banner!
You forgot the construction worker excavating gifs and the under construction banner!
ricottapie replied:
Please sign the guest book!
Please sign the guest book!
discerningpervert replied:
Geocities was the [shirt]
Geocities was the [shirt]
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151points
#17 Unclaimed Usernames
R33Gtst said:
Signing up for a new email address and the username not already being taken.
Signing up for a new email address and the username not already being taken.
Glorious times.
notyounaani replied:
I took like every free email with my first name and my first name and surname combination which was a mastermind move when I was 12. Sucks to be whoever has the same name as me though.
I took like every free email with my first name and my first name and surname combination which was a mastermind move when I was 12. Sucks to be whoever has the same name as me though.
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135points
#19 A/S/L, or Age/Sex/Location (primarily used on ICQ)
Ambitious_Nobody7698 said:
A/S/L.
A/S/L.
SurferRosa85 replied:
I definitely inflated my A from 11 to 16 in the early days of ICQ.
I definitely inflated my A from 11 to 16 in the early days of ICQ.
injury_minded replied:
Using 16/f/Cali when I was really 11/f/middle of nowhere, because I just had to seem cool and sophisticated to everyone else in the chatroom.
Using 16/f/Cali when I was really 11/f/middle of nowhere, because I just had to seem cool and sophisticated to everyone else in the chatroom.
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118points
#20 Ye Olde ALT+F4 Trick On AOL Chatrooms
Going into AOL chatrooms and saying, "Hey! They put a fireworks show into the chat! Hold Alt and hit F4 and you'll see it!"
Then watching as, one-by-one, chatroom participants disappeared.
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115points