The blink was strong in us. And we have no regrets.
The Good Old Awful Days
There was a time – a simpler time – when every website was a chaotic masterpiece. When we coded in Notepad, uploaded via dial-up, and thought “design consistency” was something only big corporations worried about.
Welcome to that time.
Let’s revisit the glorious sins of early web design, from our spinning skull dividers to those unskippable splash pages we swore were important.
Hall of Fame (or Shame?)
1. The <blink> tag
Because blinking text wasn’t just annoying — it was essential. “LOOK AT ME,” it screamed. And we did. Until our eyes gave up.
OMG BLINKING TEXT
2. The Under Construction GIF
Nothing says “I haven’t updated this page since 2003” quite like a pixelated worker with a shovel. Bonus points if it said “Pardon the dust!”
3. Autoplay MIDI Music
You came for the fanfiction. You stayed because you couldn’t find the pause button. Now playing: My Heart Will Go On… forever.
4. Neon Text on Galaxy Backgrounds
We wanted our sites to look cosmic. Instead, they looked like Lisa Frank met Windows 95 at a rave.
5. Cursors That Sparkled (or Bled Fire)
Nothing made you feel more powerful than leaving a glitter trail behind your mouse. It was like tagging the web with joy. Or chaos. Mostly chaos.
6. Hit Counters That Started at 0
Because self-esteem = how many strangers accidentally clicked your link. “You are visitor #0000013!”
7. The All-Caps Welcome Message
“WELCOME TO MY HOMEPAGE!!! PLEASE SIGN MY GUESTBOOK!!!”
We were friendly. We were loud. We were possibly caffeinated.
8. Marquees for Everything
If it didn’t scroll, did it even matter?
Why It Still Matters
All jokes aside, those early sites were raw, personal, and weird in the best way. They weren’t chasing SEO, conversion rates, or brand cohesion. They were about expression. Experimentation. And connection.
They had soul.
And in this era of polished perfection and algorithmic sameness, maybe a little soul is exactly what the web needs.
Want to Make a Site That Feels Like You?
You don’t need sparkly cursors or blinking text (unless you really want them). But you do need a space that feels like home. Check out these indie-friendly tools and start your little corner of the web – chaos optional.
Now if You’ll Excuse Me…
I’ll be in the corner, converting a MIDI file to MP3 and crying over my old guestbook entries.
