I was one of the fortunate one to use the internet in the 90’s, a time when the web was a chaotic playground of personal creativity and charm. It was a wild, unfiltered digital era, far from the polished, algorithm-driven experience we have today. The 90’s internet was a place where individuality thrived, and every website felt like a personal expression of its creator. I had built my first website in Geocities. It was simple, a collection of my favorite things, complete with animated GIFs and a guestbook for visitors to sign. Analytics didn’t exist. So all the hasle of tracking visitors was non-existent. The only thought was to create something within the limitations of HTML and CSS.

What was in the 90’s web?

The web back then had a strong DIY culture, where users were both creators and explorers, often learning basic HTML to build their own digital spaces. There was a sense of discovery with chat rooms and forums creating tight-knit communities. Most importantly, it felt more decentralized, with no dominant social media giants dictating the flow of content. The lack of corporate influence made the 90s web feel more genuine and unpredictable.

I remember building a gallery, a collection of my favorite images, my favourite websites, music that auto-played, visitor counters tracking every click. The thrill of seeing someone sign my guestbook was unmatched. The security flaws seemed like perfect feature in my website. Accessing the CD drawer and controlling it from a button in my website - that was the kind of magic we had back then.

What I did in the 90’s web?

Here are some classic “hacks” and tricks I did back then:

1. View Source to Learn HTML
   One of the most common “hacks” was simply right-clicking on a webpage and hitting “View Source.” This allowed you to peek at the HTML behind any website, copy it, and modify it to create your own site. Many amateurs like me learned coding by reverse-engineering other pages.

2. Hiding Easter Eggs:
   Websites were full of hidden Easter eggs, from secret links buried in seemingly random places to invisible text only visible by highlighting.

3. Customizing Mouse Cursors
   Changed the mouse cursor to something ridiculous like a sparkly wand or a rotating icon.

4. Unwanted Music
   Many websites would automatically play music (MIDI files were popular), usually without warning or a way to stop it. I did that too. Nobody complained back then!

5. Pop-Up Madness
   I quickly learned to use JavaScript to create endless pop-up windows as a prank. Some mischievous sites would trap visitors in a loop of windows, forcing them to either close them all manually or restart their browser or computer - one of the early forms of trolling!

6. HTML Marquee and Blink Tags
   For extra flair, many websites used the <marquee> tag to make text scroll across the screen, or the <blink> tag to make text flash. These tricks were respected and seen as a sign of creativity.

7. Under Construction Forever
   People loved to plaster their websites with flashing “Under Construction” GIFs, even if the site wasn’t actually being updated. This was a playful way to signal that you were working on something new, though often nothing ever changed! I did that too. The mystery was part of the charm.

8. ICQ “Spamming” and Custom Away Messages
   ICQ, one of the earliest instant messaging apps, allowed users to customize away messages with all sorts of weird ASCII art or status updates. And later yahoo messenger took it to the next level with custom sounds and notifications.

9. Free Internet with Trial Discs
   We used to have disks that offered free trials of internet service providers. I remember collecting them and using them to get online without paying for a subscription. I figured out that if you signed up using different email addresses or tweaked the trial periods, you could string together months of free internet access.

10. Hotlinking Bandwidth Theft
    Hotlinking was a common hack where people would steal images or media from another site by directly linking to them. This would use up the original site’s bandwidth, and some webmasters would combat it by replacing hotlinked images with something embarrassing for the thief.

11. Prank 404 Pages
    Many early websites featured custom 404 error pages that were often filled with jokes, riddles, or even taunts. These made the 90s web a bit more entertaining than just seeing a Page Not Found message. I remember talking to my friends about -

    Friend - What content should I add in my 404 page? It feels empty.

    Me - 404 is the real homepage. Add everything you have got.

    Its sily when I think about it. But owning a website was a badge of honor.

The transformation of the web

As the years went by, the web began to evolve. The rise of search engines, social media, and corporate websites changed the landscape. Algorithms started to dictate what we saw, and the personal touch of the 90s web began to fade. I miss the days when the internet felt like a vast, uncharted territory, where every click could lead to a new discovery. And sometimes, I get these thoughts of bringing back that nostalgia in one of my new projects. But I feel a lot more vulnerable and exposed doing this in 2024 than I did in the 90s. Part of that is probably my age and the self-preservation instinct that comes from being a proper adult. But the web is also a vastly bigger place than it was in the 90s.

How I feel about the web today?

The web has made so many jobs possible across so many domains. It has connected people in ways we never thought possible. The amount of technological advancement that happened in the last few decades has saved so much of our time. But I can’t help but feel a sense of loss for the 90s web. The charm, the creativity, the sense of community - it feels like a distant memory. I still see some personal blogs and websites that capture that spirit, but they are few. Earlier, I didnt had to think about SEO, analytics, or social media engagement. I just created for the joy of creating. I mean, I still create, but it feels different now. The thinking phase before building something is much more pronounced. All the guidelines and best practices are overwhelming. I only wish, I didn’t have to answer questions like:

• Who are my target audience?
• Is my content optimized for mobile?
• What’s my bounce rate, and how do I reduce it?
• Am I adhering to the latest design trends?
• Is my website performant?
• What’s the best time to post for maximum engagement?

Sure, if you are building a business, these questions are essential. But for someone who just wants to create, it can feel too much. I long for the days when I could just create without the weight of expectations. The 90s web was a time of exploration, experimentation, and pure joy. I hope we can find a way to bring some of that spirit back to the internet today.

Conclusion

I had so much to talk about that I literally wrote this post in 30 mins. I hope it resonates with anyone who experienced the 90s web. And for those who didn’t, I hope it gives you a glimpse into a time when the internet was a little more chaotic, a little more personal, and a lot more fun. I wanted to write few more things that I did as a kid, but I think I’ll save that for another post. Until then, keep exploring and creating! 🎉