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I realize this is a site about the past, but I really hope this is the future. I want an internet of specialty sites, browsable curations, diversity of offering

I realize this is a site about the past, but I really hope this is the future. I want an internet of specialty sites, browsable curations, diversity of offering, freedom of choice, and full of the quirky/unusual. It might have to do with growing up in the 90s and experiencing that kind of world wide web, w/o walled gardens. Several years back, perhaps even via an HN post or comment, I came across a blog, hosted on a university network (IIRC, perhaps related to media studies). The page consisted of a group of possibly graduate students contributing some of the weirdest and most obscure media I've ever seen online. Nothing obscene and nothing seemingly new/current, so it was rather hipster in that sense, but I kick myself for not having saved the URL. Nothing says I need to use walled gardens or get my news from the big networks, but I often feel I'm being pointed that way. In the end, I just want something different than what's usually being served up. (It doesn't escape me that this 90's TV site is full of walled garden/big network type content of the time)

oscargrouch 6y ago
Human societies must have a free road to organize themselves and grow in a organic way. Unfortunately our virtual world are built in a way to addict us with content we create ourselves giving a few monopolists total control of our virtual presence. I'm boarded in a project to think in another approach, in a way the give us more power and freedom to shape our virtual collective consciousness.. Without us figuring out a way to get us all out of this trap, i don't see a very bright future for us, and the current political and social status-quo are a clear sign of what all this is making to us. The power and control is too concentrated in the hands of a few, and its easier than ever to pull all the strings from a couple of places. Eg. If we have a dozens of key people to agree into some plan to permanent power and control, it will be impossible for us to take our freedom back, of course it will not look like any sort of government that we have witnessed before. I know this is a conspiracy theory and i dont like it myself, but its pretty possible and easier to happen with all the technological status-quo and tech monopolies we have nowadays.
- acatsdream 6y ago
  Let us be stronger.
  - oscargrouch 6y ago
    Sure a couple of us can do it, but lets not forget that the average IQ here is far from represent median of the people out there. Our brains betray us, we like to be in a cozy place that we are used to, that feels like home. Current social networks offer this kind of experience.. and its a big trap because even if/when we want to get out, all our content are trapped there, so out of "there" is a total desert..
    - na85 6y ago
      >Sure a couple of us can do it, but lets not forget that the average IQ here is far from represent median of the people out there. Such arrogance. Such elitism.
      - oscargrouch 6y ago
        The average IQ sample here is higher (period). If you don't know this already, i guess you are not here long enough. Its just a question of the fields people that use to come here represents. With that i'm not implying that i'm part of it, as i might be average. But i have spent a lot of time here to know that this community have a high average level, giving the topics and the discussions happening over here over the years.
        egeozcan 6y ago
        > The average IQ sample here is higher (period). If you asked me, that'd be my guess as well, but saying it such a way that it projects hopelessness for the rest of the humanity is a bit too much :) Narcissism is dangerous as it tends to create and feed extremist communities. For an example, see any political forum full with extremists (these days it's hard to find any without) and observe how often they call themselves intelligent (or woke, or whatever fancy words they use to work around the obviousness of self-flattery).
rosstex 6y ago
If you do find the link, I want to know!
melomal 6y ago
Do you not feel that the streaming options are up to scratch? There's so many now, from science doc specific (Nebula and Curiosity stream - I was eager to start with these but inevitably was let down with these 'speciality options') to anime too. Personally, streaming has now also ruined watching the TV/movies for me. Since my TV burned itself I've had a non-smart TV and it's actually really refreshing to have such minimal choice and be walled in as such. I end up watching films and actually enjoying them, not dealing with FOMO and wondering if there's something better).
- personlurking 6y ago
  I'm somewhat of an oddball in terms of content preferences. Sure, I have Netflix and use it, but during the past 20 years, over 50% of the tv/film content I watch is foreign (I'm American). I keep lists from my favorite countries and ask foreigners what I should be watching. What would surprise me is finding Netflix-like services that curate the best [insert genre]. So far, I've come across MhZ Choice (for EU shows, with subtitles), FlixOlé (for Spanishf films, no subtitles), Wlext (foreign tv shows...pirated). Also, I recommend using a VPN for Netflix to access different shows and films, depending on the country you choose. The other day I found myself watching a Chinese action film that only had Italian subtitles (luckily my Italian is up to scratch). With music, my tastes are boarderless and timeless. At any moment, I'll put on 13th century Iberian cantigas, Latin motets, folkloric Sardinian, 90's French indie, 1970s Congolese rumba, modern Ivory Coast reggae, South African Xhosa pop, Indian mantras, Peruvian ethno-techno, and the list goes on. But yes, the plethora of options is, at the same time, wonderful and dreadful. I tried to sit down and start reading a semi-dense physical book the other day and it's like my mind was too fried to focus due to having just got off the internet.
  - anthk 6y ago
    > The other day I found myself watching a Chinese action film that only had Italian subtitles https://opensubtitles.org https://opensubtitles.org
  - melomal 6y ago
    > The other day I found myself watching a Chinese action film that only had Italian subtitles The good old days of going down a Youtube rabbit hole :)
onion2k 6y ago
I want an internet of specialty sites, browsable curations, diversity of offering, freedom of choice, and full of the quirky/unusual. You can have that. All you need to do is make sure the developers who make those sites get rich. Find the sites and tell your friends about them. Subscribe to their work. Buy their merch. Click on the ads. Pay them. Then everyone else will see that sort of site making bank, and they'll follow along with similar things. The only reason the web is what it is today is because the money went to the walled gardens and social media sites. To change that, change where the money goes.
- IndySun 6y ago
  "...To change that, change where the money goes..." Creative work is currently having its sources of income decimated, from all sides. We should get used to reminiscing.
  - dewey 6y ago
    > Creative work is currently having its sources of income decimated, from all sides. We should get used to reminiscing. This is just anecdotal but I see a lot of very niche creative people making money that they wouldn't have made before through YouTube, Discord, Patreon, Gumroad etc. I think the opposite is true, while in the past it was maybe PayPal there's a lot of ways to make money online that's very approachable for everyone.
    - IndySun 6y ago
      The niche stuff is definitely happening. As are new ways to monetize; but online only. What is certainly being eroded that cannot be achieved online is live performance. Include in that phrase what you will. But those opportunities are currently almost zero internationally. What the long term effects of this are is hard to predict but human to human emotional contact is imperative to our survival.
      - scollet 6y ago
        "Live" as in-the-moment or "Live" as being in the same vicinity/venue? The former is still very much booming, and I don't see why the latter would go anywhere.
FearNotDaniel 6y ago
It's still REALLY EASY to make websites that look and feel exactly how you want, just like it was back then. Server space is dirt cheap. Anyone can register a domain, dirt cheap. HTML and CSS* still work without any JS whatsoever. And if you feel the need to use JS, it is absolutely not necessary to get sucked into the world of "modern" web development that suddenly requires 1000s of dependencies and a complex build process. Be the change you want to see in the world. Get creative. Tell your friends. * to be fair, CSS is possibly where the rot started to set in... some poorly thought-out design choices from 20 years ago are still haunting us. But stick to the basics and focus on the content instead, it still gets the job done.
PH01 6y ago
Did the site have a video stream in the centre and a chat box below it? There were often streams of storms filmed from a beach front location?
- personlurking 6y ago
  Not that I recall, no. I only looked at it once, for maybe 20 minutes. It was more like a blog (ie, scroll bar, multiple entries).
  - PH01 6y ago
    Was a long shot. I'm also searching for an obscure site I was almost certainly linked to from here.
karaokeyoga 6y ago
… but I kick myself for not having saved the URL … Maybe https://neave.tv/ https://neave.tv/?
- personlurking 6y ago
  That's a great site! Love it But unfortunately, no. The one I remember wasn't TV-based. It was more like a normal blog but hosted on a university domain, iirc.
tiborsaas 6y ago
In this age of "infinite" content curation is really important. Inspired by the 90's MTV experience I've built https://humanmusic.tv/ https://humanmusic.tv/ to replicate that but with indie music from the last 10 years. I'm also running a web crawler to discover fresh music videos from various music blogs.
- api 6y ago
  I wonder if a curated directory like the original 90s Yahoo! could work and experience a renaissance today? I could see that being more useful than search, honestly. Search today is just polluted with SEO trash.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    Define "work." A curated directory for some niche topic would definitely be of interest to people involved with that niche topic. And, depending on the topic, it might even serve as a decently profitable sideline for someone. But it certainly wouldn't be Yahoo! v. 2.
  - tiborsaas 6y ago
    Ironically, for SEO purposes, to generate backlinks, there are endless directory websites out there which look like what you just described. To make it successful, some kind of authority should be present in the sauce.
sogen 6y ago
maybe https://www.kickscondor.com https://www.kickscondor.com ?
fwilliams 6y ago
It’s not the site you’re looking for, but I found https://poolside.fm https://poolside.fm recently and it’s become one of those quirky corners of the internet that I have come to enjoy. I definitely miss the days of discovering weird specialty sites, and poolside gave me a bit of that new site discovery rush (also the music is great).
- zomg 6y ago
  i just downloaded the app. this is amazing, thank you for posting!

oscargrouch 6y ago

Human societies must have a free road to organize themselves and grow in a organic way. Unfortunately our virtual world are built in a way to addict us with content we create ourselves giving a few monopolists total control of our virtual presence. I'm boarded in a project to think in another approach, in a way the give us more power and freedom to shape our virtual collective consciousness.. Without us figuring out a way to get us all out of this trap, i don't see a very bright future for us, and the current political and social status-quo are a clear sign of what all this is making to us. The power and control is too concentrated in the hands of a few, and its easier than ever to pull all the strings from a couple of places. Eg. If we have a dozens of key people to agree into some plan to permanent power and control, it will be impossible for us to take our freedom back, of course it will not look like any sort of government that we have witnessed before. I know this is a conspiracy theory and i dont like it myself, but its pretty possible and easier to happen with all the technological status-quo and tech monopolies we have nowadays.

acatsdream 6y ago
Let us be stronger.
- oscargrouch 6y ago
  Sure a couple of us can do it, but lets not forget that the average IQ here is far from represent median of the people out there. Our brains betray us, we like to be in a cozy place that we are used to, that feels like home. Current social networks offer this kind of experience.. and its a big trap because even if/when we want to get out, all our content are trapped there, so out of "there" is a total desert..
  - na85 6y ago
    >Sure a couple of us can do it, but lets not forget that the average IQ here is far from represent median of the people out there. Such arrogance. Such elitism.
    - oscargrouch 6y ago
      The average IQ sample here is higher (period). If you don't know this already, i guess you are not here long enough. Its just a question of the fields people that use to come here represents. With that i'm not implying that i'm part of it, as i might be average. But i have spent a lot of time here to know that this community have a high average level, giving the topics and the discussions happening over here over the years.
      - egeozcan 6y ago
        > The average IQ sample here is higher (period). If you asked me, that'd be my guess as well, but saying it such a way that it projects hopelessness for the rest of the humanity is a bit too much :) Narcissism is dangerous as it tends to create and feed extremist communities. For an example, see any political forum full with extremists (these days it's hard to find any without) and observe how often they call themselves intelligent (or woke, or whatever fancy words they use to work around the obviousness of self-flattery).

rosstex 6y ago

If you do find the link, I want to know!

melomal 6y ago

Do you not feel that the streaming options are up to scratch? There's so many now, from science doc specific (Nebula and Curiosity stream - I was eager to start with these but inevitably was let down with these 'speciality options') to anime too. Personally, streaming has now also ruined watching the TV/movies for me. Since my TV burned itself I've had a non-smart TV and it's actually really refreshing to have such minimal choice and be walled in as such. I end up watching films and actually enjoying them, not dealing with FOMO and wondering if there's something better).

personlurking 6y ago
I'm somewhat of an oddball in terms of content preferences. Sure, I have Netflix and use it, but during the past 20 years, over 50% of the tv/film content I watch is foreign (I'm American). I keep lists from my favorite countries and ask foreigners what I should be watching. What would surprise me is finding Netflix-like services that curate the best [insert genre]. So far, I've come across MhZ Choice (for EU shows, with subtitles), FlixOlé (for Spanishf films, no subtitles), Wlext (foreign tv shows...pirated). Also, I recommend using a VPN for Netflix to access different shows and films, depending on the country you choose. The other day I found myself watching a Chinese action film that only had Italian subtitles (luckily my Italian is up to scratch). With music, my tastes are boarderless and timeless. At any moment, I'll put on 13th century Iberian cantigas, Latin motets, folkloric Sardinian, 90's French indie, 1970s Congolese rumba, modern Ivory Coast reggae, South African Xhosa pop, Indian mantras, Peruvian ethno-techno, and the list goes on. But yes, the plethora of options is, at the same time, wonderful and dreadful. I tried to sit down and start reading a semi-dense physical book the other day and it's like my mind was too fried to focus due to having just got off the internet.
- anthk 6y ago
  > The other day I found myself watching a Chinese action film that only had Italian subtitles https://opensubtitles.org https://opensubtitles.org
- melomal 6y ago
  > The other day I found myself watching a Chinese action film that only had Italian subtitles The good old days of going down a Youtube rabbit hole :)

onion2k 6y ago

I want an internet of specialty sites, browsable curations, diversity of offering, freedom of choice, and full of the quirky/unusual. You can have that. All you need to do is make sure the developers who make those sites get rich. Find the sites and tell your friends about them. Subscribe to their work. Buy their merch. Click on the ads. Pay them. Then everyone else will see that sort of site making bank, and they'll follow along with similar things. The only reason the web is what it is today is because the money went to the walled gardens and social media sites. To change that, change where the money goes.

IndySun 6y ago
"...To change that, change where the money goes..." Creative work is currently having its sources of income decimated, from all sides. We should get used to reminiscing.
- dewey 6y ago
  > Creative work is currently having its sources of income decimated, from all sides. We should get used to reminiscing. This is just anecdotal but I see a lot of very niche creative people making money that they wouldn't have made before through YouTube, Discord, Patreon, Gumroad etc. I think the opposite is true, while in the past it was maybe PayPal there's a lot of ways to make money online that's very approachable for everyone.
  - IndySun 6y ago
    The niche stuff is definitely happening. As are new ways to monetize; but online only. What is certainly being eroded that cannot be achieved online is live performance. Include in that phrase what you will. But those opportunities are currently almost zero internationally. What the long term effects of this are is hard to predict but human to human emotional contact is imperative to our survival.
    - scollet 6y ago
      "Live" as in-the-moment or "Live" as being in the same vicinity/venue? The former is still very much booming, and I don't see why the latter would go anywhere.

FearNotDaniel 6y ago

It's still REALLY EASY to make websites that look and feel exactly how you want, just like it was back then. Server space is dirt cheap. Anyone can register a domain, dirt cheap. HTML and CSS* still work without any JS whatsoever. And if you feel the need to use JS, it is absolutely not necessary to get sucked into the world of "modern" web development that suddenly requires 1000s of dependencies and a complex build process. Be the change you want to see in the world. Get creative. Tell your friends. * to be fair, CSS is possibly where the rot started to set in... some poorly thought-out design choices from 20 years ago are still haunting us. But stick to the basics and focus on the content instead, it still gets the job done.

PH01 6y ago

Did the site have a video stream in the centre and a chat box below it? There were often streams of storms filmed from a beach front location?

personlurking 6y ago
Not that I recall, no. I only looked at it once, for maybe 20 minutes. It was more like a blog (ie, scroll bar, multiple entries).
- PH01 6y ago
  Was a long shot. I'm also searching for an obscure site I was almost certainly linked to from here.

karaokeyoga 6y ago

… but I kick myself for not having saved the URL … Maybe https://neave.tv/ https://neave.tv/?

personlurking 6y ago
That's a great site! Love it But unfortunately, no. The one I remember wasn't TV-based. It was more like a normal blog but hosted on a university domain, iirc.

tiborsaas 6y ago

In this age of "infinite" content curation is really important. Inspired by the 90's MTV experience I've built https://humanmusic.tv/ https://humanmusic.tv/ to replicate that but with indie music from the last 10 years. I'm also running a web crawler to discover fresh music videos from various music blogs.

api 6y ago
I wonder if a curated directory like the original 90s Yahoo! could work and experience a renaissance today? I could see that being more useful than search, honestly. Search today is just polluted with SEO trash.
- ghaff 6y ago
  Define "work." A curated directory for some niche topic would definitely be of interest to people involved with that niche topic. And, depending on the topic, it might even serve as a decently profitable sideline for someone. But it certainly wouldn't be Yahoo! v. 2.
- tiborsaas 6y ago
  Ironically, for SEO purposes, to generate backlinks, there are endless directory websites out there which look like what you just described. To make it successful, some kind of authority should be present in the sauce.

sogen 6y ago

maybe https://www.kickscondor.com https://www.kickscondor.com ?

fwilliams 6y ago

It’s not the site you’re looking for, but I found https://poolside.fm https://poolside.fm recently and it’s become one of those quirky corners of the internet that I have come to enjoy. I definitely miss the days of discovering weird specialty sites, and poolside gave me a bit of that new site discovery rush (also the music is great).

zomg 6y ago
i just downloaded the app. this is amazing, thank you for posting!