The dated and the obdurate. Commited to the subject, designed to last forever.(19 total)
| Orange Pages [jump here] | ||
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Orange Pages: The Burning Torch for Protestantism. You may have heard of these secluded Orangemen of Ulster before. Perhaps you are curious to learn more what they believe, as told undiluted from the source. Orange Pages delivers exactly what you seek. The history of the Protestant reformation is meticulously documented, alongside a history of the loyal institutions found in this north-eastern pocket of Ireland. You may also chill out to the provided marching tunes and hymns while singing along to the lyrics. There are even some in-browser games like Boulder Dash, but these rely on a Java plugin; long since deprecated in today's web browsers. There is even a store guaranteeing "competitive prices on all your favourite loyalist products", which should arrive well in time for the twelfth. Given that the Orangemen are known for keeping to the old ways, this website is expectedly old fashioned in its design. The predominant colours are the only two colours suitable for the loyal, namely orange and blue. The website seems to have been last updated in 2014, where photographs of that year's parades were appended to the photo gallery. This website is a certified Web 1.0 design classic, and it is genuinely a loss that we won't see the like of these again. Enjoy this one while it lasts. |
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| Heaviness: Less than a lambeg | Eccentricity: 10/10 | |
| Submitted: 12/07/2023 | Visit Orange Pages | |
| Estatopia [jump here] | ||
Estatopia argues in earnest for the continued use of imperial weights and measures. There is also a gallery of paintings and recipes, but my interest is mostly drawn to the gravity of that debate. The author puts it thus:
The traditional ways of measuring are, and always have been, based on the human frame and are a way of relating mankind to the universe... Metric is a (scientific) way of measuring the world as if we were not in it, not a part of it. But we are in the world, we are a part of it and we need a measurement system which takes account of our existence and which allows us to know our place in relation to nature. If we understand that we are part of nature then we will be less inclined to destroy it.Hefty stakes indeed. I must agree because my sympathies lie with the traditional yards, feet and inches. This is because they feel more practical and simply 'fit'. I am also repelled to learn that use of these units for trade is still criminalised in the UK. Metric is so strong that it needs the full protection of the law! For a more focused and mathematical argument of the superiority of duodecimal (base 12 numerics) over decimal, consider this piece by one Mr. "Lindybeige" Lloyd. I cannot avoid another cheap take: another thing to consider is that 'decimate', a form of Roman torture, literally means 'divide by ten'. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 8/10 | |
| Submitted: 11/07/2023 | Visit Estatopia | |
| 2ya.com domain registration [jump here] | ||
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Some say the pioneers, those who would boldly shout "buy them a domain for Christmas" and really mean it, have alighted the internet. That the dot com boom was the first blow, and the rise of the Zuckoogle Empire the second. But do not yet abandon hope. In small pockets and obscure corners, resistance continues. The old ways are kept alive; at 2ya.com it has been the 90s for three decades. The website asks the visitor, is 2ya 4ya? You bet, if you are willing to part with $19.99 each month. Get your own dot com, don your complimentary sunglasses and baseball cap then stake your place on the Information Superhighway. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 7/10 | |
| Submitted: 01/07/2023 | Visit 2ya.com domain registration | |
| The Old Telephone Company [jump here] | ||
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This is the place to go if you're ever inclined to "ring back memories with an old Bakelite telephone". The Old Telephone Company of Battlesbridge in England has restored countless antique telephones since 1986. The web page features information on various old GPO telephones. You may also enquire for sales and repairs; you'll also be pleased to know that all phones are converted to work as modern landlines. Additionally the proprietor advises the best place to get a cup of tea and a sandwich in Battlesbridge, so you won't go hungry or thirsty should you ever visit. He also boasts: My business is a "One Man Band". I buy, restore, and sell. Do the paperwork, keep the accounts, created this web site (courtesy of FrontPage2003). Long may it trade and long may its website abide! |
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| Heaviness: Clear as a bell | Eccentricity: 5/10 | |
| Submitted: 25/03/2023 | Visit The Old Telephone Company | |
| Worlio [jump here] | ||
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Worlio is dedicated to preserving the Internet as it began. Therefore it shares some overlap with this website though Worlio goes further in scope than RSRU; it hosts many old image and video files collected by its enthusiast community. Interest centres around 90s virtual worlds like Microsoft V-Chat. There is even a project to reverse engineer the AOL protocol and resurrect the walled garden. As a real community, the site offers live chat and threaded forums. The styling is bevels and textures, timeless style making for effortless navigation. In a sentence, what archive.org ought to be. |
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| Heaviness: Unsoiled | Eccentricity: 8/10 | |
| Submitted: 18/03/2023 | Visit Worlio | |
| Simplex Locomotives [jump here] | ||
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Two gentlemen built this website in March 2002. It details in depth the petrol and diesel locomotives made by the Simplex Motor Rail & Tramcar Co of Bedford, England. You can read of their construction and specifications; there are detailed images and diagrams provided. In their day these railway vehicles would've been slogging daily in collieries and manufacturing plants. Their history is preserved on this well-laid out website, available to the curious enthusiast even today. |
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| Heaviness: Narrow-Gauge | Eccentricity: 5/10 | |
| Submitted: 06/08/2022 | Visit Simplex Locomotives | |
| Today in Science [jump here] | ||
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Today in science - dozens of facts and stories broken down by date and category. Also replete with quotes from many noted historical scientists. It's possible to enter your date of birth and see which natural philosophers share your birthday. Spot quizzes and polls still feature on the site and get plenty of answers from visitors. I discovered this website whilst researching the history of the propeller cap - a quaint accessory I remember from American cartoons. It happens that they were real! And originally "atomic". The website has been online since 1999, its was regularly expanded until 2013 with its last update was in 2018. |
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| Heaviness: Lightweight | Eccentricity: 9/10 | |
| Submitted: 04/06/2022 | Visit Today in Science | |
| The Flight Simulator Vault [jump here] | ||
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A website devoted to the history of Microsoft Flight Simulator, detailing the history of its creation by an aspiring graphics programmer in the 70s, then how it was acquired by Microsoft as something that would encourage PC sales. The research is original and the author prides himself in his effort. It's worth a look at the screenshots; the evolution of Microsoft Flight Simulator through the 80s, 90s and 2000s is the evolution of computer graphics themselves. Certainly, in the earliest versions, it is no small accomplishment what the developer managed to put on PC screens using the limited hardware of the 8086. Downloads of old FSim versions are provided on his companion website here. The website was last updated in 2008. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 8/10 | |
| Submitted: 28/05/2022 | Visit The Flight Simulator Vault | |
| GoldenEye 007 Mysteries [jump here] | ||
| A labour-of-love tribute website for the classic Nintendo 64 shooter, GoldenEye 007. It features many screenshots, walkthroughs, character descriptions and even details for a level editor. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 6/10 | |
| Submitted: 21/02/2022 | Visit GoldenEye 007 Mysteries | |
| Scaruffi's General Index of Music Biographies [jump here] | ||
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Analysis and reviews of thousands of musical artists. All sourced from the mind of one man, Piero Scaruffi, an Italian philosopher who is very well read and listened. Scaruffi has a wealth of knowledge of musical history and brings that to bear on his reviews. Most famously, or infamously of all, is his teardown of The Beatles. He argues the Liverpudlians weren't groundbreaking, but imitative and reactionary, more a marketing myth that persists to this day. The scope of his writing is vast. The web site is styled just as idiosyncratically as the author; visit the homepage to read his other pieces. Music is but one of his interests, I am in awe of how one man can achieve so much. His first language is Italian; many pages are presented in both Italian and English. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 8/10 | |
| Submitted: 29/01/2022 | Visit Scaruffi's General Index of Music Biographies | |
