The dated and the obdurate. Commited to the subject, designed to last forever.(23 total)
| Graphite Galaxy [jump here] [permalink] | ||
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Graphite Galaxy is the web presence of a devoted amateur astronomer from Hungary. He has been searching the heavens for the furthest celestial bodies, pushing the limits of optics to deliver them to his eye. These sightings are then immortalised as graphite sketches and desriptions, which he carefully catalogues and publishes on his website. The author, a Mr. Ferenc Lovró has told his story here. His devotion has extended to purchasing a small cottage far from the light pollution of civilisation, just so he could set up his telescope there for clearer views of the sky. And in true WMW fashion, he boasts: "I'm not a member on any social websites such as Facebook, Google+, etc, and will never be." |
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| Heaviness: Lighter than a star | Eccentricity: 8/10 | |
| Submitted: 03/02/2024 | Visit Graphite Galaxy | |
| MDGx Max Speed [jump here] [permalink] | ||
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Some imagine an alternative reality where the conventions of Web 2.0 never took hold, and the hobbyist spirit of the old Web lived on. Yet others live that reality. Enter MDGx, where the author has been doing it the same way for 25 years; heedless of later trends and tastes. The website itself has a boisterous graphical style, yet it does not sacrifice readability. It concentrates on hobbyist computing, with many pages advising tips, tweaks, and offering freeware downloads. The systems and platforms covered range from MS-DOS through Windows 98 and current-day Windows. Linux gets its own pages too! In addition to the computing repertoire, he shares travel tips for any wayfarer in the USA accompanied with photography of vast landscapes and nighttime views. This active netizen is also a firm believer in active citizenship, offering meticulously researched advice on Covid-19 and arguments for action against climate change. |
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| Heaviness: Moderate | Eccentricity: 9/10 | |
| Submitted: 29/12/2023 | Visit MDGx Max Speed | |
| SciFi Movie Zone [jump here] [permalink] | ||
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Forget Wikipedia, or worse, Fandom.com. There is only one spot on the Internet for Sci-Fi movie lore and appreciation. Introducing Sci-Fi Movie Zone. This site is packed with details on every nerd's delights: RoboCop, Star Wars, Stargate, Tron, Terminator, Blade Runner. Even modern film like Marvel and DC is covered for those longsuffering folks who can abide 180 minutes of those movies. There is also a section devoted to lesser-appreciated 50s sci fi films. What drew the site to my attention was this: Annotated stills and and commentary on the script of A New Hope. For each film series you can also find publicity stills, videos, episode guides, all you would want to know about the cast and crew. There are endless amounts to uncover for the bold spacefarer. Who is it who owns this quirky Internet dominion and fills it with enthusiastic exposition? His or her identity is as elusive as the mysteries beyond the stars. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 6/10 | |
| Submitted: 18/11/2023 | Visit SciFi Movie Zone | |
| Yamaha TX81Z Homepage [jump here] [permalink] | ||
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For owners of the Yamaha TX81Z FM Synthesizer, this is the final destination for all your questions. It's a website detailing the history of the digital music box and offering tips for how to keep it chirping in today's world. It also features trivia like: Did you know that the TX81Z was invented by an Icelandic llama herder when he regained consciousness after he fell and hit his head on a tree stump?as well as instruction of how to greet one properly in the morning. The website itself is styled like its namesake, though unfortunately the synth at the top of the page can't be programmed or plugged into your rig. |
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| Heaviness: Light | Eccentricity: 5/10 | |
| Submitted: 11/11/2023 | Visit Yamaha TX81Z Homepage | |
| Orange Pages [jump here] [permalink] | ||
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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] [permalink] | ||
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] [permalink] | ||
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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] [permalink] | ||
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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] [permalink] | ||
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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] [permalink] | ||
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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 | |
