I just read that the first banner ad in 1994 had a 44% click-through rate

Found that crazy stat in an old Wired article from 1997, and it makes me miss when the web felt like a weird, empty place you could actually explore without being chased by ads... anyone else remember stumbling onto a site and just clicking everything because it was all so new?

2 comments

2 Comments

young.emma1mo ago

Yeah, that stat is wild to think about now. I heard someone say the early web was like a quiet library where every click felt like turning a page in a new book, which is a nice way to put it. Now it's more like being in a crowded market where everyone's shouting at you to buy something. I miss that feeling of just clicking around to see what weird personal site you'd find next.

derekp701mo ago

Remember the webring rabbit holes?