I think the old 'Geocities' clones are more interesting than the real thing

Everyone talks about finding the original Geocities pages, but I found a whole network of sites from 2002 that tried to copy it, like 'Homestead Haven'. They're full of weird, personal stuff that feels more real than the big, famous pages. Has anyone else stumbled on one of these copycat sites?

3 comments

3 Comments

evanpalmer2mo ago

Totally get that. Found a site called 'Digital Cabin' that was the same deal. Those knockoffs had way less polish, so people just posted whatever was on their mind. It's a better time capsule in a lot of ways.

eric_carr2mo ago

Time capsules are for buried coffee cans, not websites.

riverwhite1mo ago

My buddy actually buried a coffee can time capsule in his backyard as a kid. He dug it up last year and the whole thing had rusted shut, just a mess of wet paper and mold. That "less polish" thing evanpalmer mentioned is exactly why those old sites feel more real, you know? They captured the messy, unplanned stuff that actually shows how people were living. Makes you wonder if trying too hard to save something perfect means you miss the point.