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Internet Antiques: Discovering the 17 Oldest Websites That Still Work Today

Travel to the Jurassic Park of the Internet thanks to these 17 ancient sites

Internet Antiques: Discovering the 17 Oldest Websites That Still Work Today
Mireia Fernández

Mireia Fernández

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Although it may sound like science fiction, there was a life without the Internet and in which Tik Tok was nothing more than the onomatopoeia of a clock. The Net arrived in Spain in the early 90s and it still took years to consolidate in our homes.

Those were years of noisy modems, furious parents when they saw that there was no line at home and expensive telephone bills while we navigated at a snail’s pace through a sea of rudimentary web pages. As you can imagine, most of them have passed away but… Did you know that some of them still exist?

In today’s article we’re going to put on our Indiana Jones hats and, like the evergreen archaeologist, embark on an adventure through the oldest websites on the Internet. And despite the fact that they should be in a museum… some of them are still being updated! Here we go.

1. Interrupt Technology Corporation

In addition to being named after sci-fi movie villains, ITcorp is one of the oldest websites that has stood the test of time. It was created in 1986 and in the tsundere spirit, it sends a passive-aggressive message to the world that this site has never sought to attract customers. It is simply there to satisfy those who expect every company to have a presence on the Internet.

According to the website, to contact them, simply write to contact at itcorp.com, substituting the “at” for the typical “@”. We are not responsible if they then send a Terminator to your home.

VISIT IT CORP WEBSITE

2. Vortex Technology

Following the line of names of evil corporations we come to Vortex Technology. This page born in 1986 gives us a garish logo, dozens of links and information about the weather and earthquakes in Los Angeles. It’s hard to tell exactly what Vortex does from the information shared on their website, but it’s a communications company. Best of all: They’ve upgraded this 2023!

VISIT THE VORTEX TECHNOLOGY WEBSITE

3. Texas Consulting

Texas Consulting is another of those Internet dinosaurs whose web page is inexplicably still there. This Internet consultancy uploaded this little gem in 1986, in which they advertise themselves as experts in GNU/Linux, Unix architecture, open source tool development, TCP/IP network design and network security.

Although the web has lost some of its charm because some of its images no longer load, it still has that je-ne-sais-quoi of the old pages. Don’t miss it!

VISIT THE TEXAS CONSULTING WEBSITE

4. The San Francisco FogCam

Have you ever wondered if there is fog in San Francisco? Find out with The San Francisco FogCam! This website was born in 1995 as a project of a student at the University of San Francisco. According to the website, it is the oldest webcam in the world, so it is an Internet institution. Do not miss the opportunity to visit it and see the state of the fog.

VISIT THE SAN FRANCISCO FOGCAM WEB SITE

5. ACME Laboratories

No, this is not the site that Wile E. Coyote uses to buy the gadgets he uses to hunt the Roadrunner. ACME Laboratories is a website that has been distributing freeware since 1991. Their site couldn’t be simpler. It is still an excellent repository of free software as well as a good place to read tutorials.

VISIT THE ACME LABORATORIES WEBSITE

6. What is HyperText

In 1992, Tim Berners-Lee, father of the Web, created this page to explain to all of us what a link was, how to create hyperlinks… Is it the first tutorial of the web?

VISIT THE PAGE WHAT IS HYPERTEXT

7. Strawberry Pop-Tart Blow-Torches

Maybe the name doesn’t tell you anything, because pop-tarts never came to our country. These are flat, pre-baked cakes that are heated in a toaster or microwave. In 1994, a developer named Patrick Michaud created this site to alert us to the danger of these products, as they can cause fires if not properly removed from toasters. This website was one of the first viral success stories.

VISIT THE STRAWBERRY POP-TART BLOW-TORCHES SITE

8. Welcome to Netscape

Before Chrome or Firefox, the undisputed king of browsers was Netscape Navigator. Among its peculiarities, it turned the cursor of our computer into the rudder of a ship, something innovative for its time! If you want to venture into its world, don’t forget to visit its original arcane page.

VISIT THE NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR PAGE

9. A Little History of the World Wide Web

If you want to know a little more about the history of the Internet, you’ll love this page. Here you will discover all the ins and outs about the creation of the Net up to the present day. By that we mean 1995, of course.

VISIT THE PAGE A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB

10. Pray Before the Head of ‘Bob’

Long before Akinator there was Bob, the talking head who answered all your questions. Just choose your language, ask your question and click on “Ask ‘Bob'”. We have tried it and it still works. Whether its answers make sense or not is another matter.

VISIT THE PRAY BEFORE THE HEAD OF ‘BOB’ PAGE

11. CNN: O.J. Simpson trial

The O.J. Simpson trial was one of the most talked about events of the 1990s and CNN was well aware of it. That is why in 1995 it created a special page with all the updated information about the murder case and the Simpson conviction. Today it is a clear example of the advances that the Internet has made in digital journalism.

VISIT CNN’S PAGE ON THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL

12. CNN: TOP 10 STORIES OF 1996

We continue with CNN. This time it is an interesting web page where the 10 most relevant news of 1996 are compiled. At the time it was a useful way to keep up to date with current events, but today it is a great time travel to that time.

VISIT THE PAGE TOP 10 STORIES OF 1996

13. An Explanation of Cricket

Its name says it all. An Explanation of Cricket is a comprehensive guide by Purdue University. Ideal for anyone who doesn’t know the rules of this popular game.

VISIT THE PAGE AN EXPLANATION OF CRICKET

14. The What’s New TeSRE Archive

In ancient times, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, there were no search engines that were as up to date as St. Google. That’s why there were pages that compiled everything new that came out on the net. This is an example from the Institute of Astrophysics in Bologna.

VISIT THE WHAT’S NEW TESRE ARCHIVE PAGE

15. Piero Scaruffi

Piero Scaruffi is a multidisciplinary man (historian, writer, poet…). Piero created this page in 1995… But he keeps updating it with his reviews, thoughts or announcements of his new books!

VISIT THE PAGE PIERO SCARUFFI

16. Something.com

Something.com is a page with nine letters and a period. It doesn’t look like much now, but in 1995 I guess it was quite a feat.

VISIT THE PAGE SOMETHING.COM

17. Tokyo Toilet Map

Going on a trip to Japan but worried that you’ll get a tight squeeze at any time? Don’t worry. Tokyo Toilet Map is a guide to finding the best and worst toilets in all of Tokyo. Last updated: 1997.

VISIT THE TOKYO TOILET MAP PAGE

Mireia Fernández

Mireia Fernández

Mireia Fernández es una apasionada del mundo de los videojuegos y las nuevas tecnologías cuya afición se remonta al MSX HB 501p de su niñez. Nacida y residente en Barcelona, Mireia lleva más de 10 años ejerciendo como editora y está especializada en la redacción de análisis, tutoriales y guías de software así como también en darlo todo para tratar de publicar noticias antes que nadie. Entre sus aficiones está pasar horas y horas jugando con la consola, pasear a su golden retriever y mantenerse al día de las novedades del mundo SEO.

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