Tag: Web 2.0

Web Relic Showcase: Eric Conveys an Emotion

The Netstorian discusses Eric Conveys an Emotion (1998-2008)

Screenshot of Eric Conveys an Emotion
Screenshot of “Realizing that Your Hair Just Caught on Fire” emotion page from Eric Conveys an Emotion

Name: Eric Conveys an Emotion
URL: http://www.emotioneric.com/
Year created: 1998
Year abandoned: 2008

Before social media, websites connected with their audiences through blog comments, guestbooks, and e-mails. The extent of these methods often resulted in FAQ and “Reader Mail” sections and not much more in terms of additional site content. A smaller number of personal sites, however, relied heavily on audience interaction to assist in the site’s content. In this instance, Eric Conveys an Emotion is a successful example. Continue reading “Web Relic Showcase: Eric Conveys an Emotion”

Let’s Play A Net Game: Peasant’s Quest

The Netstorian plays through the 2004 Homestar Runner classic.

Peasant's Quest title screen
Peasant’s Quest title screen

Game: Peasant’s Quest
Creator: Homestar Runner
Released: August 2004
Play it here: http://www.homestarrunner.com/disk4of12.html

For the second Netstorian live stream I thought it would be fun to revisit a game from Homestar Runner. Though Peasant’s Quest doesn’t feature any beloved main characters such as Homestar or Strong Bad, the game still serves as an important piece of the site. I remember playing this game about nine or 10 years ago when I would visit the website almost daily. Last night was my first time playing it since then. Continue reading “Let’s Play A Net Game: Peasant’s Quest”

Web Relic Showcase: The Subservient Chicken

Screenshot of The Subservient Chicken
Screenshot of the website. The chicken is on standby, ready to obey any commands.

Name: The Subservient Chicken
URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20040727012738/http://www.subservientchicken.com/
Year created: 2004
Year abandoned: 2011 [Only minor layout updates from 2005-2011]

If you recall any Burger King commercials from the early 2000’s, you may remember one which featured the “Subservient Chicken”. These ads were created to promote the restaurant’s then-new TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich. The commercial featured a man controlling a person in a chicken suit to obey his every command, leading to the tagline “Chicken the way you like it”. This led to a marketing campaign in the form of website launched in 2004. The site allowed users to control the same person in the chicken suit via webcam. Continue reading “Web Relic Showcase: The Subservient Chicken”

The death of MySpace: How Facebook won

MySpace logo
The old MySpace logo, featuring the slogan “a place for friends” which was used until 2009. (Photo from TechCrunch)

The Internet has evolved as a social tool throughout the years. Discussion with purpose was held on newsgroups, forums, and themed chatrooms. As the Web 2.0 era came to be, social networking was on the rise. Interaction was no longer limited to specific discussion. Sites like Friendster and Photobucket allowed users to share more of their true selves online. The biggest and most important social network of Web 2.0 was without a doubt MySpace, but as the times went on, it couldn’t survive into the next era. Continue reading “The death of MySpace: How Facebook won”

Virtual communities and self-expression

Habbo screenshot
A populated room on Habbo. (Screenshot from Virtual Worlds For Teens)

Aside from providing a plethora of information, the Internet’s rise in popularity can also be credited to what it allowed users to do socially.

Communication with a far-away relative was made easy with e-mail, and meeting a new friend halfway across the world could be done from your own living room while browsing a forum. This advanced connectivity introduced a fascinating experience previously unavailable to the world and changed the way we interact. Beyond the typical e-mail and instant messaging programs, one thing that took online socialization to a new level was virtual world games. Continue reading “Virtual communities and self-expression”

Web eras simplified: Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and beyond

In my previous article, the terms “web 1.0” and “web 2.0” appeared. For those who had never seen these words before, it brought up the question of “what do those words mean?”. There are different explanations out there for each term, some more similar than others. Though the debate regarding their exact definitions is complicated, they can also be broken down into more accurate descriptions. Continue reading “Web eras simplified: Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and beyond”