Searching for a unique retro website design.

July 28, 2012 12:11 PM

FauxRetroFilter: Help me remember an entirely ASCII dynamic website.

Years ago on the internet I came across a personal homepage that had been constructed entirely of monospaced text. The content was generated dynamically and the layout was similar to a typical blog (I think). I thought it was brilliant at the time and have wished for years that I could find it again, but I have no recollection of what was on the site or how I initially came across it.

Just to be clear: the site consisted entirely of text, but it was laid out mimicking a more graphical format. I'm assuming it did this through lots of behind-the-scenes string manipulation.

If you know of anything that fits this definition at all--it wasn't the site itself but the concept that was so cool--I'd love to see it. Google is failing me (and the original site may be long gone).

posted by ropeladder to computers & internet (6 answers total)

JWZ?
posted by tommasz at 12:36 PM on July 28, 2012

jwz was my first thought as well, though I do have a hazy memory of another tech-y blogger who had a blog laid out with monospaced type and actually used old-school text file design conventions to create boxes and such. I think the background was a creamy-beige color, and the text was black. I can't remember who it was, but this might jog someone else's memory.

There's a fun minimalist Wordpress theme that makes me nostalgic.
posted by xyzzy at 12:43 PM on July 28, 2012

JWZ is cool but it was definitely more like what xyzzy describes.
posted by ropeladder at 2:51 PM on July 28, 2012

Mine? I never finished it.
posted by chairface at 4:41 PM on July 28, 2012

While it isn't exactly what you're looking for, Facebook (circa 1984) is an interesting idea as to what a modern website might have looked like had it been launched nearly thirty years ago.
posted by autopilot at 5:33 PM on July 28, 2012

Cobol on Cogs? (it's a parody of Ruby on Rails).
posted by novalis_dt at 8:15 PM on July 29, 2012