lime pink

the church of mac

2010-02-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

this is cheesy, but as a member of the parish i must. plus the original is my ringtone :)

magical might be an overstatement, steve

2010-01-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

it came, it presented, it left us with mixed emotions. the much anticipated apple tablet was finally released in cupertino this afternoon with high expectations, but did it live up to these? limepink has compiled a full list of pros, cons, opinions and comments. please, share your thoughts on the new product as well!

pros:
1. fills the gap
there is an obvious tech gap between the macbooks and iphone, and the ipad fills much of the awkward void that so many have tried to squeeze into the two said products. with web browsing capabilities, app usage, mail client, syndication of iWork, iTunes, and iBooks, it provides a more comfortable platform to use all of these features
2. user interface
the layout of all of this is a nice blend of the UI's we are familiar with from our experience with the macbooks, iPhones, and even iPods. some UI's i was impressed with include iTunes, iCal, the App Store and the iBooks.
3. eReading
the eReading features on the iPad are what stood out the most to me. as mentioned above, the layout is very revolutionary, while sticking it to the traditional looks. scrolling seems very fluent and natural. the NYT demo made me feel like i had the times right in front of me. in my opinion, if they were smart they'd allow free app downloads for front page news and charge a monthly subscription fee for additional sections and NYT magazine on weekends.
the iBookstore and iBooks seem to trump the nook, kindle, and all other preceding eReaders. five major publishers are in on this, so there seems to be little limitations on what users can read. this is only the beginning, i think it will open so many more opportunities within publishing that it could lead into the rebirth of dying media, something i'd love to see!
5. graphics card

apple never fails in the graphics department, i have always been pleased with the quality of visuals on all my apple products. the rotation of images from portrait to landscape is always a plus as well. EA and Gameloft put on awesome demos and it seems as if this product is the best platform so far for gaming, its like a juiced up gameboy to me. this will change mobile gaming.
6. battery
10 hour battery is great. no product has juice like this which will make it better for traveling than the macbook. if i want to go back to london one day, i can watch a movie, read a book, go through a playlist and not have to charge it once.

cons:
1. name
srsly? wtf! apple's PR consultant should be fired ASAP. iPad is way too similar to iPod, and many will often get the names confused. furthermore, there are way too many perverse jokes that will soon surface the internets, mark my words*. speculatory names such as iSlate, iTab, iGuide, and even the Newtown would have been much more fitting, appropriate, and straight up better than iPad. ugh.
2. lack of notifications/zoom/multitasking
why not apple? push notifications were a huge hit when you released the iPhone. no calls is understandable, especially when we can get 3G coverage. but no zoom and no multitasking? tsk tsk, huge fallback.
3. no camera(s)
by now this feature should be standard on most apple products. shame on you steve jobs, i was hoping another redeeming quality to this would be the potential video conferencing/live streaming opps this could have opened, but expectations were never met. imagine the possibilities of an iPad with front and back cameras and the awesome new ustream app? there was so much potential there, and i think you were blinded by new features that you overlooked the old ones.
4. price
hate the netbooks, but they are cheaper and dare i say it, more worth it?
5. no cd/dvd/blu ray slot
what? it's .5 inches thick, that leaves plenty of room for my DVD's! don't try to force me to watch all my movies through iTunes, because that's incredibly communistic.

6. 1.0 = room for improvement
walk before you run. as much as i love apple, they always release a better version soon after their product's pilot release. i think i'll wait for that 2.0
7. i don't care how many gigs are on that, you look like an idiot.
daily finance said it best "You do not need to buy a new gadget every time Steve Jobs tells you to...you might as well wear a sign that says 'rob me'" boy were they right. for every person i see on the train, plane, or automobile on their iPad, i will simply shake my head and smile at their impatience and willingness to spend excessive amounts of money.

*side note, 20 mins after the press conference and #itampon, #iperiod and imaxipad are already trending topics, ew.

mixed feelings:
1. third party apps
the potential for new apps on the iPad is huge right now, particularly for gaming and eReading, as i said earlier. but, the apps that were originally developed for the iPhone will look awkward. since most devs have created apps for a 2" wide screen, their adaptations to a 9" one will look strained. will apple have to create a separate app store for each platform or will devs have to create different apps for each product? i guess we'll find out.
2. email display:
yea, it looks cool, and it is probably more efficient too. but, it's nothing we can't get on our iPhones or macbooks content-wise. i think most critics will be drawn into this feature for the wrong reasons. its really nothing special.
3. iWork
looks awesome, but this kind of thing belongs on the macbook, not on this glorified iPhone. i think you wasted a lot of your time trying to make this work on the iPad when it clearly was not meant to be.
4. specs
1.5 lbs, 1/2 inch thick, 9.7 inch display, multi-touch screen. do these specs make it more mobile or easier to break? you decide.
5. data plans
well, they did offer options -which is unusual with apple- for different size (16, 32, and 64 GB) and different data plans (with or without 3G capabilities). still too expensive for me though.

overall: the only reason i'd buy it is for the awesome eReading capabilities, but everything else i can find on my iPhone/macbook. overpriced, overrated, but still innovative. maybe i'll give it second thoughts with the 2.0. thanks to engadget for the feed and the images!

if you're into typeface

2010-01-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

particularly helvetica then check out these cookie cutters!

world wide web circa 1995

2010-01-26T09:34:00.001-08:00

jeff&erin FTW

2010-01-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

wow, just when you think you've seen it all on youtube. from the ridiculously viral jk wedding dance video, to the tragic israeli wedding floor collapse, media sharing has taken the wedding video to a whole new level. today, i found via http://www.jeffanderin.us, a wedding invite video, and we must admit, it is pretty epic. check out the cinematic save the date video that was posted to their site.

i'm with coco

2010-01-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

last week we discussed how the public firing of conan o'brien had taken the internets by storm. but now that all is said and sadly done, people are still putting out content! such is the case with this homemade tribute song to the former tonight show host. while the song sucks and the singer is creepy, the lyrics are actually pretty kickass and from one Coco lover to another, i say job well done (plus, he plugs haiti relief which is never a bad thing)! check it out, it gets better after the first :20

iphone: a global domination story

2010-01-23T18:10:00.001-08:00

tablet prototype?!

2010-01-22T18:34:00.001-08:00

so vintage, so 2010

most googled recipes of 2009

2010-01-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

According to Restaurants & Institutions, the top 10 most-Googled recipes of last year were:

1. Chili
2. Meatloaf
3. Cheesecake
4. Banana bread
5. Pancake
6. Salsa
7. Hummus
8. Lasagna
9. Apple pie
10. Meatball

Does that gibe with your own cooking-search behavior in 2009?

ad for farmville for the lulz

2010-01-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

i'd rather use the dark mark ( sarcmark )

2010-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

a new punctuation mark was created to denote sarcasm in a sentence.
this is great for people like myself who don't pick up on sarcasm well
it's $1.99 to download it, its $0.00 to copy and paste it, and 1:02 of your life after watching the commercial for it.

holy hashtags: #TEAM CONAN

2010-01-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

most of the united states is aware of what kind of BS nbc has been conjuring lately for the general public, and a long time role model of mine, conan o'brien. needless to say, this controversy has been giving the late night hosts (including jimmy kimmel and david letterman) plenty to open with, but the web is saying just as much.

the drastic decisions made by the nbc execs has generated several memes throughout various social media platforms that finally put a stop to the bra color updates (that made me feel a little uncomfortable)

one such meme is the #teamconan hashtag on twitter, which has been a trending topic practically all week. it takes after the popular twilight series character support hashtags #teamedward or #teamjacob (or #teamEMMETT!)

on facebook, people have been updating their statuses in a similar fashion but also with another twist: changing their profile pictures in support of conan. groups, fan pages, and this wildly popular avatar reading 'i'm with coco' makes the statement pretty clear: the majority of the public seems to favor late night's favorite ginger.

i haven't got to the best part yet, and it's just another reason why i love coco: he put a listing for the tonight show on craigslist! what a genius. i encourage you all to check it out, the description is definitely worth the clicks.

malicious bibleware

2010-01-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

typeface woes

2010-01-13T10:09:00.001-08:00

barack gets rick rolled

2010-01-13T10:06:00.001-08:00

excellent mashup

2010-01-12T14:16:00.001-08:00

beyonce + andy griffiths, need more be said?

guilty&&need this ASAP

2010-01-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

I’ve seen people (literally) very close to me do it: checking Facebook in bed. Here’s hoping it says more about them than it says about me. But if “Bedbooking” or “Facebedding” is a widespread phenomenon, then there’s certainly a market for the dash, Sony’s “Personal Internet Viewer” or as I call it: a pimped-out alarm clock. The WiFi-enabled device sports a 7-inch touchscreen and runs over 1,000 free apps, like a lava lamp, traffic alerts, YouTube, minigolf, and of course, Facebook. Bedside entertainment guaranteed!
Shipping in April for $199.

via reface.me

grandparents are so tender

2010-01-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

from college humor's 'parents just don't understand'
My grandparents have a Notepad file with only !"·$%&/()=@#~‚¬¬;:_ written in it. They use it to copy/paste if they ever need them while writing, because they never found out how to use the Shift key.
Gabby C

was mario on TFLN?

2010-01-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

google is the word of the decade

2010-01-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

& 'unfriend' is the word of the year
& 'tweet' is the word of the day
& why does this need to be made official?

mark mcguire is so yesterday, this is so tomorrow.

2010-01-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

after a brief hiatus, i welcome you back to lime pink with a video my boyfriends made.
yes, i've got multiple boyfriends.

christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

in light of the snow we got last night in syracuse, i'd like to share some holiday findings thus far. please enjoy the following media:

inappropro wifi names

2009-12-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

everytime i turn on my computer, i am invited to join the following networks:

some neighbors i've got here on redfield. as i walk down the street on my way to class, my iphone picks up wifi's such as the dyke palace, doo doo butter, and ape tits. i wish i was kidding. want more? keep scrolling!

cheesy but good visuals

2009-12-08T19:06:00.001-08:00

the year in auto-tune

2009-12-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

two of my favorite fake music genres: mashups and auto-tune.

facebook finally listened to its users

2009-12-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

remember way back in the mid-2000's when facebook was for college kids only? collegehumor posted the kind of facebook perfectly tailored for today's college student. while limepink does not condone any of the following activities, we can't help but laugh at the stress relieving methods we see practiced here on our own campus. please enjoy as we did :)

more love for google

2009-12-07T19:27:00.001-08:00

Today, I decided to try the Yahoo! vs Google search. I typed in "i fear" and yahoo came up with 'i fear of death' and google came up with, 'i fear one day i'll meet god he'll sneeze and I won't know what to say.' I think google wins. Again. MLIA

taken from mylifeisaverage.com
haveaniceday:)

time and time again

2009-12-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

my fellow readers,

i know its been a while but please bear with me as my college career comes to a close. while finals, the holidays, the everlasting journey to a 4.0, and job applications have recently taken over my life, limepink has not been forgotten. i think i will take a brief hiatus from the blogosphere until my exams are over, and you can all expect daily updates galore!

for news, opinion, and internet lulz on a minuscule level, feel free to follow/friend/connect me on any of my other online presences!
twitter
facebook
linkedin

love, peace, web grease!

oh the power of autocomplete

2009-12-02T08:38:00.001-08:00

my favorite is: how come when I talk to girls on facebook they don't answer me back?

google's origins

2009-11-23T06:40:00.001-08:00

The Google Story from Nick Scott Studio on Vimeo.

twitter in real life

2009-11-21T21:58:00.000-08:00

n00bz are always asking me how twitter works. well, this won't explain it but it scratches the surface. lolgasm!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Last famous status updates

2009-11-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

last week, a facebook status served as an alibi for a robbery suspect. the suspect proved he was not present at the scene of the crime by showing a status update sent from his father's apartment building around the same time it was committed.

in this case, a facebook status saved someones butt but often times it can also be the cause of punishment. just yesterday on tyra (dont judge) was a young woman who was fired for talking trash about her boss on facebook and twitter. similarly, college humor posted some funny facebook statuses that might have caused a little bit of trouble for the particular users. you may be familiar with some of these, check it out:

visual truths

2009-11-20T19:47:00.001-08:00

holy hastags: oprah, twilight, tweet en francais!

2009-11-20T07:49:00.001-08:00

so many trending topics, so little time. here's what the twittersphere went ape over the past 24 hours:

oprah announces the last episode of her talk show. just a matter of hours later, her name is all over the twitterverse with an average of 8,000 tweets/hour by the end of the afternoon.

just a few moments ago @PerezHilton announces a Miley Cyrus tour bus crashed in Virginia. moments later, her name is up next to oprah's.

Miley may have dropped her twitter account, but that doesnt mean she wont be talked about. you can run miley, but you most certainly cannot hide.

still trending in two positions are New Moon and #newmoon. saw the flick at midnight, definitely worth the $10 ticket and 4 hour wait in line :) tweets are mostly reviews and anticipatory statements.

finally, with the unveiling of plans for an entirely google OS in the works, the world took to twitter to share thoughts, info, and ideas. more on google chrome OS to come on limepink.

also, in addition to its spanish services, twitter just launched a french version of their site. quelle fantastique! je pense que j'essaierai. le retweet.

happy #newmoon week!

2009-11-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

i'm sure i speak for thousands when i say i haven't been on myspace in months.
i'm sure i speak for just as many when i say i can't wait to tune in on myspace to watch the live video stream from the red carpet at the new moon premiere tonight!
summit pulled all the social media stops on this one: with the help of ustream, twitter, facebook, AIM and myspace, visitors have the opportunity to watch live coverage on the red carpet and participate in a live conversation through all the said outlets all on the same page. to be quite honest, i'm surprised they didn't pull a U2 and provide a live stream on YouTube as well but whatevs.
in honor of #newmoon week (which i will be seeing at midnight this thursday!) college humor created a terrible combination of two of my favorite things: twilight and 3 wolf moon. this could have been so much better, but i have to share it:

also, taylor swift did an incredible parody of bella swan on SNL last week, this is much more worth the three minutes :)

violence gone viral: on the field

2009-11-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

it seems as if these have been popping up a lot lately: violent athletes caught on tape.
a few weeks back, a close up caught Brandon Spikes, Florida linebacker, gauging out the eye of an opponent through his helmet (gross, right?!). unfortunately, the video was taken down after the viral nature of it caught wind. but the aggression doesn't stop here.

earlier this week, Elizabeth Lambert, a New Mexico soccer player, was caught on tape taking an opponent to the ground by her hair. catfight?! the video has reached over 10 million impressions with 24,000 comments. numbers say it is on the rise to reach the viral successes of balloon boy and the jk wedding dance. why the sudden success? see for youself, and pray to whomever you deem holy that you never play on the opposing team of this girl.

twitter RT feature

2009-11-11T07:40:00.000-08:00

while i still have yet to receive a google wave invite (cough cough) i was smitten to see this upon logging into my twitter this fine morning (pay no attention to the ron weasley behind the message)

needless to say i was excited, especially after twitter shafted me from the lists experiment as well. but as i continued to test the RT function, the excitement died a bit. while the new addition saves users from C+P methods of retweeting, it automatically posts the tweets rather than copy the message into the text box at the top. why does this bug me? because users cannot add a comment to the post they are retweeting, which is something i frequently do.

another cool addition that comes with this is its similarity to the 'like' button on facebook as shown above. as far as my knowledge tells me, this is the first time we see quantitative metrics on a tweet, which is pretty cool in terms of measuring word of mouth in the twitterverse.

something else that came up on my feed were from users i was not following. while the stubborn me would argue that 'theres a reason i'm not following them' it also introduced me to users who my friends liked and RT'ed. interesting feature, and while i trust my friends' judgments this could get moderately annoying.

digital distraction hierarchy

2009-11-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

this couldn't be more true!
In a digital age rife with an endless stream of distraction, from email updates to text messages, it’s important that we get our priorities straight. This handy hierarchy helps ensure that your limited attention span is always focused on the most important detail of the moment.

applephiles unite

2009-11-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

the ghost of social media

2009-11-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

after just a few years, we have all had the opportunity to see the strength and influence social media has had on the world. we have all been exposed to things we would not normally see, experience things we never knew existed, but most importantly reconnect with old friends. how funny is it when someone from your kindergarten class facebooks you or when the boy you used to have a crush on @replies you?! but how about never being able to see updates from that friend again; never being able to see what they are doing, how they are feeling, or who they are with. how do we treat the online profiles of the deceased?

a bunch of us lost a good friend this past summer in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal James Argentine was a U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bomb on August 6, 2009. needless to say, this news broke fast and hard. in fact, many of us heard about it through the social web (status updates, mass messages, etc). how could this happen? why did it have to happen to James? the kid whose religious views on facebook quote "Wu-Tang Financial" (I'm not kidding, see below)

seeing friends from high school gather in his memory brought more laughs than sobs as we recollected the jokes he would always pull on those around him.

as time passed, the news of his death became more and more believable as the idea of him not being here settled within all of us. however, just 2 months after his untimely death something reminded us that he is not entirely gone. there is still a presence of James that allows us to communicate with him and let him know what we are doing, how we are feeling, and who we are with: facebook.

for all of James' facebook friends, the social networking site reminded us that it has indeed been a while since we've talked. a new addition to the right side bar upon login let us all know that James is indeed still among us. and while no one necessarily expected a response, a flood of wall posts to James kept popping up on my feed.

the death of another close friend within the same group 2 months later reminded me how fragile life is, but how endless it can be if you have an online presence. how odd and unreal it can be, that someone is present in a virtual aspect of life but not a physical. through memorial groups, wall posts, notes and even twitter lists the spirit and memory of those lost can live on. while some may argue that this is insensitive i would respectfully disagree. because of this, we can relive what their last thoughts were, how they were feeling, and who meant something to them.

James and Berger, we miss you dearly but thank you for everything you've done for us during your short time here on Earth. in just over two decades, you managed to make a difference in many lives, which is something not many can accomplish. only God knows what you could have done with some more time with us. May you two rest peacefully, and please check your facebook often. everyone has some good things to say, including a few wall posts that might make you laugh up there in heaven

Also, I can't write about James and not include this video, definitely brings on the LULZ:

three rowlf moon

2009-11-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

only because its the muppets birthday.
and sesame street defines much of who i am today.
and jim henson was a god among mortals.
and i want to buy the 3 wolf moon shirt.
enjoy!

help me obi wan kenobi, youre my only hope

2009-11-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

this probably would have been more relevant on halloween on may 4th but i like it regardless

PS: May 4th = Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you)

beacause i'm still #notdonewithlondon

2009-11-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

how much is the new macbook for real?

2009-11-04T18:23:00.000-08:00

my boyfriend just tried to tell me the new macbook was upwards of $1,400.
i told him he was wrong.
he told me i was wrong.
i sent him this link from across the room.

he shut up.
i like being right :)

the apptimist: my new favorites

2009-11-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

being the broke college student that i am, retail therapy is rarely an option to unwind, and my limited amount of income doesn't necessarily cover the bar tab either. so to celebrate the end of midterm week, this blogger did some shopping in the app store the other day, and walked out a much happier person. here's what i got (for free):

1. twitbird PRO
i have literally experimented with every free twitter app there is on the iPhone. while some stand out more than others, they all share one really annoying graphic that comes with all lite versions: banner ads. for some reason, this pro version of twitbird was in the app store for free one day so naturally i jumped on it. i immediately loved it for the lack of ads at the top, but whats really interesting is that it aggregates all tweets in a conversation template, as opposed to stacking boxes like all other. aesthetically, its visually pleasing and very easy to navigate. i myself would not pay more than $1-$2 for the app but for free, this was an awesome find.

2. epicurious
zomg, what an awesome app for any foodie, novice to expert! being the amateur beer, wine and food enthusiast that i am, i tend to eat out a lot but one of my upcoming resolutions is to actually use the kitchen that i have more often: epicurious to the rescue. they have 25,000+ recipes from experts, magazines, and food blogs and categorize them for your liking. at the top of the menu appears seasonal dishes (right now, you'll see variations of thanksgiving offerings) as well as sponsored lists, lists based on cooking ability, main food, sides, drinks, deserts, lifestyle, snacks, party foods and so much more. if you see a recipe that you like, users can bookmark it, have the ingredients sent to their virtual shopping list, and if you tip your phone over, a step-by-step direction sheet appears. with a helpful search function, it is quite literally the best food app i have yet to see. only downside are the ads that get thrown in between every 10 recipes, but they are definitely better than the banners. a+ in my book.

3. mobiQpons
an app with coupons local to your area. need i say more?

4. remote

for all the other applephiles out there, you would know that most computer products come with a remote control. while my little brother has hijacked mine out of protest, this has come in real handy. it accesses your iTunes library through wifi connection and allows you to control the media selection, volume, play/pause, etc. pretty cool when i use it to watch twilight from my bed every night.

z0mG twitter lists!!!11!!!1!

2009-11-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

dear diary, today i made and followed my first twitter list.
for those who know me, you would be able to categorize me as one who is often conservative in most areas. however, once i make a change that i find useful, i often embrace it with vigor. such was the case with recent twitter lists.

@mashable provided the web with an excellent review of how to use it and how one can benefit from it. i, however, am a textual learner and prefer to learn from practice. so far i only made 1 list of all the girls in my sorority who are in the twitterverse for us all to get a thread going. i made it private so no creepos can look in on it and spam my sisters, and i also got a few to follow it as well. operation: success!

although i am still new to it, im excited to learn more of what this new app has to offer and blog my adventures. man, i love twitter 8-)

peace, love, @nicole_hering

happy halloween

2009-10-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

with the inevitable 'holiday' (i use that term loosely as there are no valid reasons to celebrate it) approaching, it seems as if everyone gets giddier and giddier to showcase what little fabric they paid upwards of $50 for. while i am far from pessimistic, i just cant quite comprehend what is so enjoyable about getting your BAC up while lowering the amount of clothing on your body.

minor rant, but i digress. the other day @mashable posted 12 Awesome Social Media Halloween Pumpkin Carvings and we couldn't be more entertained. below are my faves, but hit the link to see more

the fail whale

firefox/ie

the rss pumpkin

apple

aaaand even though this is a blogspot, i will support my fellow bloggers with their wordpress pumpkin

y0 dawg, i herd u lyk batman

2009-10-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

yo dawg i herd you like batman so i put some jet blasters in yo trunk so you can drive fast while you speed. ok that wasnt funny but this is: some dude (we'll call him wolfgang15 for now) is selling a batmobile on ebay from marietta georgia. surprisingly, it didnt sell for as much as i would have guessed, but its not exactly movie quality. everyone knows the real batman drives a Lamborghini, a Maserati, and a Jeep for off-roading during his leisure hours. the gotham public would not settle for their volunteer police force driving anything of this nature, but i'm sure the full time cops could deal. gotham will be up in flames by midnight with this citizen-created vehicle.

OK JUST ONE, PLZ?!

OK 1 MOR I SWRZ IT!

google this...

2009-10-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

type in 'find chuck norris'
hit the 'i'm feeling lucky button'
or, if you're too lazy to do that, scroll down

holy hashtags: RIP Geocities

2009-10-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

raise your hand if you were ever intrigued by having your own homepage in 1999

::admittedly raises hand::

always a fan of the blogosphere, i remember making a customizable 'homepage' via my AOL profile, a blog through xanga, but most ashamedly a site via geocities. i'm not quite sure what it was about, probably good charlotte and how to burn CD's [so badass] but i digress. for hundreds of thousands of us, a piece of our web history died today as yahoo pulled the plug on geocities, one of the first free web hosting services [sadface]

while i spent most of my time creating cartoon dolls for myself and all my friends [dont see right] , i dont think my geocities made much of an impression on the web. tosh.0 posted a loltastic list of things that didnt make much of an impact either, enjoy xx

Goodbye GeoCities: 7 Retro Things We'll Miss Forever

Posted by: Chris Lesinski

Months after the initial announcement, today, it becomes official: Yahoo has shut down GeoCities — one of the original kings of free web hosting services.
Now, all of those GeoCities websites (excuse me, "Web Sites") are coming down. It's got me more tear-jerkingly nostalgic than Where The Wild Things Are.
No doubt, GeoCities started a revolution, but many of its ways have gone by the wayside. While Yahoo deploys the virtual demolition crews, let's make one last toast to a few of the relics they'll leave in the rubble.

1) Under Construction GIFs
It's absurd to think that putting up an “under construction” sign on a web page was at one point an idea that was (pardon the pun) “ground breaking.”
Why did people make such a big deal out of being “under construction” in the 90s? It's not necessarily something you want to attract attention to. “Hey! See this fancy animated GIF? That’s just a preview of how impressive my site will be when it’s done.”
Sadly, putting up 37 under construction animations is definitely as impressive as your Family Matters fan page ever got. (Except for when you added the auto-playing MIDI version of the intro song. That was awesome.)
And why the civil engineering motif? Are you trying to tell me that a self-taught HTML geek is like a construction worker? I hope not. Making a website is about the furthest you can get from hard manual labor.
See the other six retro things we'll miss after the jump…

2) HTML
The fall of GeoCities certainly won’t be the end of HTML, but those homespun sites definitely hearken back to when HTML was the
hottest sh*t around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What you are seeing above is the "marquee tag" in action. Yes, there are actually specific tags in HTML for a scrolling marquee or blinking text. For those unfamiliar with basic computer programming, let me explain that: HTML makes it harder to add a hyperlink than to make text scroll horizontally across the page. That’s where priorities were in the Netscape days.

3) Guestbooks
Ah, the guestbook. It was basically the first incarnation of “comments” –- a place to put your name down and provide some feedback. Only, back then, people hadn't quite perfected the espousing of snark and unbridled-racism that make comments so exciting today.
Here is an actual guestbook entry I came across, typical of most guestbook entries: “Very good webpage you have here, and best greetings to all your visitors. You are welcome to visit my webpage.”
Could they be less constructive? Even a “first” or an ASCII middle finger is better.
C’mon! This is the internet. If you want to communicate with random people in other countries just for the sake of it, stick to HAM radio.
(Click here to sign this post’s guestbook!)

4) FAQs
FAQ stands for “frequently asked questions” but it usually turns into “questions I've obviously made up myself to give me an opportunity to provide information about things no one would actually ever ask questions about.”
Let’s say there’s a site about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The first FAQ would inevitably be “What is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?”
Who would ever ask that? And if they were asking that, how did they end up on the FAQ page? If you run a site about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and users have to go to your FAQ page to figure out what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are, you're probably not running a very good Royal Canadian Mounted Police website.

5) Webmasters
“Click here to email the Webmaster.”
Okay, but only after you quit pretending your webmaster is a different person than you.
Who came up with the name “webmaster”? It probably went out of style because, for your average computer programmer, it brought back some sour memories from their old Dungeons and Dragons days.
Need more proof it's a silly title? Try putting it in a modern context. Can you image someone calling Mark Zuckerberg the webmaster of Facebook or Kevin Rose the webmaster of Digg?

6) Take me to the top
On GeoCities, websites were often just one long single page of unedited drivel and found GIFs. Websites just kept going. Who needs more than one page when the web has infinitely long pages?
So, every three paragraphs, a little hyperlink would offer to take you back to the top. Why? I’ve only made it 20% of the way down your site and you want me to go back to the top to read that same 20% again? I'm not trying to memorize every single track on every Limp Bizkit album: I'm just looking for that one specific song title to include in my death threat to Fred Durst.
By the way, the "take me to the top" section of this post is self-reflexive! Here's to you, "take me to the top!"

7) Visitor counters
Visitor counters were the most important part of any GeoCities page. In fact, I believe it was an unspoken rule that you could not remove your "Under Construction" banner until you had added a hit counter, thus making your GeoCities page "complete."
Before handling web analytics became a full-time job, the best option to determine your web-traffic was to put a counter right on the page. These counters had the added bonus of embarrassing your visitors when they would realize how few people had been to your site before them.
But, back then, it didn’t matter that nobody was visiting your site — you could always stuff the ballot by manually changing the number in the settings. If your friend's counter said “114” you could be pretty sure that meant “14.” Why won't Google AdSense let me do this?
Luckily, even without GeoCites, the visitor counter industry will stay in business thanks, entirely, to eBay.

We’re going to miss GeoCities…
We’ll miss the impossible to remember URLs. We’re going to miss hand-coding our pages in Notepad. We’ll even miss the ridiculously invasive ads. So pour one out for the hosting platform that took “bright lights, big city” way too literally.
GeoCities –- farewell.

via @comedycentral

i cant tell if this is serious, or another 3 wolf moon

2009-10-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

speaking of 3 wolf moon, lets revisit the greatness that is the amazon phenomenon...all 1,525 comments of it :) to be quite honest, i've thought of buying the shirt just to write a review except there are some pretty tough ones to top. enjoy!

some of the best 404 pages out there

2009-10-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

here are some funny 404 pages template monster blog posted today, these are my favorites

anddddd my personal fave:

a sad week for iPhoners

2009-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

this week verizon launched a nasty attack ad against the iPhone for the new droid phone they are launching in november.

to add insult to injusry, nokia plans to sue apple as well as 40 other companies for infinging on ten patents. its like total retaliation of all service proivders and phone companies on apple. boo, sadface.

all my base are belong to you <3

2009-10-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

because its my dads birthday today, i decided to post some cakes that really tickled my html and fangirl fancy. theyre part of holy taco's 25 hilarious cakes, the other ones really brought on the lulz.

also, just for old times sake:

holy hashtags: RIP Kanye West

2009-10-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

"RIP Kanye West" was one of today's top trending topics. here's why, weirdo:

awkward drunk kanye + bad acting + attempt at art + killing furry animals + suicide = a bad promo video. sorry nye.

can you handle all 27 inches?

2009-10-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

who else got bummed when store.apple.com wasn't loading this morning? one hour later, it all made sense. and, since no one really cares about windows 7 anyway, lets drool over the new mactastic toys.

iMac

my life is too mobile for desktops but the new iMac is pretty sexy, and cordless. as always, the all-aluminum computer has superior graphics, looks like they have a newer/faster processor, more storage, and a 27" display with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. try fitting that in your pocketbook.

magic mouse

talk about marketing genius: when you name your newest product 'magic,' its bound to sell. the new iMac comes with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. nothing special with the keyboard, but the magic mouse is really something that i would like to play with at the apple store. using the touch technology they have incorporated in their iPhones and iTouches, the buttonless mouse has one and two finger scrolling (for up/down and left/right, respectively), right clicking (finally!) and can be accommodated for us lefties. it makes my wireless logitech mouse seem so '99.

macbook

the new macbook adopts a few mbpro qualities with its unibody design and 7 hour battery life. aesthetically, the laptop looks almost the same, save for the rounder edges. personally i like the all-aluminum look better but this one has a nonslip, fingerprint friendly casing. in terms of performance and features, nothing really stands out as extraordinary except for the LED backlighting and buttonless trackpads, although those are not too new. i would like to see another usb port or two but what can ya do?

each image here was taken from apple.com

cheers! xx

the apptimist: let the wild rumpus begin

2009-10-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

seeing midnight movies is one of my favorite things to do. the atmosphere that builds up before is just something you can get in few other places. sometimes i'll go to a midnight movie even if i'm not involved in the fandom. such was the case this past thursday at the 12:01 showing of where the wild things are.

i'm sure every hipster waiting in line with me would agree that the film was awesome. very sobering, very relatable, and it definitely made me feel like i was watching it from my own living room fort. but, being the apptimist that i am, i decided to see if they had released an application, which they did. the only other film app i had downloaded in the past was for harry potter and the half blood prince, which doesn't hold a candle to this one.

while it has the standard trailers, stills, and soundtrack (kicks ass, download it now!) it also has an interactive feature with carol, a wild thing. you can throw dirt clods at him, tickle him, and even hit him. but if you piss him off too much, he'll start to eat your contacts or punch your iphone screen. i threw a few too many rocks at him and he effed up my phone, as evidenced to your right.

all in all, a great film, a great soundtrack, and a great social media presence (check out the facebook page as well) although i would have liked to see a twitter contest of some sort but beggars can't be choosers.

no intro necessary

2009-10-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

holy hashtags: what the [virtual] world went ape over this weekend

2009-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

friday: for approximately 6 hours, the world obsessed over #balloonboy and for no reason too. all the tears, prayers, and phone calls made were over a nationwide hoax. quelle annoying. falcon, the boy who was supposedly 'caught' in the homemade hot air balloon was interviewed on larry king the following night and spilled the beans ('you guys said we did this for the show'). he also spilled his digested breakfast on the today show the next day. approximate time wasted on this family who was once on an episode of wife swap: 1.5 days. 3 days later and #balloonboy is still a trending topic. this kid is gonna have a great story to tell in school tomorrow.

saturday: homophobia is gay, and jan moir would say the same. funny though, after the daily mail columnist blamed the death of british pop star stephen gately on his open sexuality. her friday article put her name all over the twitterverse and blogosphere while the acclaimed ally said his 'sleazy' death struck 'another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships.' needless to say, the world went ape.

sunday: i hope you didn't grind your teeth all the way down, this one will make you smile. if theres nothing i love more than social media itself, its seeing a good cause come from it. the hashtag #beatcancer has dominated the trending topics now, but why? eBay/PayPal and MillerCoors have vowed to donate 1 cent to cancer research for every tweet, status update, and blog post containing the hashtag #beatcancer. quelle sympathique. but they dont stop there, oh no. they are also trying to set a guiness world record “for the distribution of the largest mass message through social media” in a 24 hour period.

blogwarts

2009-10-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

what i would like my brain to do:

what i would like to do to the idea of a midterm:

what i would rather study:

who i should be studying with:

i think you get the idea
blogging hogwarts 1 daydream at a time

and i'd like to take a minute and just sit right there and tell you how i took off in a balloon filled with hot air

2009-10-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

this is too good not to post, the prince himself would be proud.

thanks to @mashable for the pictorial