online
jul 8
2010

Do You Remember Where You Were?

I was thinking this morning about how I can remember exactly where I was the first time I saw Napster. (One of the IT guys at work showed it to me. It was mesmerizing.) This got me thinking about other online apps/phenomena that I can recall seeing for the first time with precise clarity. Here's my list of I Know Exactly Where I Was When I First Saw...

  • Napster
  • Google Maps
  • Friendster
  • Hot Or Not
  • Wikipedia
  • YouTube
  • Dodgeball
  • Foursquare
  • Chatroulette
  • 4chan
  • Bro Icing
  • Netscape browser
  • The Paris Hilton Sex Video
  • lonelygirl15
  • Goatse.cx
  • 2 Girls, 1 Cup

And for whatever reason, some things not on this list:

  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • eBay
  • PayPal
  • iPhone
  • Gawker
  • Digg
  • AOL
  • Flickr
  • Firefox
  • Chocolate Rain
  • Rickrolling
  • Any video with a cat

Yours?

15 comments

I remember the first time I saw non-maternal breasts. Mesmerizing.

posted by Swineheart at 1:18 PM on July 8, 2010


A lot of the above comes to mind I can also add:

Google Maps
Flash animated sites
Live streaming
Mobile apps
Podcasts
Dramatic Squirrel
and my favorite, Oolong - the rabbit with a pancake on its head

posted by Gigi at 1:21 PM on July 8, 2010

I don't get this list at all.

I think for 95% of this list (the exceptions being dodgeball, Paris Hilton sex vid, iPhone and any video with a cat) I'm going to have to answer: "Sitting in front of my computer."

I mean, where else were you supposed to be to see half these things?

posted by e at 2:05 PM on July 8, 2010

I remember eBay for sure. I was blown away by the genius of feedback. So simple yet it's the engine that created billions in sales.

posted by Ed at 4:00 PM on July 8, 2010

e: Yes, I know I saw 2 Girls, 1 Cup in front of a computer....

The question is: do you remember where and when, do you remember what you thought, do you remember the moment?

posted by Rex at 12:30 AM on July 9, 2010

* WinAmp
* Hamsterdance
* Google (previously used Dogpile)
* Prodigy and early message boards
* Stileproject
* Youtube
* Telnet
* Hotmail (my first email address was pretty offensive, and I thought better of it when I realized that my grandparents or an employer might want to email me someday)
* Friendster

posted by RiskeBiz at 1:05 PM on July 9, 2010

Dude, I remember my 1st ANIMATED GIF! We stared at it for an hour trying to figure out what they had done.

posted by The Magic of Kittens at 7:40 PM on July 9, 2010

I remember the room I was in when my cousin told me about the site sometime in 2000. I was like. "That sounds... I don't see how that can stand. Free? Something's not right there." And he's like, "No, it's fine." And he was right*. Thus began my 8-year hiatus from music purchases.

*sort of. you know.

posted by Eric at 9:17 PM on July 9, 2010

Some sites you stated are also I have and I remember my imeem before and now its gone and it's in myspace

posted by kurobe at 1:44 PM on July 15, 2010

I also stated those.

posted by Natalie Siu at 10:16 PM on July 15, 2010

Stileproject
* Youtube
* Telnet
So nice. PLs try

posted by Dylan Long at 11:14 PM on July 19, 2010

Glaringly absent is Twitter, Rex. In fact I remember hearing of Twitter for the first time right here in Fimoculous. I must say I didn't get it at the time and did not see the potential. Come to think of it I'm still not convinced that it will have staying power once it has run its meme cycle.

posted by Ronpadz at 6:20 PM on July 20, 2010

Maybe you should change your title to just "my all-time favorite sites" or I don't know..

posted by malaga at 6:13 PM on August 1, 2010

hmm... interesting lists..

posted by Almeria at 6:16 PM on August 1, 2010

I remember where I was when I saw Napster as well, in my old old neighborhood a friend brought me over and showed me...I thought he was a computer hacker for sure.
Check out this blog for more info. My blog.

posted by Nathan at 11:09 AM on August 6, 2010




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