GARETH HALFACREE’S
Hobby tech
The latest tips, tricks and news in the world of computer hobbyism,
from Raspberry Pi, Arduino and Android to retro computing
T
he modern Internet is dominated
by the World Wide Web, and the
modern World Wide Web is
dominated by social networks. According to
InternetLiveStats.com, around half the users
of the Web are also Facebook users. Add in
Twitter, Instagram and so on, and it would be
fair to claim that the majority of web use
comes down to social networking.
The modern web, though, is very different
from the early days of the Internet. ‘Back
in ye olden Inter-Net tymes of the 1990s,
if you were a (then youngish) nerd like me,
you’d get an account on some server called
CyberFox.net and your web address would
be http://CyberFox.net/~vixen. (You were
“vixen”),’ wrote Paul Ford, founder of tilde.
club, in October 2014. ‘And you could put
some web pages at that address. The early
personal web grew up around these little
“tilde sites”; that’s what preceded blogging.
The “~” is a little like the “@” on Twitter - a
shortcut that says: “Here is a person.”’
Listening to Fleetwood Mac, reading a blog
post by Stevie Nicks and drinking perhaps
more than he should was all it took for Fordto decide to bring back those early days. ‘YES
also i (sic) just registered http://tilde.club and
will given (sic) anyone a shell account who
wants one,’ Ford told his Twitter followers. A
day later, he had 100 requests for accounts.
While Ford followed through on his
promise to set up tilde.club, the shell
accounts were slow to follow. Having
considerably underestimated demand – by
the time approvals were paused, the queue
had over 10,000 accounts pending – Ford
set up a waiting list. For all but the lucky firsthandful, five years would pass with little
progress on setting up accounts.
Ford had, however, triggered something
of a movement. Impatient to get started,
some waitlist members followed in Ford’s
footsteps and set up servers of their own.
They created what’s now known as the
‘tildeverse’, a conglomeration of tilde.club-
style sites, many of which cater to specific
interest groups in a manner not dissimilar
to the city-themed sections of our dear
departed GeoCities.ANALYSIS
tilde.club
CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH
It’s not exactly Crysis, but it’s easy to get sucked into the ASCII-art games on tilde.clubGARETH HALFACREE’S
Hobby tech
The latest tips, tricks and news in the world of computer hobbyism,
from Raspberry Pi, Arduino and Android to retro computing
T
he modern Internet is dominated
by the World Wide Web, and the
modern World Wide Web is
dominated by social networks. According to
InternetLiveStats.com, around half the users
of the Web are also Facebook users. Add in
Twitter, Instagram and so on, and it would be
fair to claim that the majority of web use
comes down to social networking.
The modern web, though, is very different
from the early days of the Internet. ‘Back
inyeoldenInter-Nettymesofthe1990s,
if youwerea (thenyoungish)nerdlikeme,
you’dgetanaccountonsomeservercalled
CyberFox.netandyourwebaddresswould
behttp://CyberFox.net/~vixen. (Youwere
“vixen”),’wrotePaulFord,founderoftilde.
club,inOctober2014.‘Andyoucouldput
somewebpagesatthataddress.Theearly
personalwebgrewuparoundtheselittle
“tildesites”;that’swhatprecededblogging.
The“~”isa littlelikethe“@”onTwitter- a
shortcutthatsays:“Hereisa person.”’
ListeningtoFleetwoodMac,readinga blog
postbyStevieNicksanddrinkingperhaps
morethanheshouldwasallit tookforFordtodecidetobringbackthoseearlydays.‘YES
alsoi (sic)justregisteredhttp://tilde.cluband
willgiven(sic)anyonea shellaccountwho
wantsone,’FordtoldhisTwitterfollowers.A
daylater,hehad 100 requestsforaccounts.
WhileFordfollowedthroughonhis
promisetosetuptilde.club,theshell
accountswereslowtofollow.Having
considerablyunderestimateddemand– by
thetimeapprovalswerepaused,thequeue
hadover10,000accountspending– Ford
setupa waitinglist.Forallbuttheluckyfirsthandful,fiveyearswouldpass with little
progressonsettingupaccounts.
Fordhad,however,triggered something
ofa movement.Impatientto get started,
somewaitlistmembersfollowed in Ford’s
footstepsandsetupservers of their own.
Theycreatedwhat’snowknown as the
‘tildeverse’,a conglomeration of tilde.club-
stylesites,manyofwhichcater to specific
interestgroupsina mannernot dissimilar
tothecity-themedsectionsof our dear
departedGeoCities.ANALYSIS
tilde.club
CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH
It’s not exactly Crysis, but it’s easy to get sucked into the ASCII-art games on tilde.club