Even though HTML 4.0 specs were released after these sites were published, they still could be called HTML 4.0-era sites simply because it was the longest-running version of HTML before HTML 5 came around. The coding conventions, as well as the general aesthetic and subject matter, are often associated referred to using the 4.0 descriptor, anyways. Kind of like how we call tissues “Kleenex,” or how we say we’re going to “Xerox” a document when we are really just copying it. Use of brands and labels are often inaccurate; that’s just how language works sometimes.
The Space Jam website from 1996 is probably the most popular one of the HTML 4.0-era websites. It’s fascinating not just because it’s old, but for all its existence as a marketing site for a popular franchise, it hasn’t been updated at all—or at least very little—since it was first published, with the same outdated code and same outdated UI. Despite being comparatively as old as Göbekli Tepe in Internet years, it still works for normal users. Not optimal by any means, especially if you are a screen reader user or on a mobile device, but if you can bring yourself to put in effort other than thumb-scrolling, this website will work for you.
There’s also spork.org, which I had never heard of, but I remember sporks themselves being a meme of interest before memes were labeled as such.
The Interrupt Technology Corporation’s website, itcorp.com, works fine, as it’s just un-styled HTML text. For some reason on my phone the text is too small, but using Chrome’s developer toolbar, it’s more or less mobile-friendly.
Milk.com has (mostly) consistent UI throughout its pages, and with some quick HTML and/or CSS work, the front page won’t activate horizontal scrolling on mobile devices. The guy has a page about why he hasn’t sold the domain; Domain Price Check reports milk.com’s market value at a little over $65k, which is chump change if you’re a big enough player in the dairy scene. I guess there’s not a lot of them out there; the Dairy Farmers of America or La Leche League might not have the kind of money to throw around on domains: milk.com’s owner isn’t letting it go for less than $10 million, and I can’t blame him.
I shamelessly stole this content from this video, by YouTube uploader CodingWithLewis.
4 Comments
Some real nice-looking sites here. In my experience, a fair number of academics take a liking to these HTML 4.0 sites as well.
Oh, for sure. Unless you’re a celebrity academic (are they really academics at that point?), you’re gonna have a HTML 4.0-looking website in your starter pack. Academics, and high school teacher “classroom pages” will have those sites, or maybe something on Wix if they are daring enough.
I first learned HTML during the reign of 4.0. I don’t miss it. As soon as XHMTL became an option, I jumped.
I never got on the XHTML bandwagon, though I know it had a lot of promise. HTML5, I think, took a lot of what XHTML and standardized it a bit more.