Before the dominance of search engines like Google, several content discovery mechanisms existed that weren't traditional search engines or directories. Perhaps out of convenience, perhaps due to efforts of governments and corporations to remove or supersede decentralized discovery methods, many of these either went defunct or were squashed:
I search for this because I was trying to find ideas of things that would be great to exist via Nostr. Prior to the World Wide Web, I used BBSes, and had direct experience with the its onset. Some of these bring back memories for me. Some of these were quite useful and fun.
- Web Rings (1994): Web rings were networks of websites linked together in a circular structure. Each site in the ring displayed navigation links to the next and previous sites, allowing users to explore related content easily.
- Online Forums and Bulletin Board Systems (BBS): Forums and BBS were popular for discussions, and users often shared links to interesting content within these communities. It was a form of social content discovery where users recommended content to each other.
- Link Lists and Blogrolls: Websites often maintained lists of links to other websites or blogs they found interesting or relevant. This practice was prevalent in the early days of the web and served as a form of curated content discovery.
- Email Newsletters: Some websites and individuals distributed regular email newsletters containing curated links and content recommendations. Users subscribed to these newsletters to stay updated on interesting topics.
- Online Communities and Social Networks: Certain online communities and social networks, although not as sophisticated as today's platforms, played a role in content discovery. Users would share links and content within these communities.
- Bookmarking Services: Users often relied on bookmarking services to save and share links to interesting websites. Social bookmarking platforms like Delicious (2003) allowed users to discover content based on what others were bookmarking.
- Web Directories with User Ratings: Some web directories incorporated user ratings and reviews. Users could discover interesting content based on the recommendations and ratings provided by others.
- Aggregator Sites: Certain websites acted as content aggregators, collecting and showcasing content from various sources in one place. Users could explore diverse content without visiting individual websites.
- Random Link Buttons: Some websites featured "Random Link" buttons that users could click to discover a random website. This was a more serendipitous way of stumbling upon new and interesting content.
- Gopher Protocol (1991): Long before the World Wide Web dominated, Gopher was a text-based protocol enabling users to traverse menus and discover content on remote servers. Though overshadowed by the web, it paved the way for early content navigation.
- StumbleUpon (2002): StumbleUpon was a unique platform allowing users to 'stumble' upon random websites based on selected interests. Its demise in 2018 marked the end of a serendipitous journey through the web's hidden gems.
- Geocities Neighborhoods (1994): Geocities, a web hosting service, organized user-created websites into "neighborhoods" based on themes. Users explored these virtual neighborhoods to discover eclectic and personal content.
- The DMOZ Open Directory Project (1998-2017): DMOZ was a human-edited directory, a relic of the early web, where volunteers organized websites into categories. Its closure marked the end of a collaborative effort to index the internet.
- Folksonomies and Tags: Platforms like Flickr and Delicious embraced folksonomies, where users collaboratively tagged content. Exploring tags led to unexpected discoveries, as users ventured beyond traditional search methods.
- Guestbooks (1990s): Guestbooks attached to websites allowed visitors to leave comments and recommendations, fostering a sense of community-driven content discovery.
- Usenet Newsgroups (1980s-1990s): Usenet provided a decentralized discussion platform where users shared links and recommendations in newsgroups. It was a precursor to today's forums and social media communities.
- Blog Carnivals (Early 2000s): Bloggers participated in themed blog carnivals where they submitted articles related to a specific topic. Readers could explore a variety of perspectives and content within a niche area.
- The FidoNet BBS Network (1984-2006): FidoNet allowed users to exchange messages and files across a network of Bulletin Board Systems (BBS). Within these digital hubs, users shared recommendations and links to interesting content.
- Hypercard Stacks (1987-2004): Hypercard, a software application, allowed users to create interactive "stacks" of cards with links between them. Users explored interconnected stacks, reminiscent of a precursor to hyperlinked content.
- Aardvark (2007-2011): Aardvark was a social search engine that leveraged friends and friends-of-friends to answer queries. Users could ask questions and receive answers from real people, fostering a more social approach to content discovery.
These are just some things that I uncovered, via the help of AI and search engines. Any more to add to the list that people remember that were fun and/or useful for finding/sharing information?