Daniel Roe
What do the employees of a web development agency do on their days off? While some might go on holiday, and enjoy a bit of sunshine, others choose to spend their time, delving into the wonders that the Internet has to offer. From the wonders of the Wayback Machine to the wackiness of the Useless Web, here are six ideas that creators are looking at this holiday season, that you can explore too!
Ever wanted a truly random experience on the web? While Google’s I’m Feeling Lucky feature normally takes users to the top-ranked webpage on a particular topic or issue, there are very few sites out there that allow you to truly experience the realm of wacky, wild, and ridiculous websites – at the click of a button.
Enter the mind of Tim Holman – self-described tinkerer, tuner, and tamperer, and also the mind behind The Useless Web, a button that links you to a collection of some of the most intriguing puzzles and pages on the web – from a perpetual scrolling Doge to a Checkbox Race, this website is truly the wackiness of the internet, contained in a single click. You never know where you’ll end up next!
Have you ever wanted to try a puzzle for the holidays and found yourself bored with the usual crosswords and sudoku? Fortunately, the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), one of the nation’s leading spy agencies, publishes a challenge every Christmas.
For the budding cyber sleuth, the GCHQ Christmas Challenge offers a series of holiday-themed puzzles that you can take and do at your leisure. Masterminded by GCHQ’s top puzzle-makers (who may or may not be spies by day), the challenge is sure to test your logical reasoning skills. It’s also a fun little stocking stuffer if you want to have a little fun with the family!
Ever gotten so frustrated that you wanted to express your rage? While it can be exciting to use a punching bag, let’s be realistic – it can hurt your hands and be a pretty uncomfortable experience. Why not try slapping someone with an eel?
The utterly ridiculous website, Eel Slap, features an interactive graphic of Swedish marketer Per Stenius getting smacked across the face with an eel. That’s it – there are no sounds, no additional graphics, and no high scores – just a man to slap with an eel. Great way to express a bit of frustration, without the physical cost of accidentally injuring yourself with a punching bag this holiday season.
Have you ever written a letter to yourself and lost it? It can be difficult keeping track of a letter to future you – it’s very easy to misplace a time capsule, and many budding home renovators have discovered messages from previous occupants over the years, such as the decades-old messages from Ethel and Harold Wright, discovered in a renovation of their former Birmingham home by new owner, Scott Bevan.
FutureMe is a website that allows writers to send their messages up to fifty years into the future. Essentially, the website works as a letter holder – securely saving your message for tomorrow in a place that won’t easily be dispensed of.
Writing to yourself can be a powerful exercise, allowing you to reflect on things that have happened in the past, while also sharing hope for what lies ahead. For many, writing to yourself can also be therapeutic – receiving a letter can allow you to reflect on just how much the world has changed over the years.
Traveling can be expensive – after all, with rises in the cost of airfares and passenger travel, going overseas can sometimes cost several thousand dollars – for many, including families, this can be cost prohibitive.
Fortunately, there is a solution. WindowSwap is a website that allows travelers to experience the world through the windows of others – according to the founders, it allows people to relax, focus, meditate, and travel without moving. For those who like to travel, but are dissuaded by the costs, WindowSwap can be a great way to experience the world. From a wintery backyard in Chamonix, France, to a grassy slope in Connecticut, USA, there’s sure to be a window that will inspire and delight.
Last but not least – have you ever wondered how some of the biggest websites on the internet looked five, ten, or even twenty years ago? There’s a website, powered by the Internet Archive, that allows you to look back on websites and how they looked over time.
At the time of writing, the Wayback Machine contains more than 800 billion snapshots of websites – meaning that if you want to pique your historical interest and look at how websites have evolved over the years, you’re only a short click away. A family favorite has to be Apple in the late 1990s – just look at those GIFs!
