Beginners hurdle (not so much a mistake): Tapping around in the dark for not having enough clues about the possibilities of HTML.
Light up a torch instead. For me, this was an old book being humbly called "HTML 4", costing 3 Euros. I've read through all the tags, that were described there and that got some ideas going. Things I never imagined the HTML overlords have put into the specifications!
E-Mail is my favourite medium to communicate with friends. Unfortuneatly it has fallen out of favour for many, especially the young, who prefer quick short messanging via WhatsApp and Telegram. But I'm too stubborn to switch to their spywares, so they have to go through the "pain" of opening their webmail, sort out the spam and enter a complicated looking E-Mail address.
To highly improve your E-Mail experience, I suggest to get a good provider, even if you pay lets say 1 dollar per month for it. You have less trash being thrown at you or maybe even no trash at all!
There are new developments for old operating systems like Windows 98 and Windows XP!
Previously, it was Opera 12.02 and K-Meleon 1.5.4 that were the best choices for browsers. Now there is a patch for the old Netscape 9.0.0.6, that makes it possible to access TLS-1.2 encrypted HTTPS sites.
Disable JavaScript on your ride around the WWW. Then you're even safer than all the new computers alltogether. And, considering how slow the old single cores and old hard disks were, it's reasonably quick on the right sites. Some sites that use modern stuff will not load at all of course, but Melonland runs without problems. I find Windows 98 to be very useful. You get all the great programs of the past for free. And the machines of around 2000 already have enough horsepower to participate in the web effectively. Even online gaming with things like Armagetron, CS 1.6 and Star Trek is possible. Well, you have to look for the right services of course, but there are plenty of options available for Windows 98. Writing this on an old machine of course!
Time for some worn-out desk with equipment from the trash. The table would be too low for me, so it has a couple of customisations. The front part has been sawn off to fit my fat legs below it. Also, I've drilled lots of holes all around the table to have all the wires run through them without getting in the way. The router is fixed below the table (see the second picture).
The KVM switch is the best part in the installation. That way I can let four computers run over the same monitor while using only one keyboard and mouse. I prefer an ordinary 4:3 screen over big screens, probably nostalgia. Although that has it's limitations on video editing I have to say. Same goes for the hardware, XP power machine from 2008 running a nice Linux to use Kdenlive for video cutting, but the resolution has to be kept limited and rendering times are dreadful. Trustworthy Windows 98 machine on the other side (I'm writing this post on it!) and little Asus Eee netbook for "Multi Tasking".
The salt stone lamps have a beautiful light that looks like the light of a candle. And via a time clock, one of them automatically turns on in the morning to let me awaken softly.
A CRT monitor is only brought out to display old computers as old stoneage dinosaurs for photos. That CRT monster would fill the whole desk up! How the heck did the people do that 20 years ago? Maybe they stuffed everything on top of these blocky things. But jeez, you can't sit that close to the monitor...
Also interesting might be the note board (at the top left of the desk picture). I love to have nonsense written all over on paper, whenever I have an idea. Or stick my own designs on it, look occasionally on them, and maybe find something to improve. Analogue way, more accessable I think. Nah, I'm not a professional, but with this desk setup, I can sink deep into a 10 hour programming session... Which I can only do, because I ride my bicycle every day. The equipment doesn't need to be ergonomic at all.
Ouch, long post! But this desk really tells some stories.
I found a weird way of inspiration: Don't "watch" a movie, just close your eyes, get some headphones and listen to the pure sound of that movie. Then let your imagination create an image for you. Your first thought counts, no tinkering allowed! Be misguided in terms of story, it's not a problem, as you can correct your misconceptions on the fly, if they'd break the movie.
It turns the best, well planed story into the most ridiculous B-trash.
Every site should have a link list (which was more common before search engines became a big thing). Cool sites. Sites you visit often. Interesting webdesign. You make the categories. That way, I share bookmarks between computers. And maybe someone else finds a hidden gem there too. There are plenty of niche websites that you'll only find via link lists. Search engines don't really show every scrappy little website.
Do you have something similar to ebay-kleinanzeigen.de in your country? Private people selling used goods to other private people. Looks of stuff to browse through.
Online marketplaces definetly need a libre alternative. It's too much cooperate control, ads infested and most marketplaces try to make money out of the users. All of a sudden fees come out of nowhere.
Oh, oh, what will the future bring then? Will colours be scrapped for the sake of simplicity? They started with ugly concrete buildings already... and the cars on the road also lost some colours over the years, being mostly black, grey and white (at least here).
100 years ago, the designers must have had a lot of time. In the attachments, may I present you the cover of "The Book of Inventions".
Time to optimise some image palettes for you floppy kings and queens.
Taking a 240x240 image:
BMP, all colours - 168 KB BMP, 256 c. - 57,3 KB BMP, 128 c. - 57,3 KB BMP, 64 c. - 57,3 KB BMP, 32 c. - 57,3 KB BMP, 16 c. - 28,2 KB BMP, 8 c. - 28,2 KB BMP, 4 c. - 28,2 KB
PNG, all colours - 66,1 KB PNG, 256 c. - 54,2 KB PNG, 128 c. - 44,8 KB PNG, 64 c. - 35,5 KB PNG, 32 c. - 27,6 KB PNG, 16 c. - 20,8 KB PNG, 8 c. - 14,5 KB PNG, 4 c. - 9,0 KB
GIF with all colours doesn't exist GIF, 256 c. - 67,6 KB GIF, 128 c. - 55,4 KB GIF, 64 c. - 42,1 KB GIF, 32 c. - 30,7 KB GIF, 16 c. - 21,7 KB GIF, 8 c. - 14,6 KB GIF, 4 c. - 8,9 KB
The image in the attachments shows, how little quality is lost when reducing the palette. And for the last three images, check the different modes of reducing the palette: normal (plain), pattern mode (crosses) and diffusion dithering (dots).
My sister used to post Facebook messages for her language course insitute. Lots of cultural things, written in easy language so that foreigners of the languague could understand it.
Even at home, she was always on the phone. Checking this, checking that for work... making a post here and there. Jeez, she was so stressed with this!
But the truth is, that's my sister's own fault. Because she let the workplace intrude her home time! If your boss demands for that, get options on board where this is not the case. Get a better workplace then! Oh, there are actually bosses around that care for their employees. Search, and you'll find.
At work, switch to drone mode, autopilot your things, that's where you represent the company... But at home, you're a different person. Treat your space like something sacred. Work is work and home is home. Seperate that! Works for me at least.
Although... not the worst thing to be paid for being on social media, when this is your addiction. Dammit, you could be paid well one day for representing a company on social media!
In the case of you having enough of social media, graphic artists have other topics too, haven't they? What's with humble webdesign? Or agencies that design companies logos. Or adverts in general. I've installed a huge printer for two local advert agencies and had a look around. Looked like a cool place, although I felt the artists egos somewhat made the group a bit uncooperative, just from the outside view. And well, you'd measure "creativity" in a different way when designing the weekly market brochure. But if they can afford 10 Super-Macs they probably can afford to be nice to the employees too. Story of a small company, that can be found in every moderately-sized town probably.
Let me throw in another idea: Always consider taking a time off this. Do some easy "analoge" jobs, if money is a concern. For example: Driving the post around with a bicycle. Or tidy up the horses stable. I did this for 2 years and it helped me from liberating my mind from sitting too much in front of a desk.
Well, HTTPS will be an issue. Nowadays practically all websites enforce HTTPS; including Melonland, if I recall correctly.
Indeed, but the browser tweaker "Roytam" made an update for the old Netscape and Firefox versions, that includes newer encryption ciphers. The files can be currently found here: http://o.rthost.win/gpc/files1.rt/ns9-nss-update.7z Windows 98 will be able to participate on the current web for a couple of years probably.
You can print out your own stickers! Do you have a copyshop nearby? Or do you have a good printer at home? You could use printable labels, which you could cut out then. Or a transparency, which would give it a translucent look. There exists also a very special transparent sticker paper, that can be printed on, but that's expensive...
When the "retro" web stops being accessable through Netscape 9.0.0.6 on Windows 98. I think that a proper website has to look good and be functional on the dustiest machines from the scrapyard.
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