HD

Is this one of those things that you know is completely impractical, but you just did it because you can?

Yep. That's basically what I do: Things that aren't practical, but cool as hell!

Don't worry, it's not a conspiracy. Older browsers just don't recognize the newer method of using a single IP to issue multiple certificates.

Certificates that don't come from a known trusted source recognized by the browser will cause a warning so you have to manually accept them.

Yeah but isn't that reflective of how many certificates and "services" are being used nowadays, doing things like collecting user data and selling it to advertisers?

Back in the day, that would have caused a massive outrage, but over the years, it's become normalised.

fou

Personally, I feel most bluetooth devices are unecessary. They're a solution with no problem, basically.

It's possible to tie up your wires in a way that they never get tangled, which does a lot to mitigate the tangling problem. (It's basically up to me to remember to do it every time :':wink: )

Bluetooth also has problems like connection dropping out, which is something I've experienced with a speaker I have. The sound quality wasn't even good enough in my opinion to even warrant charging and using it.

So I'm very anti-Bluetooth. It has it's uses, but for the most part, it doesn't do anything a simple wire can't do better.

Yeah, I've disabled Javascript and refuse 3rd party cookies. It doesn't seem to affect my browsing experience, and hopefully does something to mitigate any risks.

I've even hooked the laptop up to a CRT monitor, and it feels so authentic! Like this is how Windows 98 should be experienced, you know?

I think what I might end up doing is use this laptop recreationally. Like browse the old web & Wiby, go on forums like this nd the Yesterweb one, and play what classic games I can on this laptop.

My main PC being a more work PC for working on my games and running games this laptop cannot.

You know, getting all of these "certificate"/cookie notifications has made me realise something: Back in the day, those were seen as dangerous and risky to accept, to the point it stops you in your tracks to let you know they're there.

Now you're never told anything. The risks have been way downplayed since and are seen as normal, and you're the weirdo for not liking them. I'm sure this was no accident.

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.

For those who want to go deeper, check this thread in the MSFN message board:
https://msfn.org/board/topic/183515-using-netscape-9-in-2022/

Here you can download the TLS patch for Netscape 9:
http://o.rthost.win/gpc/files1.rt/ns9-nss-update.7z

That sounds neat! Sadly, my laptop has only 32MB of RAM, and Netscape 9 requires 64.
I plan to upgrade this laptop to maximise the performance I can get out of it, hopefully that can include upgrading the RAM.

? ? ?

Wow though that screenshot looks almost perfect; Im surprised the CSS holds up. One of the rules I try to maintain is that sites should at least be navigable without Javascript for exactly things like this! (Unless it really needs JS)

I do the same for my site. It uses Javascript, but I coded it so that it can work without if need be. The site works on the browser, but it reads the CSS wrong. It also keeps saying it can't connect to the site securely, even though it was displaying and functional.

Its a very cool project though thanks for sharing it! And you should totally use this and your main browser setup!

I'm tempted. That way I'm not tempted by Discord or social media. A few people are concerned about the safety, though.
I did a bit of research, and found one page on the subject, and it mentioned that while it does leave me vulnerable, very few people use Windows 9x as their daily driver that no viruses are made for it nowadays. There is still a risk, though, I guess.

President

I managed to connect to the internet with my Thinkpad 660E, running Windows 98, by getting a Wi-Fi G compatible PCMcia card, a program that connects to WPA2 connections, and the last K-meleon browser compatible for Windows 98, and it works! I'm sending this message from it!



Don't worry, this is going to be a one time thing, I am aware of the potential risks and vulnerabilities that come with connecting to the internet with such an old device. (Though no viruses are made for 9x nowadays, the vulnerabilities remain. Any suggestions to mitigate them are welcome.) I'm going to mostly use the internet connection on this for TheOldNet proxy after this.

Surprisingly, despite the constant prompts to accept certificates, the internet is still perfectly browsable on Windows 98, and it's not too slow either. I think it's actually comparable to my 2012 MacBook in terms of speed.

Some sites, though, like the big tech social media, and Discord, don't work on this. Downloads don't really work either, since the connection is constantly dropping out and reconnecting. That and programs assume it's downloading from Dial-Up, which seems to work differently.

So it's definitely not optimal for daily driver usage, but if this was my only computer, and I really had to use Windows 98 in today's world, I could probably make it work, though I'd need to communicate exclusively on IRC and Forums and exclusively develop homebrew software.

There are some proxies and servers you can set up for Windows 98, like WebOne and Browservice that make the modern web more compatible with older browsers and supposedly give you a better experience, though I've yet to try those.

Anyway, yeah, just thought I'd make this post, now to disconnect. :p

Question?

Apostrophe

Granted, but people can tell when you're telling the truth or lying.

I wish I was happy

Stumblin'

I haven't updated my personal site in a while, been busy with IRL stuff, but I do have plans for it in the future.

I was recently watching 007 Tomorrow Never Dies, and for those who haven't seen it, involves someone running a news and media conglomerate killing people for views and doing very shady things for profit.

One aspect I remember from it was they were launching an on-demand TV service or something, and they deliberately littered it with bugs so people would buy upgrades where they would be "fixed".

I seem to recall back in the day this plot was ridiculed for being silly, but these days, it feels very on point and more relevant today than when it came out. It's almost like it's aged backwards?

That's got me thinking, are there any other films like this? Where it was seen as over the top or silly back then but now fit so well in today's society?

Seems they've started doing this challenge on Gemini, too. (HTTP link)

I think it's a lot easier on Gemini because of how simpler that protocol is, but it's still cool to see!