This Site Will Let You Step Back In Time And Browse The Old Internet

Remember the days when the internet was a lot slower and clunkier, with websites that looked like middle school scrapbooks? There was multicolored overlapping text, way too many pixelated icons, GIFs, hit counters, and guestbooks. They were simpler times, even if a bit ugly by today's standards. If your memory is failing to draw up a vivid enough picture, or you're too young to relate, we found a website that will transport you back in time and let you experience the old internet firsthand. 

With how much the web has changed and how quickly it continues to, it's easy to lose sight of just how far it has come. But you can relive those good old slower days with OldWeb.Today, a JavaScript simulator that lets you experience loading websites on any browser from any point in internet history. You could see what YouTube looked like when it was still a dating service, on OG browsers including early versions of NCSA Mosaic, Netscape Navigator, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera. The tool pulls data from online sources like  the Internet Archive, then displays them on an emulator that replicates what surfing the web was like on any given date.

There are more benefits to this flashback exercise beyond the nostalgic dopamine hit. Archived content is research gold, and can serve as inspiration for web designers, especially if they're creating retro-themed interfaces. Loading old versions of websites is also one way to bypass internet censorship and restriction. (You could also use a VPN for the same purpose but where's the fun in that?)

One thing you should keep in mind, though, is that replicating the old web means it can take a while for the pages to load. OldWeb takes a few moments to pull up the copies of the pages you want from the archives, anyway. But the result is like dial-up internet without the beeps and screeches, so it at least adds to the authenticity of the experience.

Whether it's for remembrance or research, OldWeb.Today is a great way to appreciate how much the internet has evolved, and see how elements of the old web still exist in new forms. You might learn some history too. For example, Mozilla Firefox, which we consider one of the best web browsers for privacy, is a descendant of the old Netscape Navigator. How's that for a bit of web trivia?