Our favorite sites are constantly changing before our very eyes, so much so that we often fail to notice.
Over the past two decades the world’s most popular websites have each made the transformation from ugly pages filled with hyperlinks and unattractive logos to billion dollar enterprises, and we thought we’d take a look at just how much has changed since they each launched.
Here’s what the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google and Amazon looked like when they first launched. Needless to say, the results make us terrified of growing old.
What Websites Looked Like When They First Launched
-
Facebook - 2004
It's weird to think that Facebook once had to explain itself on its homepage, but back in 2004 when it was called 'Thefacebook' that's exactly what it had to do.
Most people know the Facebook story by now thanks to The Social Network. Initially launched as a networking site for Harvard students only, the brand would eventually be launched into the stratosphere and make founder Mark Zuckerberg the youngest billionaire in the world. Nowadays it's a mess of auto-playing videos, promoted content and memes, but it's still as popular as ever.
-
Google - 1996
The most visited website on the Internet has never looked flashy, mainly because it doesn't need to. People don't even use the term search engine anymore due to how synonymous Google has become with its function. We'd wager that even people who use Yahoo! say that they are "Googling" something rather than "Yahooing" it, because it just sounds better.
Back when Google first launched in 1996 there was an exclamation point on the end of its logo, an option to narrow searches down to a meager 10 results and an option to sign up for e-mail updates. It's the only website on this list that's more minimalist now than it was back when it launched.
-
YouTube - 2005
YouTube is now continuing to position itself as the feature of all media, as its ever-expanding archive of video content perfectly caters towards a generation with an increasingly small attention span.
Back in 2005 the site launched with just one video, featuring one of its founders visiting the zoo. Since then, the site has been involved in a major buyout from Google, continuing to dominate the media and diminishing the appeal of the written word.
-
Blogger - 1999
The most popular blogging site, Blogger.com had a far more minimalist approach to its design back when it first launched in 1999.
Since its launch it now competes toe-to-toe with Wordpress as the most popular blogging site on the 'net, though you'd never guess that from its humble beginnings in the late '90s.
-
MySpace - 2003
The first truly massive social network, MySpace has been slowly declining for a few years, and is now an ugly mess of a music sharing site.
Back in simpler times (2003) MySpace pitched itself as an equivalent to FriendsReunited, and given where the site is now, its owners likely wish it would've stayed that way.
-
Yahoo! - 1994
Yahoo! or "that search engine that isn't Google" as it is more commonly known, actually launched before its more popular contemporary, being one of the first search engines in the world.
Its logo has remained pretty consistent over the years (though it's much less cartoony these days) though it now features original news stories, and a more accurate look at trending topics than is featured on any site outside of Twitter.
-
Amazon - 1995
Still keeping the same old familiar Amazon logo, before the online store would effectively destroy the high street shopping market it was this unassuming mass of texts and images. We're sure that most stores would have rather it had stayed that way.
Amazon is now the king of online shopping, with it set to soon release its Amazon Fire Phone that will allow users to scan images of items in-store before checking their price on the site.
-
Wikipedia - 2001
The site that now helps thousands of students grind their way through college, Wikipedia has always favored content over design, but back in 2001 its appearance was even more minimalist than it is now.
From this image you'd never guess that Wikipedia would eventually be the greatest library of information in the world. To be honest, it's difficult to imagine a world without Wikipedia at all. When was the last time anyone went to a library?
-
Twitter - 2006
Considering that Twitter is the youngest site featured in this line-up, its design was much more primitive than that of its peers when it launched in 2006.
With no logo whatsoever and very little in the way of a description of its purpose, its surprising to think that this small social networking site would eventually go on to rival the likes of Facebook.
