What did www.python.org look like from 1996 to 2021?(whatdiditlooklike.mementoweb.org)
whatdiditlooklike.mementoweb.org
What did www.python.org look like from 1996 to 2021?
https://whatdiditlooklike.mementoweb.org/post/639415402106142720/what-did-httpswwwpythonorg-look-like-from
42 comments
> If it had taken off, we might be scripting web pages in Python instead of Javascript, even!
It was a candidate I believe, but it's not easy to search for information on that...
It was a candidate I believe, but it's not easy to search for information on that...
They quit working on it when it was realized that stopping arbitrary code execution via escalation from isolated code execution was practically impossible to stop in the interpreter.
All these links are prefixed with https://href.li which uses meta refresh as a means of redirection, which apparently still works on most popular browsers, to "hide" the Referer header. What I have never understood is why no one cares if the operator of href.li thereby gets logs of every URL submitted along with originating IP. In this example, there is an implicit assumption that the user wishes to "hide" the Referer header from one website, e.g., arquivo.pt, archive.org, bibalex.org, vefsafn.is, loc.gov, webcitation.org, or archive-it.org, but not from another, i.e., href.li.^1 This is, IMO, a recurring theme with "free web-based service"^2 websites and "tech" companies. One website/"tech" company expects users to trust it but to distrust others.^3 Nevermind that the choice might sometimes be between the lesser of two/multiple evils, so to speak.
1. Though I suspect here it is the operator of mementoweb.org who has the interest in hiding the Referer header, for whatever reason.
2. The easiest way to avoid the annoyances of Referer headers is not to send them. Unless things have changed, sending a Referer header can be disabled in Firefox. A local forward proxy can also remove the Referer header. Smaller, open source HTTP clients that users can fully control and modify need not send Referer headers. With possible rare exceptions, only ever raised by website operators and "tech" employees, sending the Referer header serves no benefit to users. It should be optional, but the most popular browsers remove that choice.
3. Google is an obvious example. DuckDuckGo and other alternative search engines have also been known to prefix URLs to create redirects, purportedly to "protect" users form the dangers of the Referer header. This of course also allows the search engine to track every URL (search result) that a user "clicks".
1. Though I suspect here it is the operator of mementoweb.org who has the interest in hiding the Referer header, for whatever reason.
2. The easiest way to avoid the annoyances of Referer headers is not to send them. Unless things have changed, sending a Referer header can be disabled in Firefox. A local forward proxy can also remove the Referer header. Smaller, open source HTTP clients that users can fully control and modify need not send Referer headers. With possible rare exceptions, only ever raised by website operators and "tech" employees, sending the Referer header serves no benefit to users. It should be optional, but the most popular browsers remove that choice.
3. Google is an obvious example. DuckDuckGo and other alternative search engines have also been known to prefix URLs to create redirects, purportedly to "protect" users form the dangers of the Referer header. This of course also allows the search engine to track every URL (search result) that a user "clicks".
If you put in a blocked site [1], interestingly a picture of j robert oppenheimer comes up telling you that this is a service from los alamos national laboratory.
Shame they blocked deoxy, that was one of the oldest websites on the internet. They even had a version from the early 90s which was meant to be browsed in a text-based browser.
[1] http://timetravel.mementoweb.org/list/20000705010912/http://...
Shame they blocked deoxy, that was one of the oldest websites on the internet. They even had a version from the early 90s which was meant to be browsed in a text-based browser.
[1] http://timetravel.mementoweb.org/list/20000705010912/http://...
Warning: unnecessary loud music accompanies the video.
Current design looks too heavy on blue to me.
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2004 is by far my favorite. Seems really clean and intuitive.
Why does this page prevent you from backing out in one click?
And now for R. (Only one snapshot needed.)
What's the music?
I’d be surprised if they had HTTPS support in 1996.
Actually, if you check Archive.org [0], choose "urls" in menu, then sort by url in reverse order, you will get resources with https dated 1996. So I'd say it's at least plausible.
[0] https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.python.org*
[0] https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.python.org*
It's at least plausible. Sendmail.org had SSL support back then. Every time we restarted the web server we had to manually log in to unlock the cert!
Looks like the first https URL in the list is from 2016.
Not sure why the HN title is editorialized to add an emphasized HTTPS, weird.
Edit: HN fixed the title
Not sure why the HN title is editorialized to add an emphasized HTTPS, weird.
Edit: HN fixed the title
I see the HTTPS:// was removed from the submission title, it's what got me curious about it.
Sadly, what archive.org does with protocols and subdomains is quite a messy guesswork, from what I observed: take a look at "HTTPS page from 1998":
http://web.archive.org/web/19981201210443/https://www.info.c...
Neither the protocol nor the "www" subdomain are "right", yet archive.org serves some snapshot.
http://web.archive.org/web/19981201210443/https://www.info.c...
Neither the protocol nor the "www" subdomain are "right", yet archive.org serves some snapshot.
Interesting. I like the 2006 aesthetic better, but I like how the current one puts code front and center.
The change I'd make is to add a big-ass "Download" button somewhere. That has to be the number one reason why people visit python.org, after all.
The change I'd make is to add a big-ass "Download" button somewhere. That has to be the number one reason why people visit python.org, after all.
I remember always having to go java.sun.com (rather than java.com or Sun's java landing page which was the first search result) as the quickest way for a no-BS JDK download, and it seems at least Oracle still has that URL redirect to a JDK download listing.
-1 for hijacking the browser’s back button
At least edit the video to remove the archive redirs. Pretty poor job that.
You give people something for free and they immediately complain.
I'm giving my feedback for free too, yet people immediately complain.
You're not giving neutral feedback you're criticizing saying it's a "poor job". You could have stopped before.
At the same time, you're giving free feedback saying that his free comment is a poor comment.
Arguably, his poor comment may have taken less effort than the poor video he was criticizing, and probably an equivalent effort to your comment on his comment... anyway, this doesn't seem to stop... until this will look like Reddit.
Arguably, his poor comment may have taken less effort than the poor video he was criticizing, and probably an equivalent effort to your comment on his comment... anyway, this doesn't seem to stop... until this will look like Reddit.
Does that make your comment free meta-meta-feedback? :P
I guess so... with an extra dose of neutrality! (one hopes)
I did something similar for kde.org a while ago, in case someone is interested https://carlschwan.eu/2020/04/18/a-new-look-for-kde.org/
1998: Information at the top of the page.
2020: A picture.
2020: A picture.
It's a desktop environment, a picture seems appropriate?
In 1998, despite smaller screens, they were also able to get a picture and information.
Loading images over dialup was pretty slow. Remember watching jpegs load in segments?
In case of a DE, that's a feature.
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I liked all the versions up to 2005 (the one with the blue sidebar).
Yep, webdesign peaked around that 2008. Since then, it's all downhill. I blame Apple for inventing smarphones with a capable web browser included, for causing this.
I re-watched the iPhone keynote a while ago. One of the key features was that you could browse the web and get the full desktop experience, instead of functionally crippled mobile versions of websites. That went well...
The website is actually still up: http://grail.sourceforge.net/ The latest minor release is from 1999.