Who developed the free site formula?

[Useless]

Can anyone trace the history of today's standard 4 page free site, or was it something that developed so slowly that there aren't any milestones along the way? Did link lists start off accepting almost any type of site that offered free content and slowly honed it down with new rules, or did that fucker just pop out someone's ass one day?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[fringe]

Useless Warrior - I think there is enough history for adult sites that there should be a field comparable to archaeology but strictly studying the origins of porno. Let's call it "pornology"?

The "pornological" origins of the current free site structural paradigm could best be fathomed from a thorough survey beginning with www.archive.org

But someone else will have to do that because I'm just a pornographer and not a pornologist or pornological scientist.

[Greenguy]

I think it just developed over time between 96 & 98.

When I 1st started, there were no "free sites" or "galleries" or "TGP's" or "Link Lists" as they are defined today. People just put up pages or sites with pics & links & it went from there.

Then there was a push on "warning" pages - keep the kids out & all.

Then there was the thinking along the lines of "fuck these warning pages, let's just link to the pages with pics on them"

When I started, I have a "website" just like everuone else - that site could have only been 1 page (like mine was when I started) or it could have been a paysite - but they were all just "websites"

Am I rambling? :)

[Useless]

Thanks Greeny. I tended to believe it was more of an evolution than someone waking up one morning with a simple, yet good idea. But you never know in this business. Sometimes, that which seems obvious, is no where near what the truth.

I couldn't even tell you which hair on my ass decided to ask the question in the first place. Something just came over me.

[GeorgeTH]

Back in 1996-1998 there definitely didn't existed any clear concept as to how a page or site should look...
Many of the now big linklists or TGPs actually started out listing all sorts of stuff; I still remember how many of the sites like the Hun linked straight to directories or even individual pictures (telling people: "link goes to pic10806.jpg, there are another 24")
LOL|rasta|

Flash galleries with real design and large graphics were frowned upon. I remember my first submissions when I was rejected more than once for too many graphics, and they were minute compared to gallery headers you find now... I cleaned out my hd a few weeks ago and had a real laugh discovering some old tgp galleries from 1998.

[Sean416]

Originally posted by GeorgeTH
I cleaned out my hd a few weeks ago and had a real laugh discovering some old tgp galleries from 1998.

did you save any? I'd like to see them. |waves|

[Tommy]

Things have changed

[Kath]

Originally posted by Tommy
Things have changed

Yes they have... *sigh*

I was thinking just last week about the traffic wars on the old CONDOM boards... now THOSE were the days...



*FLEX* |bananna|

[Frank]

I think it has developed to correspond with the laws given to us.

PORN.... has been on attack from day one.
The industry has developes from the rules given.
We adjust and overcome. :-)

[Jim]

I invented it :)
Nah...back in the day, 1996, there weren't really a lot of free sites. Actually when I started, there was really no reason to build any. There weren't any affiliate programs. But once one started, they came fast and furious and so did free sites. The first free sites were real sites. My first one at one time had over 10k pics, music, personal ads, chat rooms, stories...etc. Nothing like the crap out there these days :)

[Raven]

Originally posted by Useless Warrior
Can anyone trace the history of today's standard 4 page free site, or was it something that developed so slowly that there aren't any milestones along the way? Did link lists start off accepting almost any type of site that offered free content and slowly honed it down with new rules, or did that fucker just pop out someone's ass one day?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Didn't anyone tell you? I have the patent on the 'free site'. Pay me. |rasta|

[Tommy]

Originally posted by Kath
Yes they have... *sigh*

I was thinking just last week about the traffic wars on the old CONDOM boards... now THOSE were the days...



*FLEX* |bananna|

do you remember who won those traffic wars :-)

[Kath]

Originally posted by Tommy
do you remember who won those traffic wars :-)

Wait a minute... I think I do... what was his name?

|couch|

[Useless]

Originally posted by Raven
Didn't anyone tell you? I have the patent on the 'free site'. Pay me. |rasta|

Check is in the mail, Raven. I'm pretty sure I sent it along with the one to Acacia.:D

[Kath]

Originally posted by Raven
Didn't anyone tell you? I have the patent on the 'free site'. Pay me. |rasta|

Shit.... she beat me to it again!

|lightsabe

Hey Raven - nice to see yet another friendly place posting over here. I love this board - a nice blend of old timers, newbies and inbetween-bies. Lovely!

|waves|