The serendipitous web
August 5, 2005 8:34 PM Subscribe
Ever had one of those days when you want to look at web sites but don't know which ones you want to look at? A perl script on this page will show you a random web site. It's a great time-waster!
For those interested in this sort of thing, there's also a toolbar add-on that may be downloaded at Stumbleupon.com built around this same idea. (Works really well with Firefox.) But you can set it to pick random sites that comform to your specific tastes. Also, you can give sites thumbs up/thumbs down and share favorites with your online pals.
posted by meh at 9:10 PM on August 5, 2005
posted by meh at 9:10 PM on August 5, 2005
Wow, the FIRST site it brought me to was Metafilter! I kid you not!
Oh wait, I just hit the back button instead! ;)
posted by parallax7d at 10:21 PM on August 5, 2005
Oh wait, I just hit the back button instead! ;)
posted by parallax7d at 10:21 PM on August 5, 2005
This is so ripe for Goatse and tubgirl its ridiculous.
posted by Rubbstone at 10:56 PM on August 5, 2005
posted by Rubbstone at 10:56 PM on August 5, 2005
Well I got to see a nice flash art site and a brittish socialist workers' paper. Pretty decent.
posted by mai at 11:04 PM on August 5, 2005
posted by mai at 11:04 PM on August 5, 2005
did steve jobs dream this up, high on the fumes of his iPon factory? enjoy uncertainty, indeed.
posted by Hat Maui at 12:24 AM on August 6, 2005
posted by Hat Maui at 12:24 AM on August 6, 2005
your entry: www.metafilter.com, will be reviewed by our crack staff of monkeys
who will look for mispelling, dead websites or questionable links.
your entry will be added into the database when we have time.
So no change metafilter will be added to the database.
posted by Pendragon at 2:10 AM on August 6, 2005
who will look for mispelling, dead websites or questionable links.
your entry will be added into the database when we have time.
So no change metafilter will be added to the database.
posted by Pendragon at 2:10 AM on August 6, 2005
Then straight to Starsky & Hutch Fanfic.
Starsky and Hutch strike out for a cross-country vacation to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas by visiting their families. What danger could there possibly be in that?
I dig.
posted by bdave at 2:56 AM on August 6, 2005
Starsky and Hutch strike out for a cross-country vacation to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas by visiting their families. What danger could there possibly be in that?
I dig.
posted by bdave at 2:56 AM on August 6, 2005
This is so ripe for Goatse and tubgirl its ridiculous.
Nah, this is just a random selection of websites they've preselected - which is why there's so many links to design studios/graphic designers, band pages, music mags and link hubs like memepool (and links obviously found on memepool). Actually, I got a repeat after 10-15 minutes of clicking. I wonder if there is some sort of probability that can be forced out of that fact to estimate how many links they have in their program.
But your comment raises the question of what a random page off of the entire Internet generator would really look like. Probably an infinite succession of foreign text pages; small business pages; garish personal pages filled with animated gifs and ugly wallpaper; porn; advertisement; and confusing detrius.
I could be wrong, one of my favorite links, after all, is the ugly emo teen/amateur photoshop gag/anime art generator. That casts a pretty wide net and it's almost never boring.
posted by dgaicun at 5:29 AM on August 6, 2005
Nah, this is just a random selection of websites they've preselected - which is why there's so many links to design studios/graphic designers, band pages, music mags and link hubs like memepool (and links obviously found on memepool). Actually, I got a repeat after 10-15 minutes of clicking. I wonder if there is some sort of probability that can be forced out of that fact to estimate how many links they have in their program.
But your comment raises the question of what a random page off of the entire Internet generator would really look like. Probably an infinite succession of foreign text pages; small business pages; garish personal pages filled with animated gifs and ugly wallpaper; porn; advertisement; and confusing detrius.
I could be wrong, one of my favorite links, after all, is the ugly emo teen/amateur photoshop gag/anime art generator. That casts a pretty wide net and it's almost never boring.
posted by dgaicun at 5:29 AM on August 6, 2005
Sorry, the Ugly Emo Teen, Amateur Photoshop Gag, and Anime Art Generator has changed locations since that linked Mefi post.
posted by dgaicun at 5:34 AM on August 6, 2005
posted by dgaicun at 5:34 AM on August 6, 2005
Sheesh, you younguns, no sense of history at all. Back when Yahoo! was little more than a web directory, it had a "random link" link, as a button at the top of the page up through early October 1996, then as a link in the bottom nav bar for about a year after that.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 6:31 AM on August 6, 2005
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 6:31 AM on August 6, 2005
Isn't this site better?
As in "more random", more possible results?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:24 AM on August 7, 2005
As in "more random", more possible results?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:24 AM on August 7, 2005
I like this. So far I got mostly design/art/photography sites, not bad either. Like toycamera.com, photos made with, er, toy cameras, some very cool shots there (Paris, LA, Venice, Morocco...).
posted by funambulist at 3:49 AM on August 7, 2005
posted by funambulist at 3:49 AM on August 7, 2005
I have one of those days every day. Thanks clevershark.
posted by dabitch at 8:57 AM on August 7, 2005
posted by dabitch at 8:57 AM on August 7, 2005
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posted by UseyurBrain at 9:10 PM on August 5, 2005