June 8, 2001

7:18 PM

Please, I've got to know. I used to use this site in my classes as an example of the smallest possible website (that is, not just a web page). It's cute as hell. As far as I know, it hasn't changed, at all, not the slightest iota, ever. But what is it? Who's behind it? What are they doing? Is there secret tweedlebug content somewhere? It seems to be in San Francisco, so one of you well-connected Bay area webloggers clue me in—what's the story? Anyone know?
posted by rodii (11 comments total)

Try emailing this woman. Her address is remarkably similar to Wired Digital's.

Cicero, Linda (LC375) [e-mail]
tbug
660 Third St
San Francisco, CA 94107
[phone] (FAX) [phone]

Or I suppose you could fax her.
posted by perplexed at 7:27 PM on June 8, 2001

there are pictures of hawaii. the slideshow doesn't work, though.
posted by register at 8:25 PM on June 8, 2001

There are smaller websites out there. Personally I think the best websites are the ones of this mindset: keep it simple stupid.
posted by ZachsMind at 10:26 PM on June 8, 2001

Of course, I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet that there are whole websites devoted to smaller websites.
posted by delfuego at 10:29 PM on June 8, 2001

I didn't mean it's the smallest website, I was illustrating the point that a site is qualitatively different than a page. If it's smaller than two pages, it's not really a "site", it's just a page.

Great links, though, Zach.
posted by rodii at 11:04 PM on June 8, 2001

"Personally I think the best websites are the ones of this mindset: keep it simple stupid."

I couldn't agree more. If you're trying to impart information, a nice clean, simple design helps you to do that. A site which is too 'busy' is a real turn-off for me.
posted by Nick Jordan at 12:15 AM on June 9, 2001

Well, the definitions really are disassociated. A site refers either to a collection of webpages or a domain. A domain doesn't have to be more than one webpage.
posted by dhartung at 1:32 PM on June 9, 2001

The distinction I'm trying to make in the class is that a page is an actual presentation of data, whereas a site is "virtual"--you never see it all at one time, so instead you have to assemble your own mental representation of it from lots of fragmentary views (pages). Cognitively, they're two different things. When a "site" is only one page, you don't have to worry about wayfinding, for instance.

But. . .tweedlebug! Please tell me about tweedlebug.
posted by rodii at 1:38 PM on June 9, 2001

I.... I don't think that "Blah" kid is trying. *smirk*
posted by dong_resin at 3:18 PM on June 9, 2001

The site appears to be by an Allison Jung. She has an old home page from '99, and an old business site that is down. She recently moved house. I don't know why perplexed brought up the Wired connection, but someone with her name did go to a Wired party back in '96...

...and I certainly wasn't trying. As for Tweedlebugs, the answers are in the engines.


And what about Purple as a nice little 3 page site?
posted by southisup at 7:13 PM on June 10, 2001

Southisup--terrific on all counts. Thanks.
posted by rodii at 8:27 PM on June 10, 2001