13 Websites That Used to Be Huge but Vanished from the Web
From the rise of MySpace to the fall of Pownce, these 13 once-mighty websites show how quickly the digital world can change, leaving behind echoes of internet history.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
The online environment is filled with once-prominent websites that tantalized the internet’s imagination only to disappear into oblivion. From social networking titans such as MySpace and Friendster to the original search engines such as AltaVista, these sites were pioneers in their niches but could not keep pace with the ever-accelerating transformation of the web. Their ascent and descent are an intriguing reminder of the transience of web empires and the capricious turns of web culture.
1. MySpace
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In its day, the king of social media, MySpace was a place for music artists and users who created customized profile pages. In the mid-2000s, it boasted millions of users, but Facebook’s simplicity and rapid expansion led MySpace to deteriorate. Today, MySpace remains a niche site centered on music and entertainment, far from its peak.
2. GeoCities
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GeoCities permitted users to host personal web pages in themed “cities,” thus being a forerunner during the early Internet age. During the late 90s and early 2000s, millions of users built their presence on the internet with vibrant, disorganized pages. Yahoo! acquired GeoCities in 1999 but later closed it down in 2009, the end of the DIY website era.
3. Napster
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Napster changed the music business in the late 90s by enabling users to exchange MP3 files for free, initiating a digital music revolution. It gained millions of users in no time before being closed down because of copyright infringement lawsuits from big record labels. Napster came back as a legitimate streaming service, but its reputation as the first peer-to-peer music platform has diminished.
4. Friendster
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Friendster was an early social networking site, preceding Facebook and MySpace, that enabled users to connect with friends and post updates. Although popular in its early days, the site experienced technical difficulties and was eventually eclipsed by Facebook. It later became a gaming site before closing its doors altogether in 2011.
5. AltaVista
Image from Neo4j
AltaVista was a widely used search engine in the late 90s, famous for its speed and exhaustive search results. It was one of the pioneers of Internet search but soon lost popularity to Google’s more sophisticated algorithms. AltaVista was bought by Yahoo! in 2003, and the service was ultimately discontinued in 2013.
6. KodakGallery
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KodakGallery was a photo-sharing and printing service developed by the legendary camera firm. At its height, users could upload, share, and print their photos, but the emergence of Facebook and Instagram marked its demise. Kodak sold the site to Shutterfly in 2009, and it was formally closed down in 2012.
7. Google Video
Image from Wikimedia Commons
Prior to YouTube, Google Video was a well-known video-sharing website where people could post their videos. Google tried to compete with YouTube but later purchased YouTube in 2006 and closed down Google Video soon after. Google Video’s futile bid to take over video sharing is now a footnote on the internet.
8. Orkut
Image from Defunct Brands Wiki
Operated by Google, Orkut was a social networking website launched in 2004 that experienced huge popularity among people in Brazil and India. It was amongst the pioneers that brought about the idea of “communities” and “scraps” or wall posts. Though it initially gained popularity in some areas, Orkut was later supplanted by Facebook, and in 2014, Google took it offline.
9. CompuServe
Image from History of Information
CompuServe was among the initial big online services during the 80s and 90s, providing email, chat rooms, and news feeds. It was a crucial component of the early Internet experience but could not keep up with the Web’s explosive growth. AOL bought out CompuServe in 1998, and the service officially ended in 2009.
10. LimeWire
Image from DJ Mag
LimeWire was a top peer-to-peer file-sharing site for downloading videos and music in the early 2000s. It was easy to use, which is why it became popular among users. However, it got involved in illegal file-sharing, which caused it to face many lawsuits. Since it was shut down in 2010, LimeWire’s reputation as a file-sharing giant has been sullied by legal issues.
11. MSN Messenger (Windows Live Messenger)
Image from Wikipedia
MSN Messenger was a widely used instant messaging platform during the early 2000s, where users could converse in real time. Its emoticons, personalized status updates, and integration with Hotmail made it a daily way of experiencing the internet. Microsoft later discontinued it in 2013 in favor of Skype, signaling the demise of instant messaging.
12. Zynga’s Facebook Games
Image from Wikipedia
Zynga’s Facebook games, including FarmVille and Mafia Wars, previously ruled the social gaming market, drawing in millions of players each day. However, as social media sites updated their algorithms and mobile gaming gained popularity, Zynga’s former hit games began to lose momentum. Even when trying to shift gears, much of Zynga’s Facebook gaming presence is now gone or has been significantly dwindled.
13. Pownce
Image from gCaptain
Pownce was one of the first microblogging websites established by Digg co-founder Kevin Rose, allowing users to share short messages, files, and links with friends. Pownce was touted as Twitter’s competitor but could not seem to get its broad user base. Pownce was acquired by Six Apart in 2008, and the website ceased to exist in 2010, with its features later built into other platforms.