ClassicConnect

[cadrega]

The big CafeNet announcement

Some of you who know me might have heard me floating this idea around. I'm currently working on a project called CafeNet, an all-encompassing project aimed at reviving 90s web technologies. If you're a user of late 80s, 90s, or early 2000s machines, I urge you to read my little informational page. (Please read it before moving on to the next part.)

Link to the Info Page

Long story short, we're doing a buncha cool shit with the 90s web. If you have any interest in contributing the project whatsoever, please shoot me a message or reach out to me on Discord (@cadrega__). Whatever you have to contribute, I'm interested in it. Webapps, media servers, or just some software archive or passion project you've been wanting to do with the old web, tell me. You can make whatever the hell you want.

That brings me to my next point -- ideally, I would like to build a consistent userbase, dare I say even a community, around the project. I want this to be set apart as a legitimate ecosystem for your 90s machines, not just a toy or novelty like some other web revival projects (not naming names, no I don't mean you BebTVers). Rather, I would like to encourage all of yall to find interest in your 90s machines and have CafeNet be a tool in doing so. I mentioned I would host tilde pages on the information page, I intend on making that (and literally everything on the platform) completely free and accessible. I want to give yall the tools to create your own content on the web and be free and unrestricted in what you can create. Please, please do not be afraid to contribute, even if your way of contributing is just making a couple sloppy HTML pages about yourself and what you enjoy

That all being said, I'd love to gauge you guys' interest and know how you feel about the project, what questions you have, and what you would be interested in seeing added to the platform. Ask away please. I can talk about this all day and night.

ALSO: I already have an active development server up. It's very unfinished, but I push live updates directly to it. A few of the services mentioned are already up and running or partially complete. If you would like to see what's going on, give feedback, or help with the project yourself, I can send you a link. It's not especially well hidden, lol
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[europa]

Happy to see you made a forum post about this! I've been involved in the project in the past and I absolutely love it. As I get time, I definitely want to contribute more to the project
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Your System ate a SPARC! Gah!

[nick99nack]

Looking forward to this project! I definitely would like to contribute to it when I have some time.
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If you like browsing without an ad blocker, you might also like getting rid of your virus scanner, and running around with your pants down. --SomeGuy, 2016

[Blubari]

Looks interesting!
Sadly I don't have an old computer for it (I mean, I do have one but, may be *too* old and also 1/4 of the screen is literally burned)
May get one to check this out when available!
It sounds amazing!!
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How long until work is done?
Oh crap our boss added one extra hour to the scedule again

[idkwhatnametoputxd]

This looks really interesting, definitely keeping an eye on it.

Sadly I don't think my oldest computer is old enough for this (for context, my oldest computer is from 2010) and I can only contribute by making a sloppy website that's held together by duct tape, but hey at least it's better than nothing :/. Still, I know I'll be having fun with this.

Btw I'd love to be in the development server. Mind if you send me an invite link?
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[cadrega]

[leefymoon]

this seems quite awesome and i do need another use for my dell... send the invite!! :]
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your favorite exploder
leefy | he/they
"mentally short? i think that's just called being dumb." - leefy 2025

[daniel]

I would love to contribute. This seems like an awesome project. I have a dead geocities page builder project that I haven't gotten around to that may be perfect for this project.
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-Daniel

[CsokibacsiHUN]

I am stunned how many would like to revive and continue the old internet's legacy. I wish this project to be successful!

May I ask have you checked the Protoweb proxy? Can be good inspiration. It was originally intended to be an interactive museum but many sites feature up-to date data in old and compatible web design. They have a video platform named WarpStream too. I think they still accept some newly made old-school styled sites to be uploaded? Through passthrough option I think so, correct me if I'm wrong.

Crosstalk chat network is working on an AOL server also alongside a handful of services.

I am just playing with the idea but do you think it is feasible to fuse CafeNet with these other projects later on the (long)run? Like Protoweb continuing restoration and archivation process, CafeNet providing the users with the opportunity to expand the new-old WWW and upload videos independent from YouTube. Finally Crosstalk would serve as the primary tool for communication. Idk, call it "web-in-web" or "pocket net" concept. Shouldn't need to be a merge but a strong connection with easy accessibility.

I know this might seem like insanity but my only concern about these truly wonderful projects is that the userbase may become too fragmented and then it would be hard to maintain them.
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[cadrega]

[CsokibacsiHUN]