With the current trend of 1990s nostalgia being strongly felt among web design professionals, there are various netizen groups comprised of individuals who feel that we are not doing enough to preserve internet history. While it is true that Archive.org is a noble effort, there are many sites from the Web 1.0 era that are still active, functional, and deserve to be catalogued.
Vintage websites are like digital museums that do not need to be curated because they have never gone out of style, so to speak. Their original layout served a purpose that continues to be served in a satisfactory fashion. These are relics, but their purpose remains, and their simplicity appeals to developers who believe that web design should always be functional instead of fancy.
The Space Jam website from 1996 is a perfect example of vintage web design that has managed to stay relevant after more than two decades. The same can be said about the Berkshire Hathaway website, which features a straightforward design blessed by founder Warren Buffett.
While many websites may not be as old as these two classics, they are undoubtedly some of the most important websites of their time. They were built with the purpose of providing specific information, to function effectively and appeal to their audience.
To the dismay of some, it appears that some web designers have no intention to save their creations, especially if they are not considered popular. The Web 2.0 websites that currently exist cannot be considered to be of the same caliber. Fortunately, it is possible to design websites for today, but keep its past-vintage elements.
Newspapers such as the Boston Globe and the New York Times have managed to retain a certain 1990s sensibility thanks to the input of many readers who do not want to see their favorite source of news being turned into another WordPress theme. This is the kind of inspiration that is driving some web designers to develop new websites that look kind of old despite having Web 2.0 elements that make them more functional in a modern way; this includes responsive design for smartphone browsers. For more information click here https://www.reddit.com/r/vintageweb/comments/p3wtdf/andwereback/.