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The earliest on-screen URL

(June 2017)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
CY
cyberdude
I had a poor VCR that would judder up and down when paused, so the datablast would annoy me as I couldn't read it

I'd argue Twitter handles have even started to replace URLs.

That would be awful, replacing a long-standing open medium with a closed medium from a company that doesn't even know how to run itself.


On a related note, I remember several years back there was a bus stop advert that ran, which simply featured a search box with a search term in it (that I can't remember now). Upon searching said term, the first result was for some internet marketing company. I remember shortly afterwards, it seemed every advertiser was suddenly saying 'search for [insert company name or product]' or instead of directing people to a specific URL. That fad appears to have died off now.


I'm sure they still say that on Newsbeat.

Of course the concept of a proper extensive programme website has partially died off as well, instead linking to a glorified iplayer page or a facebook page.

Yeah, they usually direct listeners to 'search for Newsbeat Online'.
WH
Whataday Founding member
Lots of American TV programmes did something similar by promoting their AOL Keyword at the end rather than a URL.


Possibly AOL Time Warner produced shows?
DV
dvboy
MY83 posted:
There may have been other shows that did datablasts too, looking at the comments of Tom Scott's video.


999 was one notable example.


There was a CITV show that did it too, and I can't remember the name of it now.

In the back of my mind I think Holiday had one for a short while? Might be completely mistaken.
RI
Riaz
What about a URL in a teletext page?
JA
james-2001
Lots of American TV programmes did something similar by promoting their AOL Keyword at the end rather than a URL.


Possibly AOL Time Warner produced shows?


AOL Time Warner didn't even exist until 2001 (and was gone by 2003), and I'm sure AOL keywords were all but forgotten by then (I don't remember ever hearing them mentioned after the late 90s).
HA
Hazimworks
Lots of American TV programmes did something similar by promoting their AOL Keyword at the end rather than a URL.


Possibly AOL Time Warner produced shows?


AOL Time Warner didn't even exist until 2001 (and was gone by 2003), and I'm sure AOL keywords were all but forgotten by then.

See my posts on page 2, I said that search box still exist in Japan and South Korea.
PF
PFML84
<snip>...it seemed every advertiser was suddenly saying 'search for [insert company name or product]' or instead of directing people to a specific URL. That fad appears to have died off now.
I think it is still going strong actually. I don't recall seeing any advert ending with a web address for said company, they always have "search...." instead. I would have said the idea of just giving out a straight forward web address is dying out.
RI
Riaz
Did Thames, TVS, TSW, and TV-AM have email addresses? What about Westcountry before they got taken over by Carlton? If so, then did they ever use them on-screen?
MA
Markymark
Riaz posted:
Did Thames, TVS, TSW, and TV-AM have email addresses? What about Westcountry before they got taken over by Carlton? If so, then did they ever use them on-screen?


I don't think many outside of government and education establishments used, or had email prior to 1994 ish ?
The SMTP and POP protocols weren't ratified for commercial use until' 95 ?
Last edited by Markymark on 11 June 2017 3:20pm
DV
DVB Cornwall
I had my first for data transfer purposes at work in 1997. Not used for anything else though. Convoluted darn thing it was too around 20 characters all randomish for 'security' purposes.
DV
dvboy
Compuserve launched in April 1995 and the first I ever heard about email was from a friend who was a Compuserve customer.

My first email address was Hotmail so must have been around 1996-97 that email really started taking off.
NG
noggin Founding member
First email I received was probably mid-80s as part of Prestel, and also on BBSs.

Used it a lot from 1990 when I started working and studying. Initially it was local email just within the company / university dept / university computer (different email addresses on different Uni systems) - but by 1992 I was using 'internet' email.

Had a web browser on my desktop at work in 1994. (NCSA Mosaic, then Netscape Navigator)

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