Not even the Wayback machine can help me
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
February 21, 2021 6:12pm CST
First let me say this isn't the first time I've wrote about this.
Do you remember many years ago in the days of websites (before blogs) and guestbooks? There used to be a guestbook that was more like a madlibs meets quiz thing. It was popular with the preteens / teens (so this was around '98 and '00 when I was a preteen) and many of those who built websites used this little guestbook.
I tried finding it via the wayback machine but I can't quite remember the name of it. I thought there might be the word "smash" in the name but that brought up nothing. Just searching "guestbook" brings up some familiar services, but none that I am looking for.
Does anyone here remember the specific guestbook I refer to?
12 people like this
14 responses
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I use the WayBack Machine all the time, but have never heard of anything like that. Sorry. I'd help you if I could.
3 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I feel like it's at the tip of my tongue. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. Perhaps I should look for old boyband websites from angelfire / geocities / expage and see if I can find the guetsbook I'm looking for there.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
22 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I have no clue. I've heard of geocities but none of the others and have no experience with boybands. 
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
That brought back memories for me. Thank you for the link.
2 people like this
@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
22 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum For me as well, sorry I couldn't find what you were looking for.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (84701)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Feb 21
I'm sorry, but no. I think the fact most have stopped using them might have something to do with it.
3 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
"guestbooks" have been replaced with the "comment" field under blogs. I guess they are pretty much the same thing, just a different title.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (82978)
• Onaway, Michigan
22 Feb 21
No I don’t wish I could help you
3 people like this
@Tina30219 (82978)
• Onaway, Michigan
22 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Right we always donwhen we are trying to think of something else
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I am sure I will think of it eventually.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
Thank You. I am sure I will eventually find it. I have the idea of using the wayback machine to look for websites that these guestbooks would have been featured on.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
23 Feb 21
@LadyDuck Thank You. I know I will eventually find the specific one I am looking for. I forgot about the midi players that played music when opening a webpage.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
23 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Have a look at this article, it mentions the guestbooks.
https://hover.blog/10-things-that-used-to-be-on-every-website-that-you-totally-forgot-about/
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
22 Feb 21
Sherman the boy and Professor Peabody. This was a cartoon(1960s) and the invention of the professor's Wayback Machine.
3 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I've heard of that cartoon and probably even seen segments of it and not realized it. I was exposed to lots of television, including cartoons, from different generations of my family.
3 people like this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
22 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Both of them had huge googly glasses and little beady eyes.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I do not remember it, was not online then, and I was already an old lady at that time, sort of. However, both the term "smash book" and "smash box" come to my mind.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I just tried the term "smashbox" and it seems it's a cosmetics company.
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (40215)
• United States
22 Feb 21
No, but I am sure someone here can help you.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
Thank you. I am sure you're right. Eventually someone will know what I'm referring to.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
22 Feb 21
No idea..I only remember My Space, the pre cursor to Facebook.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
Before myspace, I made my own websites and even had online journals.
2 people like this
@prinzcy (32299)
• Malaysia
22 Feb 21
I don't actually know what you're looking for. But I remember adding guestbook to my site back when I was learning it before. Something like this? If chatbox, I used Shoutmix before. Don't know whether it still exist. Most importantly, not sure whether this is what you meant...
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
I've used that one before, but this was a guestbook with multiple question fields and it was a themed site.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Feb 21
I am of no help I do not remember any of this.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
From what I remember it was popular for several years, but I'm not sure if it was available on every site or if it was just something the pre-teens and teens did.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (122067)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
22 Feb 21
I have no memories of the guestbook that you referred to.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
22 Feb 21
Sorry, I'm not familiar with guestbooks.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
22 Feb 21
Thank you anyway. I'm sure one day the name I am looking for will pop into my head. At least now I have the dry erase board so I can write it down when I've turned off all my electronics for the night.
2 people like this
