Earlier this week, Yahoo closed all its Geocities sites. Last night, as I deleted dozens of now-dead links from Web English Teacher, I couldn’t help reflecting on what had been lost.

Geocities was a great resource for its time. (”For its time” –  just 10 years ago!) When it was launched, teachers were starting to see the possibilities of the web. They didn’t have time, though, to learn that perplexing HTML code or to deal with the complexities (and cost) of server space and FTP uploading.

Geocities made it easy and free. Early sites may have reflected an unfortunate enthusiasm for garish colors and graphics that spun, flashed, and winked at visitors; but we outgrew most of that, redesigned, and moved on. We recognized that content was what really mattered.

And content was there. Teachers created WebQuests and hotlists of resources, and they generously posted lesson and unit plans for others to share. One of my favorite My Popper’s Penguins sites was at Geocities, along with theater resources, background information on the Roaring Twenties, and an introduction to The Crucible.

Now it’s all gone. I felt for a moment like the last day of school, when the halls are dark and empty, and I’m handing in my keys. All the energy of the year,  for good and for ill, is just a memory. The same is true online: everyone blogs now, and I haven’t seen an “under construction” graphic in years. But it’s good to remember how we started. The same energy that went into Geocities (and Angelfire and Tripod) will transfer into products like Google’s Wave, no doubt, and we’ll move on.

I wonder what we’ll be eulogizing 10 years from now?