Flak Web Archives

Best Buy Sucks | 10.17.02
The ubiquitous chain, says this website, is more than just an electronics store — it's a den of shame, rage and backstabbing. By James Norton

Bizarre Records | 03.16.04
Why riffle through your parents stash of old records, looking for ways in which to mock them? It's all right here. By Andrew Harmon

Career Path | 04.01.99
The job site for German Mac-using clowns. By Sara Brenneis

CNN e-store | 7.04.01
CNN makes a dubious entrance into the world of e-commerce. By James Norton

Commercial Closet, The | 5.14.01
A former Advertising Age reporter brings his talents to a comprehensive catalogue of gay- and lesbian-themed commercials. By Sean O'Neill

Cook's Illustrated | 10.13.00
A wonderful marriage of good cooking, clear directions and clean Web design. By Dan Norton

D, E, F

demonic.com | 02.29.00
A Web design site that's independent, not-for-profit and high-quality, a combination as rare as a rap-savvy leprechaun. By James Norton

District Court of Delaware Hot Topics page | 07.29.05
A government website so hot that it's cool. By Louis Cooke

doodie.com | 04.01.99
Visual zest that transcends mere potty humor. By James Norton

eDiets | 10.25.01
The diet site that cares enough to send the very best unsolicited e-mail. By Julia Lipman

EggZone | 09.01.99
Persistent, aggressive lack of purpose pulsates through this site. By James Norton

Facebook Primary, The | 07.10.07
Barack Obama may be the most popular dude in the Facebook universe, but that won't stop the other guys from trying. By Eric Hananoki

Flakalikes | 08.01.99
What do PR people, flag football players and morning radio's Moo Crew have in common? A singleminded focus on stealing our traffic. By Flak Staff

FreeRepublic.com | 08.09.01
Free Republic champions causes which further conservatism in America. And they always have fun doing it. Hoo-yah! By Barton Wong

FriendTest | 03.21.02
Do your friends have what it takes, or is it time to cut the benchwarmers from your team? By Sara Brenneis

Furniture Porn | 07.31.00
"Deep Throat" for the upholstered ottoman set. By James Norton

G, H, I, J

Goodreads | 04.09.07
The Internet, not content with merely changing the way people communicate, is now changing the way we interact with own libraries. By Lavina Lee

Happy Woman Magazine | 08.20.01
A satirical, online look at women's magazines that's funny — and deadly accurate. By James Norton

Heifer Project International | 01.15.00
Give 2/15ths of a llama to a family that needs it. By James Norton

HobbyLink Japan | 06.01.99
A fantastic resource for finding and purchasing models of gigantic anthropomorphized machines of death. By Dan Norton

I'm Changing the Climate! | 05.01.01
Is an anti-SUV website just class warfare wearing a green mask? By Sean O'Neill

The Internet's Worst Ad | 10.02.01
There are a number of problems with this ad. By James Norton

Ironminds | 07.07.00
Do iron minds ever rust? Are they attracted to magnetic fields? By Julia Lipman

James Paterson at Halfempty | 04.06.00
Flash productions nothing short of stunning. By James Norton

Jokestan | 06.14.01
Jokes, wacky photos and other funny stuff, all from the world headquarters of fun... Iran! By James Norton

Jon Anderson and Ian Anderson's respective websites | 02.07.02
Who's cooler, Jon Anderson or Ian Anderson? Well, that depends on whether you prefer tights and codpieces or the Interdimensional Reality Machine. By Julia Lipman

Joshua Micah Marshall's bio photo | 01.29.02
The man behind Talking Points Memo is a Princeton graduate, a deep thinker and, oh, yeah, just a little bit sexy. By James Norton

K, L, M

Large Penis Support Group | 11.10.00
An online oasis of macrophallic torment. By James Norton

Lileks.com | 06.22.01
Nostalgia is big business. James Lileks debunks the hell out of it. Lileks.com is the result. By Barton Wong

Lil' Pimp | 11.07.00
Flash animation comedy that takes the high road, featuring a Tourette's Syndrome gerbil. By James Norton

An E-mail from the Love Zoo | 05.29.02
Love, gerbil or otherwise, for your inbox, but not your office computer. By Clay Risen

Lincoln Park Trixie Society | 08.20.01
They're shallow, well-dressed and totally satirical! By Clay Risen

McSweeney's | 02.01.00
Don't call it ironic. Well, all right. Call it ironic. By Sara Brenneis

McSweeney's Reprise | 02.15.00
We ask, Dave Eggers answers or doesn't answer. By James Norton

Middle school websites | 01.01.02
Middle school websites aren't about quality control. They're about pain. By John Gorenfeld

Movielens | 11.30.00
The crazy researchers at the University of Minnesota have come up with a website that recommends movies you actually enjoy watching — or does it? By Sean O'Neill

Mr. Beller's Neighborhood | 11.20.00
By redefining how we think of geography, Tom Beller's virtual Manhattan is a shining beacon among the crumbling pillars of the Internet's collapsing ghetto of content sites. By James Norton

MXGonline | 06.16.00
Determinedly focused on the timeless issues that teenage girls will face long after the new realism is exposed for the flash in the pan it is: boys, clothes and Napster. By Julia Lipman

N, O

The Name-Naming Game | 07.23.03
Kobe Bryant's accuser's name is splashed all over the Web. Is it time for traditional media to reassess their policies on anonymity? By Bob Cook

Neal Pollack's Official Internet Home | 02.18.01
Famed — nay, "great" — author Neal Pollack bids you welcome to his Internet home. By James Norton

Nerve/ Salon personals | 02.07.01
Dating on the Web is actually pretty freaky. Who would've guessed it? By Julia Lipman

Netbabyworld | 12.12.00
Netbabyworld is a game site that's actually fun. And it's even designed by Swedes. By Dan Norton

NotSpeaking.com | 08.22.00
Have you spoken lately? Hint: it's easier not to when you have a personal publicist. By Julia Lipman

Old Man Murray | 07.01.99
A gaming site that doesn't compromise itself to get the latest screenshots. By Dan Norton

Onion Personals | 02.22.02
Why is the Onion trying to introduce us to the singles from Nerve.com? By John Gorenfeld

On the Grid: Penguin Classics Enters the Gaming Age | 05.06.08
Your favorite used paperbacks come to life online. By Andrew Stout

opensecrets.org | 10.01.00
Campaign finance data, finally easily available. By James Norton

OSHA's Page of Death | 06.18.00
Unsparingly dispassionate accounts of deaths on the job, courtesy of the U.S. government. By James Norton

P, Q, R, S

Piracy Reporting Centre | 09.14.00
A Web resource to keep travelers out of hARRRRRm's way. By Clay Risen

pud.com | 02.16.01
The creator of fuckedcompany.com has gone off his rocker. Here's proof. By Julia Lipman

Rag Dog | 08.12.01
Should it be legal to dress dogs like this? By James Norton

Ripoffreport.com | 09.30.02
A consumer complaint site spins tales darker, weirder and freakier than anything coughed up by postmodern literature. By James Norton

Salon Blogs | 07.29.02
Does Salon's new blogging service redefine the lopsided publication-reader relationship or just find another way to keep the reader at arm's length? By Julia Lipman

Sara Freder's free horoscope | 04.02.02
If you're going to claim psychic powers, the least you can do is predict that having apes write your promotional e-mail will lead to utter bankruptcy. By James Norton

Search Engine Watch | 10.20.00
Don't tell me you're still using Altavista. By Dan Norton

Sea Slug Forum | 04.24.02
Some would say: "They're just sea slugs!" And yet... they're the heart and soul of the Web. By James Norton

Sitcom character or dictator? | 02.05.01
Finally: A Web site that's smarter than all of us. A LOT smarter than all of us. By Stephanie Kuenn

Smallest Page on the Web, The | 02.27.00
If Gourmet magazine is food porn, this is bioporn. By Julia Lipman

Smartertimes.com | 04.23.01
Sleep well, tonight: There's finally a website that's keeping The New York Times honest. By James Norton

T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

The T'inator | 04.18.02
A percolating mixture of scowling, gold chains and smartass that cuts through even the most stubborn bombast. By Karen Lurie

Teoma search engine | 04.08.02
Not quite hyperintelligent.

Tilveran | 08.13.02
Welcome to Iceland, where the Web gets nutty. By James Norton

this-page-intentionally-left-blank.org | 03.12.01
But it's not. By Julia Lipman

TimmyBigHands | 07.26.00
A surprisingly faithful translation of Mystery Science Theater 3000 from small screen to Web, with the design savvy of a Geocities homepage. By James Norton

Ukoad Mahir's home page | 11.05.99
Tearing down traditional barriers of language, aesthetics and common sense. By James Norton

Unusual and Unique baby names | 03.28.01
Haley, Hailey, Hayley, Haylee, Haleigh, Hailee, Halie, Haylie, Hali, Halee, Haylee, Haily, Hailie, Hayle, Hayli, Haileigh, Haille, Haili, Haile, Haliegh, Hailley, Hailea or Haylea? By Julia Lipman

Webpipe.net | 08.16.01
Flak reviews its own host, after a seven-hour crash. Oh yeah. It'll be unbiased. By James Norton

wetthebed.com | 05.15.00
Someone or something peeing somewhere. By James Norton

WwiTV.com | 02.12.07
Between the innovation of YouTube and the multiplicity of cable, something else broadcasts largely unnoticed. By Louis Goddard

You Are Where You Live | 06.28.01
There's something disturbing about grouping people into narrow subcultures based on what they're likely to consume. By Julia Lipman

Disclaimer: All archive dates before 02.01.00 are estimated, not actual.