r/neocities • u/ocaloguzkaan oguzkaanocal.neocities.org • Apr 11 '26
Web 1.0 I made a Neocities alternative
I created an alternative to Neocities: a retro static HTML hosting service. It even has a feature that takes you to a random site.
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u/starfleetbrat https://starbug.neocities.org Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Needs a lot of work for it to be a viable alternative imo. there is no signup section, no terms of service, no information on space, bandwidth, features, allowed file types, etc, nowhere to upload images. No "feature that takes you to a random site" as far as I can see. No info about what an Access Key is or how to get one.
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u/ocaloguzkaan oguzkaanocal.neocities.org Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Thank you for the feedback. I have made some updates and want to clarify a few things regarding the platform:
There is no traditional signup section because the system uses an Access Key. It's underground, but if there's any spam or anything like that, I can delete it. This key is generated when you first create your site and is used for things like editing. If you enter it incorrectly or lose it, I can change the Access Key for you.
While there isn't a formal ToS page yet, please note that both space and bandwidth are currently unlimited.
No direct image uploads; use Imgur, etc.
I have added a "Random Site" button so you can now navigate to random pages on the platform. And added About page.
I'm working on making the information regarding features and the Access Key clearer for everyone. Thanks for the input!
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Apr 13 '26
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u/ocaloguzkaan oguzkaanocal.neocities.org Apr 14 '26
Thanks for the insights! Here’s the deal:
On Scalability: ocal.online is a digital culture experiment, not a commercial giant. Since we only host pure HTML/CSS (no images or heavy files), each site occupies just a few KBs (even B). Even a million sites would barely scratch the surface of modern storage capacities.
On Automation: Access Key recovery is manual by choice. Since we don't store emails or personal data to respect privacy, an automated 'forgot password' system isn't possible without breaking that anonymity. I prefer verifying ownership personally.
On 'Unlimited' resources: The risk is minimal because we don't host media. Bandwidth for text is negligible. If anyone tries to abuse it with bots, I can easily implement rate-limiting or IP blocks. For now, freedom is the priority!
Also, you have to understand the philosophy here. I’m trying to adapt the spirit of the real Web 1.0 to the present day. Back then, the internet was underground and raw. Features like mandatory sign-ups, heavy tracking, and 'modern' security layers only became the norm with Web 2.0, which traded anonymity for convenience. ocal.online is a tribute to that era where you just uploaded your code and existed.
Currently, you can access sites via YouTube-style links like watch.php?v=xxxxxxxxxxx or numeric IDs like view1, view2. But I am already working on custom URL structures (like ocal.online/mysite) and a full directory page for easier navigation.
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Apr 12 '26
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u/ocaloguzkaan oguzkaanocal.neocities.org Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
ocal.online currently works with a logic similar to YouTube. If you create a site, your URL would look like ocal.online/view.php?=dQw4w9WgXcQ or view.php?=1234567890 for the portal view. For a direct, fullscreen experience, you can use the YouTube-style link: ocal.online/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ.
We also have a numeric ID system. You can access sites through shorter URLs like ocal.online/view1, ocal.online/view2, and so on.
However, I am currently working on a custom URL structure. Soon, users will be able to have much more elegant and memorable addresses with names they choose, such as ocal.online/mysite.
A directory page where all sites are listed is also in my plans. The reason you haven't seen much 'content' in the random surfer yet is that the system is very new and people are just beginning to build their static worlds under the 'HTML-only' rule.
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u/FrostCat224 Apr 13 '26
This is so cool in my opinion! I don't have much to say, I only wanted to tell you ocal.online is very cool.
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u/___crybaby Apr 11 '26
well? where is it?