Zombo.com

Zombo.com is a single-serving site created in 1999. It was originally a faculty and student joke from the George Washington University Center for Professional Development. The site parodies Flash introductory web pages that play while the rest of a site's content loads. Zombo took the concept to a humorous extreme, consisting of one long introductory page that leads to an invitation to sign up for a newsletter.[1]

Zombo.com
The Flash version of Zombo.com
Type of site
HTML5 animation (previously Flash animation)
Available inEnglish
URLwww.zombo.com
LaunchedNovember 28, 1999 (1999-11-28)
Current statusOnline (as a Website)

The site was initially a Flash animation, but as of 5 January 2021, the website now uses HTML5 instead due to Adobe Flash Player being discontinued.

Content

Zombo.com consists of a "blank" page, a colorful title, and an animation of seven colorful pulsating discs, making them appear as though they are rotating. The website also contains an audio clip, in which a man welcomes the visitor to "Zombocom".

Flash version

After some time, the option to sign up for a "newZletter" appears. This is a continuation of the joke as it is actually a short link to http://www.zombo.com/join1.htm, which tells the reader that this particular option is not available yet. This message is conveyed as a humorously written thank you in the same register form of "newZletter," stating "ThankZ for your patience."

The HTML markup of the website also contains the comment "Please Visit http://www.15footstick.com our other website ThankZ" which leads to a parody website.

HTML5 version

Unlike the Flash version, the audio clip will loop to the start when it ends, removing the "newZletter" message. The HTML markup comment was also removed. Additionally, the discs in the center actually spin rather than changing color.

Popularity

Video game producer Bill Roper[2] and artist Dave Rowntree have each listed Zombo as their favorite website; Rowntree explains, "I think [zombo.com] paraphrases the [inter]net. Promises you the earth but delivers a bit of animation with a scratchy soundtrack!"[3] Web animator Joel Veitch chose Zombo.com as the least useful website, since "it doesn't do anything except tell you how wonderful it is."[4] Ian McClelland, currently managing director of Guardian Australia,[5] but at the time Senior Producer for Cartoon Network, also cited Zombo.com as the least useful site in the same column two years previously [6] "Utterly useless, absolutely brilliant". Mark Sullivan of PC World listed Zombo among the Internet's ten most useless websites, concluding, "Well, in fact, nothing happens at zombo.com."[7] Samela Harris of The Advertiser calls Zombo.com "the most welcoming website on the Internet",[8] and Daryl Lim of Digital Life calls Zombo.com "the ultimate time-waster".[9] A listing in The Australian writes, "Zombo.com has just one joke, but it's a good one."[10]

On 4 September 2013, Matthew Inman, creator of the webcomic The Oatmeal, listed Zombo.com as his favorite website in an interview with Runner's World.[11]

On 23 January 2020, Terry Cavanagh, programmer of VVVVVV and Super Hexagon, created a VR version of Zombo.com.[12]

References
  1. Green, Tom; Dias, Tiago (2010), Foundation Flash CS5 for Designers, Apress, p. 758, ISBN 978-1-4302-2994-0
  2. Mackintosh, Hamish (22 August 2002), "WORKING IT OUT – WAR GAMES", The Guardian, p. 4, Factiva grdn000020020821dy8m001nj, retrieved 26 July 2011
  3. Mackintosh, Hamish (5 April 2001), "INTERVIEW – Dave Rowntree", The Guardian, p. 4, Factiva grdn000020010712dx4500kap, retrieved 26 July 2011
  4. Veitch, Joel (20 January 2003), "My New Media", The Guardian, p. 51, Factiva grdn000020030121dz1k000ce, retrieved 26 July 2011
  5. "Ian McClelland appointed Managing Director, Guardian Australia". Guardian News and Media Limited.
  6. Maclelland, Ian; Barton, Laura (October 21, 2001). "My new media". Guardian News and Media Limited.
  7. Sullivan, Mark (2 October 2008), "The Bottom 10: The Web's Most Useless Sites", PC World, retrieved 25 July 2011
  8. Harris, Samela (20 October 2004), "Internut", The Advertiser, p. L14, Factiva ADVTSR0020041019e0ak0009d
  9. Lim, Daryl (13 February 2007), "Nothing to do? Check out these five weird websites", Digital Life, Factiva COMPTI0020070212e32d0000d
  10. Staff (22 April 2003), "Surf IT", The Australian, Factiva austln0020030421dz4m000ms
  11. Remy, Mark (September 4, 2013). "An Interview With The Oatmeal". Rodale Incorporated.
  12. Cavanagh, Terry. "Zombocom VR". GitHub. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
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