Looking back at the start of things

comments 7
Web Design

Dusk 'til Dawn

After just 11 years, my oldest and dearest domain name is going to be lost to me.

I purchased angel-btvs.co.uk back in the year 2000 for my very first website – Dusk ’til Dawn. It was a Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fansite. It had a black background, 5 frames, JavaScript rollovers made using Adobe GoLive and a rather fetching flash movie which had music and was created using SwiSh. Oh yes, it was that good. Did I mention that the font colour was a yellow-gold colour and I’m pretty sure I used Bradley Hand ITC Regular as the font for the main body text. I believe I built it using Microsoft Frontpage too. Oh yes.

Thankfully it didn’t look like that for long. I learnt quickly, taught myself what I needed to know and that was that. Though 11 years ago, I never for once thought I’d be heading for a career in web design.

Aside from leading me down the path I’m on now, creating that one little website brought me so much more I had ever expected. I got involved in the fandom – message boards, forums, you name it. It was fun. As the fandom grew and as I got further into it I made some friends. Some friends, I’m happy to say, I’m still very much friends with now.

In a few days, angel-btvs.co.uk will be no more. I’m letting the domain name lapse. When I received the email telling me that the domain name will be lapsing into obscurity and away from my grasp I didn’t think much of it. After a few hours, it sunk in. The website’s been more or less dead, but still online, for over a year. But in just a few days it will most definitely be gone. I thought it deserved some sort of remembrance here.

So long DTD – you were good to me and I learnt a lot from you. Thank you.

7 Comments

  1. I know I’ve said this already, but it’s worth repeating – it really does feel like the end of an era. And such an amazing era when online fandom, to me at least, was such a new concept – and BtVS was at the forefront of it all. DTD was my go-to site for news, and I remember the forum community with great fondness. A decade for any fansite is an incredible accomplishment and it’s amazing to think of where it’s actually led you in terms of your chosen career path. In that respect, I guess one can view it not just as a fansite, but also as an important milestone in your life, if that makes sense? Of course, i’m prone to rambling lol.

    I’m glad to see have a much deserved send off 🙂

    But oh my, the days of Frontpage! I remember the first time I read a fansite owner talking somewhat haughtily about other webmasters using WYSIWYG editors and I felt strangely admonished. From that moment on, I ventured into learning web design. Feels like a lifetime ago.

    • BtVS/Angel have been the only fandoms I think I’ve really been a big part of. I was a little involved with the Stargate fandom, but just didn’t ‘fit’ in as much. Like you, BtVS fandom was my first fandom and it was brilliant at its height!

      If I think about it, had I not decided that summer to make my first website, would I have ever wanted to try at any other point in time after that? Definitely a big milestone for me. A Sliding Doors moment.. except without being whisked off my feet!

      I felt the same way! I thought, what other way is there to make a website?

  2. Gosh in the day, it was the no 1 website for all Buffy related stuff! I think I got into the fandom more because your was such a professionally designed, well thought out website. I’ll be sad to see it go.

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