RETROtales.com

50 posts / 0 new
Topic locked
Last post
Sat, 2007-06-09 18:58
#1
Anonymous
Anonymous's picture
RETROtales.com

Stumbled across a site that seeks to archive the web, so banged in A to tha B to tha C to tha tizzles and got this:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.abctales.com

Most of the pages are unformatted, and only have the homepage, but it's still cool. Look at this one from before an event a few years back when there were only(!) 18,230 pieces on the site:

http://web.archive.org/web/20020526103159/http://abctales.com/

And remember "A winter's tale?" comp?

http://web.archive.org/web/20050430175310/www.abctales.com/magazine/wint...

That was around the time I joined, I think. Milkstone won it, and then got writer of the month.

And speaking of comps, here's when I won that Haiku comp that got more than a million entries, all from internationally renowned professional poets:

http://web.archive.org/web/20051125140254/http://www.abctales.com/

Cardino, eh? What was I thinking?

You know, I won that comp and never even got the poem cherried. I haven't forgotten, tcook!

Um, I'm bitter or anything.

http://www.abctales.com/story/enzo/van-goghs-starry-night

Finally, here's the first page archived from way back in 2001 when tie dye was cool and girls wore flowers in their hair and everyone was always stoned on nice weed, not the rat-poison shit they have now:

http://web.archive.org/web/20010123234500/http://www.abctales.com/

Note: It had a picture of a horse for some reason.

What are your favourite old times from ABCtales?

Top
  • 15657 reads
tom_saunders
tom_saunders's picture
I made writer of the week! http://web.archive.org/web/20020125091333/http://www.abctales.com/
Top
Enzo v2.0
Anonymous's picture
Ooh congrats! Seriously now, what was the deal with that horse?
Top
Enzo v2.0
Anonymous's picture
http://web.archive.org/web/20020601123711/www.abctales.com/abcplex/viewf... The people that I can see that are still around are Tom, Mark, Jude, David, Ralph, Liana, Chant, Fish and Andrew P. Interesting that they still represent a high proportion of the site's best writers.
Top
poetjude
poetjude's picture
oooh look I was story of the day... http://web.archive.org/web/20020125091333/http://www.abctales.com/ when it was story of the day and not just once a week and children respected their elders! jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

 

Top
poetjude
poetjude's picture
http://web.archive.org/web/20020601123711/www.abctales.com/abcplex/viewf... all the writers of the week. God knows how I made it since I spewed reams of angst ridden shite all over the site back then! thegirlwhowantedtobegod was Emily Hamblin who at 17 yrs old was an enormous talent...I wonder where she is now. jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

 

Top
tcook
tcook's picture
I do miss some of the old timers. We have had some fantastic writers over the years and we still have a huge reservoir of talent. Now if all of that skill came together here at one time, what a wonderful world that would be.
Top
Enzo v2.0
Anonymous's picture
Ha - thanks for the cherry, Foster!
Top
Foster
Anonymous's picture
i mean, if it won a contest and all... plus i'm partial to vvg.
Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
nice little trip down memory lane there ... i miss hovis ... and i recall how agog i always was when sooz put up a diary piece ... they were the most amazing compelling car crash pieces ever ... i would read with my mouth open ... i'd love to know what sooz is doing now ...
Top
poetjude
poetjude's picture
yeah, Hovis was cool. It was nice to have another jude around and she was a gooner! Top girl! jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

 

Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
mind you there were some i am glad to see the back of .... mentioning no names ...
Top
2Lou
2Lou's picture
Is Andrew P still around? ~ www.fabulousmother.com

~
www.fabulousmother.co.uk

Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
i think there's wind of him occasionally ...
Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
Did the horse have a name?
Top
poetjude
poetjude's picture
EQUUS Prince begat Prance. And Prance begat Prankus. And Prankus begat Flankus. And Flankus begat Spankus. And Spankus begat Spunkus the Great, who lived threescore years. And Leckwus begat Neckwus. And Neckwus begat Fleckwus, the King of Spit. And Fleckwus spoke out of his chinkle-chankle. And he said, ''Behold, I give you Equus, my only begotten son.'' jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

 

Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
Gary's a strange name for a horse. I think he looks more like an Andrew.
Top
tom_saunders
tom_saunders's picture
Andrew's his evil twin. Gary now prefers to spell his name Gari since his holiday in Ibiza.
Top
poetjude
poetjude's picture
Seriously... there used to be a different piccy on the front page every week. And members could submit their pics for consideration. I'd love to see this brought back. Here is my first offering! http://www.judesworld.net/sunset.html jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

 

Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
*rubs eyes ... blinks* look ... it's hovis ... in the who's online ... see you only have to ask and the universe provides ... *does a little dance of joy*
Top
Enzo v2.0
Anonymous's picture
That's a cool sunset Jude. It would be nice if there were user pics on the homepage again. Not very interesting, just an observation, but this from ages ago: http://web.archive.org/web/20041224224938/www.abctales.com/magazine/info is way better than this from right now, which opens with something about my paypal not being accepted: http://www.abctales.com/about
Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
Could the Inspiration Point be improved if it included pictures too?
Top
markbrown
markbrown's picture
Inspiration Point would be better if it was a bit more... Inspirational. I'm into setting tasks for inspiration. Pictures do work, if they're the right pictures for the right person... Was pleasantly surprised to see this: http://web.archive.org/web/20040722085435/http://www.abctales.com/ 'With Goth On Our Side'. He he he. Cheers, Mark

 

Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
That's a good one, Mark - very inspirational. Let's revive the ABC Subcultural Challenge!
Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
BBF - I can't get that song out of my head now! I suppose it's symptomatic of a web site run by volunteers - there's a lot of work involved in running one of these things; I know because I've done it. And nobody thanks you for it.
Top
Enzo v2.0
Anonymous's picture
Thanks 4G!
Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
Aw shucks! It was nothing!
Top
Enzo v2.0
Anonymous's picture
Fact: If I had to pedal to stay online, I'd never be online.
Top
tom_saunders
tom_saunders's picture
I petrol tugs to stay online.
Top
rokkitnite
rokkitnite's picture
I piddle in jugs to stay online.
Top
bobblehat2023
bobblehat2023's picture
"I have to say that, having explored much of what the web has to offer in terms of 'writing' sites this has always been the best...I may be biased. You do have to ride the rough with the smooth, and some folks don't. Being a regular part of an online forum is a unique and mixed experience...but a good one overall." Well, I think the biggest achievement of ABCtales.com has been the creation of an interesting space for people to come to.

 

Top
rokkitnite
rokkitnite's picture
'Well, I think the biggest achievement of ABCtales.com has been the creation of an interesting space for people to come to.' Yup, yup - I'd second that. And, for all the supposed acrimony, at least there's very little of that wanky self-mythologising that goes on in most artistic 'scenes'. It's just a bunch of people who write, and almost every day I find something new and interesting to read. Not too shabby.
Top
pepsoid
pepsoid's picture
I love ABC Tales! :))) pe ps oid ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Top
flash
flash's picture
Foooooooking yaaaaaaaaaay :-o)
Top
ggggareth
ggggareth's picture
I *think* that Flash does, too.
Top
pepsoid
pepsoid's picture
Nahh, he just stepped on a giant earwig. pe ps oid ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Top
drew_gummerson
drew_gummerson's picture
Yep, I agree with Emma (and others). There was a time when I was reading and posting stories a lot on abc. I don't anymore (for various reasons - right now I'm writing a book and not short stories, the year before I didn't have a computer) but I still check out the forums every day, read a story, and I like the sense of community - seeing on the faces (is that the right word) that I recognise. Now, on with the book......... Drew.

 

Top
rachelcoates
rachelcoates's picture
*stumbles about rubbing eyes like small child woken from afternoon nap* HELLO! I have nothing constructive to say as brain turned to sudocreme and spagetti hoops a while ago but I'm very happy to see you all!
Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
rachey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how are things????? xxxxxxxxxxx
Top
maddan
maddan's picture
Wow - everyone's coming out of the woodwork. I *think* On being Tender was Sheepshank. Google seems to have no memory of it.

 

Top
tcook
tcook's picture
rach - how wonderful to have you back amongst if only for a fleeting instant. How are things? How is you lovely little girl? and Daisy? And everything?
Top
2Lou
2Lou's picture
Hello Rachel! How's it going? The free tub of sudocrem I got in my Bounty Bag lasted for two whole kids... it's a bugger to get out of carpets though ('how to get sudocrem out of carpet' is the most frequent search string pointing people to my site - poor things, I have no idea how to get sudocrem out of a carpet). Isn't this nice though, everybody turning up... *waits hopefully for Ely Whitley* What was Ely's real name, btw - I want to look out for it on rolling credits. ~ www.fabulousmother.com

~
www.fabulousmother.co.uk

Top
flash
flash's picture
*Remembers Rachel's frontage fondly ...sighs dreamily* :-o)
Top
poetjude
poetjude's picture
He was quite elusive about his real identity but did let it slip once or twice. His name is Ian Watson. http://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=1457&articlei... jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

 

Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
hahahah emma! i'd forgotten the bum clearance story ... when i read it i laughed until i nearly did a little wee ...
Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
wow .. long and sleeked! send us a pic emma ... ely didn't look how i imagined either ... and yes i've been sleeked alright ... the invention of the hair 'straights' as we call them is a brilliant thing ... tho can still be wildly woolly if caught in the rain ...
Top
rachelcoates
rachelcoates's picture
Very glad that emma has her kinkiness finally under control. Is so nice to pop in once in a while but with a mental 2 (YES 2 on Friday) year old about the feet it's a bit hectic. Congrats grandpa cook! Fishy has always been long and sleek to me! Think often and fondly about colonic irrigation threat (although friend who gave herself an enema while waterskiing in a bikini has yet to see the funny side).
Top
ivoryfishbone
ivoryfishbone's picture
two ... lawks ... time to pop out another one soon then ...
Top
tcook
tcook's picture
It is very good to have you all back here once more - now come on down to Brighton this Saturday for a great evening of fun and frolicing - oh, and some fine reads as well.
Top
donignacio
donignacio's picture
I remember this site was a big part in changing my major from chemical engineering to print journalism. I graduated now, and I can't find a job!!! (OK, just kidding. I'm going to graduate school now to be a science teacher!)

 

Top
Topic locked