My First Website

How do I make this website (My First Website)

It begin all back in 2021

Firstly I just try to make some art that is called ASCII (the art that is used alphabet). When I was doing it, I wonder, "Why don't I make a website that is desired to old computers?" Yeah that's right. What I see at that time was the old computer didn't have too many internet browsers and website are supported nowadays. This is because the old computer didn't know how to read the latest script. Like for example, old website does not use much (JS) JavaScript like the modern website now. While now, JavaScript and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are like two best friends when it comes to make a website. If you are wondering,

- JS is a versatile programming language widely used for creating dynamic and interactive content on the web. It enables developers to implement complex features on web pages, such as displaying timely content updates, interactive forms, animations, and much more.
- CSS was used to describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML. It's a powerful tool for web designers and developers, enabling them to control the look and feel of their websites.

By this way, I know I need to make sure that I eliminate all the modern scripts that may cause problems to the website, such as failed to render the picture for an example.

Anyway, I just so stupid about writing old website in the notepad. It may cause me an headache because I need to code it, save it, test it and if it was working as I wanted then I just continue the work. But if it was not working then I need to find the error from seconds to minutes, maybe hours or days if I am lazy. But of course, I'll never stop to make the website for old computer. To make my life maybe meaningless, I was coded it using HTML 5. After 3 days, I just create the old looking website with the modern script?! So yeah, I just noticed that I wasted 3 days in my life but can I at least test it in the old computer? But the website does not have JS and CSS so it should work in older version right? Sure enough, I saved it as .htm file format and set the encoding to UTF-8. Then I just made it into ISO (Optical Disc Image) format. The reason I do that because I'm using Oracle VM Virtualbox. I have a CD drive but it give me failure read, probably because I wasn't use it in very long time. Plus when I do that, the Virtualbox will thinking that I put a CD in it. I was using Microsoft Windows 95 since it supported LFN (long file name). Wait, LFN? then how people store files back then?

- LFN is not supported in MS-DOS.
- The main reason is because due to limitation of the computer where File Allocation Table (FAT) only supported 8.3 format name.
- The file also stored in uppercase only.
- 8.3 is the 8 characters of file names and 3 characters of extensions where the 8 characters and 3 characters are the maximum.
- For example, if modern files was saved as Program Manager. exe ,the older one would be PROGMAN. EXE.
- This is because PROGMAN. EXE was containing 7 characters of file names, 3 characters of extensions and it was stored in uppercase.

Plus in older windows, there is no way you can test the website without uploading it. While Microsoft Windows 3.1 using Tree directory, Windows 95 using File Explorer and make all thing going easy (because back then, I don't know how to use MS-DOS like now). So I just try it and yeah, IT WORKED! I was happy to see how old computer adapted to the old website, and maybe, MAYBE I can try to add the JS. So I attempted to add JS and guess what? All of the website become scrambled. I mean, all the text and fonts are mixed up and the picture are not rendered. I thought to myself, no more involving the JS although some of it may worked but it was not in my case. AND I must avoided it or may use the old HTML file. I am not copied it, just take the inspiration, and code it by myself. Also, the story gets interesting.

After a months of no progress, I was wandering in Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and accidently clicked on Internet Explorer 2.0. I was about to close it because I didn't install the internet driver for it so how can I use an internet there. It was very useless for that. It just like you start-up the computer without the Operating System on it. But I just notice one thing, it have a simple or even no JS and the website are more tent to work in old computer. It just a greeting HTML because back in 1990s, people are new to the internet. So to give the new internet user a warm welcome, they created one. To be exact, they congratulating the new users for installing the browsers. Also, please note that Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 was released in 1996, while Microsoft Windows 95 released in 1995 so there is no much different there. So there is one thing I want to do, which is if there is a way to take out the HTML file. I was attempted it at the first time at the HTML file that is exist in Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server. It was released in 1999, there is a slightly different but hey, its just a test if I can take out the HTML. I tested by using the USB stick since Microsoft Windows 2000 have a USB driver. Fortunately, It worked and it's make all the things going easy. I also try to make a shared file and still worked. So yeah in case the Microsoft Windows version didn't compatible with USB, I can use shared file way. At least, what I thought to be.

But that is a different story when I was trying to take out the HTML document in Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. Since USB are not supported in Windows NT 4.0, I can't do how the way I take out the HTML document in Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server. So I tried to put a shared file in Microsoft Windows NT4.0. It worked in Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced server so I guess it will work in Microsoft Windows NT4.0. No, it just let to disappointment. Why I said that? Because the computer are not able to connect to my VirtualBox. So, next attempt it using internet. I installed the internet driver there and hoping it was worked, but no. Now the problem is Microsoft Windows NT4.0 didn't know what path it must use. I tried every path and it still fail. When I mean every, I started from E: drive to Z: drive and none are work. So what I need to do now is use another way. My second attempt was use the ISO. Like how the Virtualbox can transfer the input file that is using ISO, why it don't work in output? So I tried again and guess it. It fail. My theory is that when the ISO is burned, it mean the ISO was behave the same as CD-R (only readable). That mean I can't edit the file as soon as I click burn. It just the same as the actual CD and it was the reason why some CD cannot be formatted no matter how hard you try.

I was sad and maybe, I can't make the website. I don't want to try a retro website anymore. I'm disappointed. But there is a light at the end of the road. Why? After like 2 weeks, I was using IMG file format. While ISO are used for CD, IMG are used for floppy disk. The story begin when I was recovering Microsoft Windows 95 and it ask for floppy disk. I inserted the random one and I was shocked. It said that my floppy have been formatted and all the recover file are there. At this point, I just wonder if the CD are permanent, do the floppy disk are permanent too? I mean, I never heard the floppy disk that is readable only. The only way you to make it to become readable only IS just covered the notch or the hole. Pretty easy right? Even cool, I can delete the entire floppy like it was a personal one. So I tried that way and it worked, now I can take out the HTML file. The HTML was in that floppy I am very happy. But it not the end of the story. I forget that I don't have IMG reader and now the file was there. But it just an easy fix. I simply used Microsoft Windows XP and transferred it there because Microsoft Windows XP didn't give the failure of floppy like in Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server do, plus Microsoft Windows XP also support USB.

So the plan was:

Step 1. Mount the IMG file. Step 2. Create the new file, so that the HTML file can be transferred again later.
Step 3. Copy all the HTML file in Microsoft Windows XP.
Step 4. Plug in the USB stick when the copies are done.
Step 5. Transfer all the file to the USB stick.
Step 6. Once it done, transfer it back to the actual computer.

+ The reason why I didn't use shared file because I didn't create one for Microsoft Windows XP, although it just required a minute setup only.

Lastly, I can't believe that it worked. I was clueless because finally I managed to take out 1996 HTML file and create it in 2021 computer. Just like before, it was amazing to see how the old HTML file would work in modern internet explorer. I just make a website for it, make it online and that's it. This is the website now. I think that's the end of the story now. Thank you for reading this.

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