GeoCities Hosting Calls it Quits
Written by Chad Bean on October 26, 2009 – 7:20 pm -It looks like GeoCities, the Free Web Hosting service owned by Yahoo!, is officially ending service to website owners today. I’m sure many of you have used their service at one point or another, so it’s kind of sad to see them go down with all of the web sites they hosted. My first web site was on GeoCities, complete with a looping, low-quality instrumental midi file, and animated graphics. Many other free web hosting services like GeoCities have risen and fallen over the years because the free hosting business model just doesn’t seem sustainable.
It’s amazing how many web sites with no business model or profitability sunk during the .com internet bubble. Internet businesses, like any other company, aren’t immune from the age old philosophy of “you need to make money to stay in business”. Now there are a few exceptions to this rule. It’s still possible to come up with a great idea for a web site and receive funding from a venture capital firm (read: Twitter), but for the everyday web business owner, they understand the need to make a profit.
Many GeoCities refugees have migrated over to HostGator, and we want to welcome you all with open arms. We can assure you that HostGator won’t have the same fate as GeoCities because well, we’re a profitable company.
If you have a site with GeoCities and need a new home, post a comment and we’ll try to throw you some free months worth of Hosting at HostGator.
Tags: geocities
Posted in Around the Web, Web Hosting News | 13 Comments »
By Rahul Nimawat on Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Yea, agree with you Chad. I also had my very first website on Geocities. I used their web-based sitebuilder to build it. It was an amazing experience for me to have a corner for myself in the Web world.
I have become a full flagged businessman now in the web field. No more free host are useful for me. But, its kind of sad feel seeing Geocities going down.
I appreciate Hostgator supporting various social causes by providing free hosting to NGOs etc. Keep it up.
By Gawkwire News on Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
RIP Geocities. You were a first for all of us.
By Rocky Garcia on Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
That will be a sad news for site owners this coming Halloween. :-(
By JT Stone on Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
It is another part of our internet history that is going by the wayside :-(
I applaud HostGator for offering to help those people transitioning. Hopefully some will find this post and take advantage of the generous offer.
By Tinh on Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
That is actually a paradise for Geocities users and thanks very much for great offer from HostGator
By Eames Chair on Nov 5, 2009 | Reply
Wow, Geocities.. that brings back memories.. I didn’t even realize they were still around.
By Garry Conn on Nov 5, 2009 | Reply
That’s awesome to hear that you’re offering to help people migrate over from GeoCities to HostGator. There’s a team of volunteers who were attempting to get an entire back up of GeoCities (http://www.seohosting.com/blog/search-engine-news/yahoo-to-shut-down-geocities/) I am not sure if they were completely successful with doing this or not. But I have to agree, it’s crazy to lose such a historical piece of the Internet.
By Irfan Pathan on Nov 5, 2009 | Reply
If you have a site with GeoCities and need a new furnished home(Means Flash, Videos and rich graphics in website), please call me on my cell : +91-09328081607. I will help you.
By Rocky Garcia on Nov 8, 2009 | Reply
That’s a really sad news for website owners who use GeoCities.
By Polonux on Nov 9, 2009 | Reply
its a great integration i think because both will benefit from this.. to think that many are still using the web host to their blogs.
By Irfan Pathan on Nov 10, 2009 | Reply
If you have a site with GeoCities and need a new furnished home(Means Flash, Videos and rich graphics in website), please call me on my cell : +91-09328081607. I will help you….
By Pet Society Help on Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
RIP GeoCities, thanks for being the first site to let me practice my html.
By hands-free hosting philippines on Nov 20, 2009 | Reply
farewell to GeoCites, I remember back when it is so popular, people are so attached with it.