Know more about the History of The Spatula Web Site from its conceptualization to its creation, and to its present status. Get a glimpse of the specifications of The Spatula Web Site in Facts And Figures!

history

in the start…

When I got my very first modem, I usually access the local Bulletin Board Systems in our area (Manila, Philippines) just to do three things: download, download, and even more downloads! I didn't care of mail or uploads, I just wanted to suck all the files of a BBS dry! I jumped from one BBS to another, looking for new files of Ranma ½ - especially files about Ukyou. But I came to a point that I can no longer find new files on the BBSes. It looked like I have more files about Ranma ½ and Ukyou compared to certain BBSes! So I thought, hey, I gotta upload some stuff. I don't want to be selfish. I wanted to share what I have to people. So I did upload Ranma ½ and Ukyou files to BBSes that don't have them. But I stopped uploading for two reasons: the uploading is so sloooooww and I have a LOT of files to upload! So I figured, what about setting up my own BBS? I got the software, installed it in my PC, and guess what? The darn thing didn't work! I also considered that if I'm gonna set up a BBS, my phone would be ringing off the hook, day in, day out (I have only one line). So I dropped the idea of having a BBS.

Now what? What about building my own Web Site? That time, I didn't know much about the Internet and web stuff, so I got a book about "Building A World Class Web Site". Hmm, that sounds fun. Materials needed: Your very own server, router, modem, fiber optic line, BLA BLA BLA! I'd rather buy my very own car! Then I saw an ad in the newspaper. This Internet Service Provider called PhilWorld Online is giving away 5 Megs of web server space FREE if you subscribe. So I did subscribe. I surfed the net, and looked again for new Ranma ½ and Ukyou related files. I also got some software for constructing a web site. Now that I have all my materials, it's now time to build my very own web site. About what? Yeah, about what, I asked myself. A Ranma ½ Web Site! No, too general and common. A gallery of scanned pictures of my friends, family, teachers… Nope. That's too uncommon. It took me almost a month to decide on what I would put in my Web Site. Then I arrived at my decision. Since I like Ukyou very much (she's really cute and I have tons of files about her), I decided to build her very own Web Site. Wait, what's the name? "Ukyou Kuonji's Home Page". Too boring. "Ukyou's Home Page". The same. "The Spatula". Hmm, I don't know. "The Pix". It's not all pictures. What about "The Spatula"? Well, it pertains to Ukyou, and it's her favorite weapon. So I accepted it. It was December 29, 1996 when I started working on The Spatula. I usually slept at 2 a.m. in the morning and woke up at 6 a.m. during those days. The rest of the day, the computer was at my face. New Year's Eve came, I'm still not finished. In the first few hours of 1997, I was at the keyboard typing and programming. After all the hard work, I have finished building The Spatula, and by January 1, 1997, at 11:00 p.m., Philippine time, I was ready to launch The Spatula into the World Wide Web…

hmm… I thought this site was in the Philippines. why is it here in GeoCities now?

Good question. A lot of people are complaining about slow transfer rates and stuff like that. I have already planned to spice up The Spatula with tables and JavaScript a long time ago, but it would make The Spatula load much more slower in your browsers. So I combed the Net for web servers that offer high transfer rates. GeoCities was one of them. They offered 2 Megs of web server space free. So I applied. Since they only allowed me 2 Megs, I only uploaded to GeoCities the main pages and the page graphics. The image files still reside in the Philippines at PhilWorld Online's server. That's why The Spatula Web Site consists of two web servers: GeoCities' web server and PhilWorld Online's web server. GeoCities reviewed my site. They said it was good, so they made The Spatula a featured site in GeoCities. As a reward, they granted me an additional 3 Megs of free web server space. So all in all, I now have a total of 10 Megs worth of web server space! Isn't this system nifty?

facts and figures

• The Spatula Web Site is created, owned, and maintained by Ben Leonard Duque.
• The main pages and page graphics of The Spatula are located in GeoCities' web server while the image files listed in Ukyou's Gallery are located in PhilWorld Online's web server in Manila, Philippines.
• The Spatula was built using Microsoft's Word Internet Assistant.
• The Spatula was built starting from scratch on December 29, 1996 and it was finished in just a span of 4 days, almost NON-STOP. Since I'm new to web publishing, did I build it fast or slow?
• The total number of files used in The Spatula Web Site is about 400 and it's still growing.
• The total amount of web server space allotted for The Spatula Web Site is 10 Megabytes.
• The Spatula is powered and enhanced by JavaScript.
• Ever notice the color scheme of The Spatula? The color scheme of The Spatula uses shades of Blue, Violet, and Black. Why? Because these are the colors present in Ukyou's costume. Check out Ukyou's ID in Who's Ukyou for a closer look at her.

Do you want to help out in making this site more enjoyable? Check out The Board section of The Spatula Home Page for more details on Contributions!

The Spatula Web Site: created and maintained by Ben Leonard Duque - Launched on January 1, 1997

Vote for me as GeoCities' Cool Homestead Of The Day! Just enter your e-mail address above and click Vote!

Comments? Suggestions? Send them all to leonard@pworld.net.ph

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