YTMND
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Type of site | Specialized website community/Internet fad and meme website |
---|---|
Owner | Max Goldberg/YTMND, Inc. |
Created by | Max Goldberg |
URL | www |
Commercial | Yes |
Registration | Optional |
Launched | July 6, 2001 |
Current status | Online |
YTMND, an initialism for "You're the Man Now, Dog", is[a] an online community centered on the creation of hosted memetic web pages (known within the community as fads, YTMNDs, or sites) featuring a juxtaposition of an image (still or short animation) centered or tiled along with optional large zooming text and a looping sound file. Images and sound files used in YTMNDs are usually either created or edited by users. YTMND is generally considered to be a humor website, owing its tone and culture to the original YTMND and its early imitators.
History
YTMND originated in 2001 from Max Goldberg's original website, "yourethemannowdog.com", which he registered along with "
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7d/Ytmnd-screenshot.jpg/262px-Ytmnd-screenshot.jpg)
In 2004, Goldberg wrote a
Height of popularity
In November 2005, YTMND changed its layout and added new features, including a comment management system and new lists for the main page.[6] A feature debuted soon after allowing users to donate money on behalf of a YTMND chosen by the user in exchange for its increased exposure through the main site.[7]
On September 24, 2006, YTMND changed to a new layout and design.[8] The re-design added new features, such as the YTMND digest.[9]
Decline
On August 29, 2016, Max Goldberg announced that YTMND would likely soon be shutting down, citing ill health and the site's inability to fund its own hosting fees from ad revenue. Goldberg stated "Besides being a time capsule I don't really see a reason for it to continue to exist... It seems like the internet has moved on...And I've moved on too. I don't have much interest in the site beyond it being good memories."[10]
In August 2018, Archive Team revealed that it had archived the entirety of the site's content up to that point.[11] On May 12, 2018, the site stopped accepting new user signups as a result of Google shutting down version 1 of its ReCAPTCHA anti-spam mechanism.[citation needed]
In May 2019, the site experienced major downtime, which led media outlets to report that the site had been shut down permanently.[11][12] The site itself partially came back online, with a page stating that there had been a "catastrophic failure" in its database, and stating that whether the site will be restored was undecided.
Modernization
On May 17, 2019, Max Goldberg wrote to supporters on his
On March 31, 2020, YTMND re-launched in earnest, including all of the previously hosted YTMND sites and the ability to log in, create accounts, recover passwords, and post new sites. It has also been updated to work using HTML5 media playable, HTTPS communications, and includes a mobile-friendly interface.[16]
Conflicts
eBaum's World
In January 2006,
Goldberg denounced the ongoing attacks, stating that they had "really crossed the line" and were a "vulgar display of power".[17] He later stated that any YTMND member whose site promoted attacks would have his or her account deleted[18] and that the conflict had placed both himself and his hosting company in a negative light.[19]
On January 10, eBaum's World alleged the attacks were a form of cyberterrorism,[20] and on January 11, Neil Bauman, the executive vice president of eBaum's World, publicly stated that arrests were being made in relation to the attacks.[21] Eventually, Goldberg and Bauman came to an agreement: Bauman removed the montage from his website, and Goldberg removed references to "eBaum" from his.[22] Though the conflict was resolved, both sites experienced DDoS attacks on the morning of January 12, 2006.[23]
Church of Scientology
On June 10, 2006, a cease and desist form was sent to Goldberg by lawyers of the Church of Scientology, claiming that several YTMND pages with Scientology-related content had infringed on Scientology copyrights.[24] In response, Goldberg replied to the lawyer that the cease and desist form was "completely groundless" and he would not be deleting any Scientology-related sites.[25] Days later, a Scientology page section appeared on the front page along with a disclaimer on the bottom stating the following: "This website is in no way affiliated, sponsored or owned by the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, SeaOrg, Dianetics, volcanoes or aliens of any sort. We are, however, sponsored by Citizens for the Release of Xenu, a not-for-sanity organization." According to Goldberg, there have not been any recent updates regarding the potential lawsuit.[26][27]
Sega
On January 11, 2007, Goldberg revealed that
Scholastic
On July 17, 2007, Goldberg received a string of letters and phone calls from lawyers representing Scholastic threatening legal action if sites revealing spoilers for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were not removed, in response to several YTMNDs with scanned pages that Goldberg posted on the front page. As more sites were created with spoilers, additional letters were sent. Goldberg responded to Scholastic by declining to take down Harry Potter-related sites.[30]
Pez
In May 2009, the Pez corporation sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding two YTMNDs depicting fake Pez dispensers with Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson's heads on the containers, which they found insulting, and demanded that YTMND refrain from allowing any Pez-related items to be displayed on the site.[31] Goldberg responded by starting a fad contest involving the candy company, with the prize being a possible lawsuit.[32]
Media exposure
Due to the nature and format of YTMNDs, the site has garnered attention from outside
On the February 1, 2006, episode of
YTMND was featured in an article for the July 30, 2006, issue of The Washington Post. The article describes how Goldberg conceived yourethemannowdog.com, its rise in popularity, and the elements of a YTMND site. The article also referred to the creators of YTMNDs as "artists".[38] Goldberg signed a release for The Colbert Report to show Stephen Colbert-related YTMNDs.[39] A select few seconds of a YTMND was shown.[citation needed] On November 23, The Washington Post reported on telemarketing pranks in which they named a number of websites, including howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com.[40] Various other news reporting sites have printed the same article, including Reuters and The Wall Street Journal.[41][42] A Swedish newspaper, metro, also included the site in a separate article.[43]
See also
Notes
- ^ Although YTMND has relaunched its website and is still somewhat operational, it has not been run since 2020. Instead, the business has been placed in a state of limbo.
References
- ^ "Yourethemannowdog.com from October 7, 2001". Archived from the original on 2001-10-07. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- Wired News. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
- ^ "Yourethemannowdog.com from December 3, 2001". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 2001-12-03. Retrieved 2006-07-24.
- ^ "Yourethemannowdog.com/contrib from March 30, 2005". Archived from the original on 2005-03-06. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
- ^ a b "About YTMND". YTMND. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "Welcome to the new face of ytmn(d-sfw)!". YTMND. 2005-11-25. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "Fund raising". YTMND. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "Create like a god, command like a king, work like a slave". YTMND. 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
- ^ "YTMND – browse sites". YTMND. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
- ^ Menegus, Bryan (29 August 2016). "Who Killed YTMND?". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
- ^ a b Kan, Michael (2019-05-15). "Internet Meme Pioneer YTMND Shuts Down". PCMag. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
- ^ Stephen, Bijan (2019-05-15). "A beloved relic of early 2000s internet is facing extinction". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
- ^ Goldberg, Max (May 17, 2019). "The Future of YTMND". Patreon.
- ^ Goldberg, Max (Jun 5, 2019). "YTMND progress report". Patreon.
- ^ Goldberg, Max (Dec 1, 2019). "YTMNDs Now Searchable". Patreon.
- ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (April 1, 2020). "YTMND is back, a year after shutting down". The Verge. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "And the complaints come marching in". YTMND. 2006-01-08. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "Your account will be deleted if..." YTMND. 2006-01-09. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "To clarify my statement". YTMND. 2006-01-09. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "Regarding the recent attacks on eBaum's World". eBaum's World. 2006-01-10. Archived from the original on 2006-06-01. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ Statement from Neil Bauman
- ^ "Cease and Desist from Neil Bauman". YTMND. 2006-01-10. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "The never ending saga". YTMND. 2006-01-12. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- ^ "Church of Scientology sends a cease and desist". YTMND. Archived from the original on 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
- ^ "What you know about dat". YTMND. 2006-06-13. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
- ^ ""backup" copy [courtesy of the "archive dot org" site called the "Wayback machine"] of Scientomogy.com". scientomogy.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2007.
- ^ "Green onions". YTMND. 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2006-06-23.
- ^ "Misirlou". YTMND. 2007-01-11. Retrieved 2007-01-11.
- ^ "Deception". YTMND. 2007-02-01.
- ^ Max (July 19, 2007). "Magic". YTMND.com. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
- ^ "Pez". ytmnd.com.
- ^ "ytmnd – you're the man now dog!". ytmnd.com.
- ^ "Once-aloof Cruise now spoofed". Today.com. 2005-06-27.
- ^ a b c d "Media sightings". YTMND. Archived from the original on 2006-07-05. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "User Created Challenge". G4. Archived from the original on 2006-07-03. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- Wired News. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ "On Amazon, All of a Sudden Everyone's a Milk Critic". The New York Times. 2006-08-09.
- ^ Ahrens, Frank "A Home For Quick Hits", Page F07 The Washington Post, July 30, 2006
- ^ "Mo money mo problems". YTMND. 2006-08-22. Retrieved 2006-08-22.
- ^ "Fed up with telemarketers? Try mooing". The Washington Post. 2006-11-23. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
- ^ "Fed up with telemarketers? Try mooing". Reuters. 2006-11-23. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
- The Wall Street Journal Online. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- ^ "Ytterligare ett sätt att stoppa ivriga telesäljare" (in Swedish). Metro. 2006-11-23. Archived from the original on 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
External links
- YTMND.com
- YTMND Wiki – YTMND's official wiki
- Yourethemannowdog.com – the "original" YTMND website
- News – wise up – reflection and history of YTMND by Max Goldberg (30 April 2007)
- The History of YTMND - another reflection and history of YTMND by Max Goldberg (1 April 2010)