Proud Geek

 (Update 10/30/07: The Next.Yahoo.com website is down, and returns an error message.)

Next.Yahoo.com has been where Yahoo announces its new projects, beta versions of services, and experimental features. Much like Google Labs, but Next.Yahoo.com was first. However, Next.Yahoo.com has been languishing for quite a while, with nil new features or beta versions being added to this page in what must be over a year or more.

Just a few moments ago, the old Next.Yahoo.com site was taken down (see old cached version), and a “text painting” (reprinted below) of two dolphins was put into its stead. One dolphin is bemoaning the fact that next.yahoo.com is offline, and the other one hinting at good things to come. This retro sketch, and the humor in it, is so un-Yahoo that, well, it’s gotten me excited. What will the new next.yahoo.com bring? Hang on …

OH NOEZ, TEH NEXT.YAHOO.COM
                  SITE IS OFFLINE!!!11one1
                                    /
                          _.-~  )           No need for distress, Giles.
               _..--~~~~,'   ,-/     _      I believe the site will be
            .-'. . . .'   ,-','    ,' )         revived in due time.
          ,'. . . _   ,--~,-'__..-'  ,'
        ,'. . .  (@)' ---~~~~      ,'       __
       /. . . . '~~             ,-'        (  ~-._
      /. . . . .             ,-'      _     -,   `,~~~~--.._
     ; . . . .  - .        ,'        ( `,    `,`-,   '. . . .`-.
    : . . . .       _     /          ',  `-..__`-,~--,   _ . . .`,
   . . . . .          `-.:            `,      ~~~~--- `(@)  . . .`,
  . . . ./  - .          )              `-,             ~~` . . . .
 .  . . |  _____..---.._/ ____             `-,             . . . . .
                                                   _       . . . . :
                                               :.-`          . . . . .

    (the new next.yahoo.com is under contruction.  be on the lookout.)