During silliness tonight over at RenMakesMusic‘s discord channel, in trying to point out the GOAT of early internet memery, I linked up “Tales For The Leet: Romeo & Juliet”. But then, I realized, that’s not the original, it can’t be, because Tales For The Leet was not made in 2011, but originated in the range of 1999-2004 by maker Chris Coutts’s own works of the time, fortunately preserved in the Wayback Machine at the following locations respectively (Thanks, Ruffle):
1.The original, as captured on date indicated in upper right corner of page after the jump – https://web.archive.org/web/20061230062545/http://uninteresting.myby.co.uk/noeffort/romjul.htm
2. The follow-up, ditto for method (someone submitted them) – https://web.archive.org/web/20061230062545/http://uninteresting.myby.co.uk/noeffort/hamlet.htm
I downloaded both and suggest you do as well because link rot is real and we’ve rolled around in research since at least 2002 on the matter with the consensus largely being that so long as the libraries aren’t impacted, so what?
And no I didn’t check to see what the earliest date actually was for each as I care only that this was well before 2011 and this is now well and fully made as the intended point. But I do know that it was reported in 2007 by Wired, so I’m pretty confident as I watched the original from a server generously linked from an old Usenet newsgroup. (I miss Usenet.)
Mind, I’m not necessarily upset at the lack of origination date as manifested…. you know, the true path of its life as a piece of cultural and societal exposition? The chances in both norms and language since then…. stuff like this has always held my interest. I sincerely remain hopeful that Coutts’ will understand the remaining value of this story as part of internet culture and meme history. The true story from dirt up would be amazing.
Were I able to get into a media studies specialty, my paper would be on these two films and I will say little more as it should be evident to anyone familiar with the progression of the media conglomerates and the outcomes of the operant saturates who dwell within them.
The symbology modifications in language as well as touchpoints in the story are very interesting on analysis. Perhaps someday, I’ll write it anyway. Guess we’ll see.
As for the disparities, I decide they are easily explained: Coutts is uploading them every few years to keep them alive. I’m sure it’s hard to remember specifics without researching your own footprint, and the fact that he’s reissuing them every few years is probably, rightfully going to save them from link rot’s inevitable hold.
But that’s another topic and I’ll leave it for another day.
Thanks for reading, as always.