I never really knew GeoCities but the more I read about it, the more I get fascinated. It's actually possible to see part of it using the Internet Archive. I love how they used the physical place metaphor. Residents have addresses, you visit their homepages. It just works so well. Just by its nature, it brings other things as well: you now have neighbors with who you can connect. Often, neighbors would share similar interest since the different districts were based on center of interests. You can literally take a virtual walk and stroll through a virtual place, viewing content that you enjoy. I also heard that each district had leaders who helped keep it active.
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From Dusk's End, Nightfall City
m15o@posteo.net