<![CDATA[Gawker: valleywag, ancient history]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gawker.com.png <![CDATA[Gawker: valleywag, ancient history]]> http://gawker.com/tag/valleywag/ancienthistory http://gawker.com/tag/valleywag/ancienthistory <![CDATA[Such, such were the joys]]> Google News is re-indexing some Fast Company articles from the turn of the century, so classic articles like "Built to Flip" have turned up in news alerts as if they came out this morning. Reading this stuff is like pawing through National Geographics from the 50s — the customs are strange, the references archaic, the topless shots of natives disappointing. For instance:

Built to Flip. An intriguing idea: No need to build a company, much less one with enduring value. Today, it's enough to pull together a good story, to implement the rough draft of an idea, and — presto! — instant wealth.

How quaint! How endearingly refreshing! Quick, say "instant wealth" again, Tom Anderson from MySpace didn't quite hear you.

Built to Flip [Fast Company, 2000]

]]> http://gawker.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=191452&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ancient history: Pyra Labs in '99]]>

Meg Hourihan dug up a pic (640x480 original) of her partner Evan Williams at Pyra Labs in their pre-Blogger days — ages before Google snapped up the little development company, and in the first golden age of idea whiteboards. Haven't tried calling that phone number at the top, but special love (and a comment account) to anyone with the nerve to do it.

Pyra olden days [Flickr, CC A-NC license]

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