Project file 05 / Digital archive
WebAfterlife
An archive of discontinued websites and the stories behind them.
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Next.js
React
TypeScript
Prisma
PostgreSQL
TanStack Query
Overview
Websites disappear, but people still remember the places where they spent their time online. WebAfterlife brings those places together in an internet-history archive, pairing information about retired websites with memories from the people who used them.
What you can do
Explore the archive
Search for a website, browse categories, or use the Time Machine to explore sites that were online in a particular year.
Read a website’s story
Individual memorial pages bring together a site’s history, timeline, related websites, and community memories.
Leave something behind
Members can leave flowers, add short memories, and react to other contributions. Administration tools support editing entries and importing archive data.
How it works
- Find a website through search, categories, or a year in the Time Machine.
- Open its memorial to explore its story and related entries.
- Sign in to leave a flower or share a memory.
Behind the build
A nostalgic interface with a modern foundation
Compact layouts, classic window styling, and period details set the tone. Next.js renders public archive pages on the server, while React handles filters and contributions.
Keeping a growing archive manageable
PostgreSQL and Prisma store entries, accounts, and contributions. Archive results and comments are paginated, and shared queries keep page content and metadata consistent.