Sadly,
Geocities shut down last week. Although I hadn't hosted a site there for a decade I will remember it fondly. It was a an attempt at what we techies now call web 2.0 - where people, not big corporations, made web content to share. It was one of the few places at the time you could post a web content without having to have your own web servers, intimate technical knowledge, or pay $50/month. It was a sandbox to play in where normal people could practice putting together web pages. A place where people could post their hobby information, their passions, and share with others.
I remember that my website was in the southbeach community, maybe number 1723 (not positive on the number). Under there I made a couple simple web pages where I started to understand how web pages were built. I was one of the few fortunate to have free server space in 1996, complete with CGI permissions at
http://khanda.unl.edu/~aduey (now long defunct) thanks to Nikku but I still enjoyed playing over at Geocities. Geocities: your place in history will be forever remembered as a trailblazer for bringing websites, content, status updates, and family pictures to the masses. May your grandchildren (live journal, myspace, facebook, and all the nitche communities) always remember you and pay their respects.