Teaching the CRT to respond
[November 29th, 2025] [11:16 AM MT]
Once the first page was in place, I started working on the behavior of the screen. The message puzzle became the main interaction. I adjusted its shuffle to take 10–15 moves, giving the visitor something to work through before the message resolved.
The message pointed toward December 12. That date was part of the experience at the time; it wasn't a permanent countdown for the website. The Archive needs to keep that distinction visible now that the event has passed.
Motion, color and readable text
I revised the CRT footage and the way the background video started after the component mounted. I also made several visibility adjustments, including changes to the magenta overlay. These were small commits, but they affected the whole page. Too much interference and the screen became difficult to read. Too little and the setting lost its texture.
The television controls grew to include channels, volume, brightness and contrast. I liked the idea that you could tune the presentation rather than just watch a fixed background. It gave the CRT a role beyond its appearance.
Trying things in public
This version also included experimental hidden interactions and a joke element called FartBubble. Some of those ideas were removed later. They're part of the build history, even though they don't define the current site.
The work ran from November 29 into November 30. I was still finding the balance between a fictional interface and a usable webpage. The screen had more personality by the end of this pass, but every added effect created another decision about what the visitor could actually see and control.
Sources
Work dates follow the linked commit record in Mountain Time. This account was revised on October 3, 2026.
GitHub commits
- c756c20 — Mount and start the background video after rendering
- 6b6aac9 — Revise CRT footage
- 8c96f7c — Introduce the December 12 message
- 8148a5d — Make the message shuffle take 10–15 moves
- c8cca58 — Add early hidden interactions
- e52600b — Adjust the magenta overlay
- 48d57d2 — Add television controls and document the build