At Last

Greetings fair users.

It's been quite a while since I've updated you all and I thought I'd pop in with an update that I hope will usher in a new era of YTMND.


A lot of you know that for some time now I've been working on the Flash template for YTMND which I released the source for more than a year ago. This was meant to be a solution which would allow YTMNDs to look and synchronize the same across all browsers as well as play sound without gaps. The solution wasn't ideal; it required tens of thousands of lines of Actionscript, PHP and C. It required that all non-Flash-compatible file formats (GIF, WAV) be converted to SWF, which was a painful process at best.

Over the last few weeks I've been trying to create a more elegant solution. Today I'd like to unveil the new YTMND template.

New Features

  • All sound is now played through Flash. WAV files included.
  • Properly formed WAV files (and even some MP3s) now loop gaplessly.
  • Loading is now done asynchronously. (images and sound files will load at the same time, reducing load times.)
  • All Javascript ported to jQuery so the template should function the same across all browsers.
  • Secret button on the bottom left of YTMNDs to allow resynchronization of the YTMND without reload.
  • Advertisements shown while loading (to people coming to YTMNDs with a non-ytmnd.com referrer)
  • Support for new features which are being launched in 2.0 (like choosing both a foreground and background image, exact placement of images, new zooming text styles, OGG support, and many others)


So check it out. You can look at new YTMNDs or even old classics that haven't worked in years. Please leave bug reports/thoughts/etc in the comments. I'm eager to hear what you guys think.

Now I'd like to take a minute (just sit right there) to talk about YTMND 2.0. Last week I merged all the development code into the main trunk, which is a major step towards launching 2.0. Originally I planned to launch on April 1st, which would be YTMND's sixth birthday, but due to my current full-time freelance gig, I've been forced to only develop on nights and weekends. That being said, I think we're still on for an April launch. YTMND 2.0 is more-or-less feature-locked. Most of what's left is just templating and porting over some of the new features. I'm working on a formal changelog, which I'm hoping to release before the new site to prepare everyone for the massive number of changes. So stay tuned.

Since we're moving to an entirely Flash solution, I think it's a good time to reflect on the last few years of being forced to rely on Quicktime to play our sound files in most browsers. Somehow over the years it's gotten exponentially worse at playing sound files with standards created decades ago. So as a big fuck you to Apple and Quicktime, I'm launching a new contest today with a Quicktime/WAV theme. Feel free to use giant, gapless WAV files.


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<< 1 2 >>
February 19th, 2010
253rd
(1)
HI i don't know who anyone is just yet. I just got here. I found this site by mistake and bookmarked it. I really love it!! I will pass it on to others ty!!
February 19th, 2010
264th
(-1)
Welcome to our dysfunctional, self loathing family. You and your friends are gonna love it.
February 19th, 2010
262nd
(0)
The customizable site templates aren't working correctly
February 19th, 2010
266th
(0)
The what?
February 19th, 2010
269th
(0)
I ment the Front page templates, but never mind I solved the problem!
February 20th, 2010
288th
(0)
Nope it is back again, I can only change one section at the time. Then it gives me an error; If you continue, any unsaved changes you made to your current template will be lost.
February 19th, 2010
265th
(0)
Voting is fixed. Last night I wrote some code which should fix the majority of broken WAVs, there are still a few that aren't playing properly but I have some more actionscript to write this weekend which should increase performance and hopefully get rid of the stuttering/speed problems users with slower computers are experiencing.
February 19th, 2010
267th
(0)
Also I'll try to get the preview on the site-builder set up this weekend as well.
February 19th, 2010
270th
(-1)
people still have slow computers?
February 19th, 2010
271st
(-1)
also nice "quien se lleva un oscar?" ad
March 1st, 2010
343rd
(0)
Interesting that the guy who once said, "F*ck max and his bandwidth" is now trying to make jokes with him
February 19th, 2010
272nd
(0)
Who is this guy? http://www.ytmnd.com/users/anubis3222/votes
February 19th, 2010
273rd
(-2)
someone who must like random.ytmnd.com
February 19th, 2010
278th
(0)
Yeah, but why do it?
February 19th, 2010
282nd
(-2)
yeah. really no point, is there?
February 19th, 2010
274th
(1)
I don't mean to sound annoying, but why the hell do we need ads?
February 19th, 2010
275th
(0)
I know it's to make money, but why put them on the load screens? This isn't so great if we want to bring Eric down.
February 19th, 2010
276th
(5)
The majority of YTMND's traffic is people looking at one page and then leaving. Right now we don't monetize the subdomains at all. We make 100% of our revenue through showing ads to users who come to the www site and that's the minority of our traffic. This is done by putting up to 3 ads per page and generally throwing too many ads at the loyal users and none at the users who just look at something without participating and leave.
February 19th, 2010
277th
(6)
I've been designing 2.0 to try and never have more than 2 ads on any given www page and a large number only have 1 ad. I'd like to shift away from trying to force ads down users' throats and move towards monetizing the traffic of the faceless masses that come here from other sites. So again, unless you use something to block referrers, any link to a ytmnd you click from ytmnd.com should be ad free. I don't want users to see more ads, I want non-users to see more ads.
March 1st, 2010
346th
(0)
So why can't you simply set it up so that it shows sh*t-loads of ads to people who aren't logged in to an account?
February 19th, 2010
279th
(0)
Max, the link you provided for sites without audio works for me. I feel like I should inform you though that if I do not follow the link there is also no image on a lot of my sites, probably the majority of them but I didn't want to check that many. IE8
February 19th, 2010
280th
(-1)
Thank you Max for all your hard work. You're awesome.
February 19th, 2010
281st
(0)
Many old sites (just look at my favourites) the sound just doesn't work. http://myjob.ytmnd.com/
February 20th, 2010
283rd
(0)
hey guys, guess what, it's my birthday tomorrow on the 21st make a site about it LOL
February 20th, 2010
284th
(0)
[ comment is below rating threshold and has been hidden ]
(0)
You've killed ytmnd with your new format. It's dead. Nice job, *ssh*les.
February 20th, 2010
285th
(0)
Max, "users with slow computers" my *ss. There's a serious problem with the audio that affects new top-of-the-line macs and PCs.
February 20th, 2010
286th
(0)
This cool news makes my taco pop!
February 20th, 2010
287th
(0)
Max, are you going to do anything about the bot that hacks into other people's account and posts spam sites? http://www.ytmnd.com/sites/profile/902438?start=1#comments
February 20th, 2010
289th
(-3)
wtf max, why are there ads right on the ytmnd sites? all thats loading is the ad and sometimes I cant even see the site. why are you ruining ytmnd?
February 20th, 2010
290th
(6)
ban max.
February 20th, 2010
291st
(0)
one ytmnd at a time!
February 20th, 2010
292nd
(-1)
hi its vince with shamwow you'll be saying wow every time you use this towel. This is for the cops, the mall, and the yard. A regular towel doesn't work right, this work wet or dry. Look at this, doesn't it make a mess? Ring it out. Now the cops, look at this, they use it as a towel, completely dry. Cut it half, use as a bathmat, put a sweater, roll it up like that, dry like that. Here's some coffee, cola, without doing any damage, look at this, without putting any pressure, the color comes right up
February 20th, 2010
293rd
(0)
This site is slowly dying. =(
February 20th, 2010
296th
(0)
Slowly?
February 20th, 2010
294th
(0)
Max, whenever I click the "sound not working properly?" link to view the old version of a site, when I jump back to the new version, only the ad and audio load, no image. Just FYI (I'm using FF/Ubuntu).
February 20th, 2010
295th
(0)
Hey max? Could you just ipban johnnnylurg? He keeps begging for it, he spams garbage and is basically cancer. You really wanna fix ytmnd? It needs chemotherapy. You need to kill of the cancerous users.
February 21st, 2010
302nd
(-1)
HI UMFULD
March 20th, 2010
369th
(0)
You did it! That's two of my suggestions you've taken so far. Can I be a supermod now?
March 20th, 2010
370th
(0)
He's already granted you 2 wishes...
March 28th, 2010
380th
(1)
Why is johnnylurg back? He hasn't even been gone a week yet.
February 20th, 2010
297th
(0)
Please consider adding YTMND to your adblocker's whitelist. Sites like YTMND depend on ad revenue from viewers like you to stay alive. Help keep our community, free speech and creativity free.
February 21st, 2010
305th
(-1)
Well I can't argue with that. YTMND has been creativity free for a while now.
February 21st, 2010
303rd
(0)
I click i can't hear sound right when i open a link just because that loads faster
February 21st, 2010
304th
(0)
i just posted a site
February 21st, 2010
306th
(0)
The new thing in the corner is HOOGE, isn't it?
February 21st, 2010
307th
(-1)
"So as a big f*ck you to Apple and Quicktime"... FINALLY! I refused to download quicktime for several years now and every time i saw a preloader-less YTMND i wanted to watch, i had to manually download the sound and play it through a media player to hear it. THANK GOD that's finally over.
February 22nd, 2010
315th
(-1)
haha I did the exact same thing
March 1st, 2010
344th
(0)
Dorks...you probably prefer .avi and .wmv files to MPEGs and .mov files
March 11th, 2010
361st
(0)
nope, just too lazy to re-download the quicktime after I had to wipe my computer
February 21st, 2010
308th
(0)
i dont know if its just my sh*tty computer but the images arnt loading
February 21st, 2010
309th
(0)
nvm i fixed it
February 22nd, 2010
310th
(0)
310th, because that's my birthday 3/10
February 22nd, 2010
311th
(0)
what
February 22nd, 2010
312th
(0)
Still a bit unstable, as certain sites like lol, internet doesn't work, although at least this is a big step forward rather than being forced to download the codecs whenever I browse here on another PC. And I bet it'll be of some benefit for mobile users, too; the previous system doesn't loop on a Nokia 5800, so I guess the Flash applet would work better on a mobile device that's capable of Flash.
February 22nd, 2010
313th
(0)
The top bar is way over sized, like the icons when starting windows 98 in safe mode. The audio seems to always start a second or two before the images, which in the case of some ytmnds, youve already missed the whole thing and youre just catching the 2nd or 3rd loop of the site.
February 22nd, 2010
314th
(0)
I think it's well overdue, that being said, it's incredibly nice to finally view YTMND "stagger free" and to see my sites timed correctly. thanks for the good work. now we can go on to make even more perfected unfunny jokes
February 22nd, 2010
316th
(1)
are you still going to implement user created ads?
February 22nd, 2010
317th
(0)
Luongo will start against Germany on Tuesday night.
February 23rd, 2010
318th
(0)
Now if you can just make the jump to HTML5, we can do away with Flash forever.
February 23rd, 2010
319th
(0)
MAX, fyi - I get this wrror now every time I logout... Warning: session_destroy() [function.session-destroy]: Trying to destroy uninitialized session in /www/htdocs/ytmnd.com/includes/common.php on line 614 Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /www/htdocs/ytmnd.com/includes/common.php:614) in /www/htdocs/ytmnd.com/www/users/login.html on line 452
February 23rd, 2010
320th
(0)
What's with these ads? YTMND has sunk very, very low since its peak in 2005.
February 23rd, 2010
321st
(0)
Hey the ytmnd typo redirect page (www.ytmnd.net etc) still uses the old preloader
February 23rd, 2010
322nd
(0)
did you find that out by accident?
February 24th, 2010
326th
(0)
no I wanted to see nutnics' vader site again and figured that would be faster than going to his site list lol
March 15th, 2010
366th
(0)
random ytmnd generator uses the old preloader too
February 23rd, 2010
325th
(-1)
the new template is great, but it's like putting feces in a gift box with a shiny bow. no matter how pretty it is on the surface, it's the contents that matter. As long as people keep defecating these sh*t-stinking sites out, no amount of febreeze will get rid of the stench.
February 24th, 2010
327th
(0)
None of the amimations are working on my computer anymore since you updated this site! Now I get a blank screen all the time! >:( FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU!
February 24th, 2010
328th
(0)
Problem?
February 25th, 2010
330th
(0)
nice upgrades.. Now I can't view sh*t.. except those great advertisements. WTF &%*)@#(
February 25th, 2010
331st
(0)
So you keep creating accounts to point out your computer is sh*tty?
February 26th, 2010
333rd
(0)
i love hank
February 25th, 2010
332nd
(1)
Max, I think we should try and distance ourselves away from Youtube. Instead of a five star voting system we should have a seven penis voting system. Seven penises being the worst and one penis being the best.
February 26th, 2010
334th
(0)
This reeks of dung.
February 27th, 2010
335th
(0)
Hey, max, i'd like to suggest having a setting in the options to view all sites the old way. Is the old way gonna stick around or is going away?
February 27th, 2010
337th
(1)
There's still a "Beta Test the new YTMND Player" option, which is pretty nonsensical since it's unchecked but obviously doing it anyway now. So the options page needs an update anyway
February 27th, 2010
338th
(-1)
GTFO 06ers
March 1st, 2010
347th
(0)
agree'd
March 2nd, 2010
349th
(0)
f*gs
March 3rd, 2010
350th
(0)
Seriously.
March 17th, 2010
368th
(0)
absolutely
February 28th, 2010
339th
(0)
Can't we use HTML5 for this? My audio stutters now on the old pages and hurts my ears. How am I supposed to sing along to http://raptornativity.ytmnd.com/ with all the stuttering?
February 28th, 2010
341st
(0)
Watch it in http://raptornativity.ytmnd.com/old/ until it's fixed
February 28th, 2010
340th
(0)
Doesn' work with Opera 10.50
March 1st, 2010
342nd
(-1)
This flash version fixes many browser/OS compatibility issues. Thank you Max!
March 1st, 2010
345th
(0)
Judith Barsi
March 1st, 2010
348th
(0)
good riddance.
March 3rd, 2010
351st
(0)
The same old f*cking thing.
March 5th, 2010
353rd
(1)
yeah f*ck apple..... queers.
March 5th, 2010
354th
(0)
f*cking finally, I've been waiting for this for ages, way to go Max
March 7th, 2010
355th
(2)
Users Online: 18
March 7th, 2010
357th
(1)
I've been waiting nearly 6 years for sounds to loop correctly in Firefox. Better late than never?
March 10th, 2010
358th
(1)
Happy Birthday Prairiedogericstar83.
March 11th, 2010
360th
(0)
lol
March 14th, 2010
363rd
(1)
Have you decided what to do with the Hall of Fame? It's about time to put "Pi" and the "Break up letter, Dramatic reading" in there to get them off the front page.
March 15th, 2010
365th
(0)
Arnold and dinosaur too. Not because of their current front page spot, but because they are absolute classics.
March 16th, 2010
367th
(2)
I kind of like seeing Pi on top viewed on March 14 though. Max should add an exception to the algorithm for that site on that day. lol
March 20th, 2010
371st
(0)
Some old sites of mine that synced before the update no longer sync. This really matters since no one views my old sites.
March 20th, 2010
372nd
(0)
I just viewed nurow.ytmnd.com. your comment is now incorrect.
March 20th, 2010
373rd
(0)
Yeah I still love your old Monkey Island sites, Nuroticat
March 20th, 2010
374th
(0)
aww :)
March 21st, 2010
375th
(1)
Monkey Island 2 re-release is soon, you're gonna have to update your sites with all new graphics and sound.
March 24th, 2010
377th
(0)
anyone feel like sending me a message? i would like that...
March 26th, 2010
378th
(0)
I turn really old in two and a half hours.
March 28th, 2010
379th
(0)
Meebo chat isn't working, most of us can't get in there anymore
March 29th, 2010
381st
(-1)
ditch flash and use html5, your viewer count will likely increase
March 29th, 2010
382nd
(0)
hi, I'm looking for this site which was a loop of Robert De Niro in Casino getting blown up in the car but you see the jump cut and he turns into a mannequin before the explosion. I searched it and no results. Anyone remember it? Who did it? Is it gone?
March 30th, 2010
383rd
(1)
Sorry I don't remember that site. Maybe amindlessidiot or Necronomicon know. They've helped me before when I forgot where a site is.
March 30th, 2010
384th
(1)
According to Google Cache, there was a site called "DeNiro turns into a dummy, explodes" made by airbornebryan. It was alive as of March 9, 2010, but appears to have been deleted. http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:BVMuPEOSWYIJ:ytmnd.com/search%3Fq%3Ddummy+airbornebryan+DeNiro+turns+into+a+dummy,+explodes&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
March 31st, 2010
385th
(0)
Yep thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. I had wanted to show somebody that, but couldn't locate it. It says airbornebryan hasn't been online since nov 2009.
March 31st, 2010
386th
(0)
He probably just ripped it from this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHzh6eghVFo
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