Make an Internet Time Capsule with Google Chrome

If you use the Chrome browser, you may have noticed that when you begin typing in the address bar, Google’s Autocomplete prediction service guesses where you might be heading to save you keystrokes. If you have Web History enabled, those guesses aren’t just popular websites, but rather the sites you’re historically most likely to visit.

I realized that this list of sites actually end up serving as a sort of internet time capsule of the last ten weeks (the amount of time the browser history spans). So, here are my Internet ABCs of my last three months of grad school at the Media Lab. Click any of the images to go to the site.

A is for Analytics
is for Analytics. I maintain a lot of websites

is for Bit.ly
is for Bit.ly
is for 'conferences'. In this case, Free Press's National Conference for Media Reform.
is for ‘conferences’. In this case, Free Press’s National Conference for Media Reform.
is for Drive, as in "Google Drive." Which I have finally stopped typing as "docs.google.com".
is for Drive, as in “Google Drive.” Which I have finally stopped typing as “docs.google.com”.

 

is for Ethan Zuckerman's blog. Ethan was my graduate school advisor. His blog is fantastic.
is for Ethan Zuckerman’s blog. Ethan was my graduate school advisor. His blog is fantastic.
is for Facebook, obviously. It's a little sickening how many times I subconsciously open this tab.
is for Facebook, obviously. It’s a little sickening how many times I subconsciously open this tab.
is for Gmail. Or "mail.google.com", as the company now tries to call it.
is for Gmail. Or “mail.google.com”, as the company now insists.
is for Humanitarian Innovation Fund (a potential grant for my thesis work).
is for Humanitarian Innovation Fund (a potential grant for my thesis work).
is for imleagues.com, the awful intramural sports platform MIT uses.
is for imleagues.com, the awful intramural sports platform MIT uses.
is for Jabber, the instant messaging protocol.
is for Jabber, the instant messaging protocol.
is for Kayak. I still love Hipmunk, but Kayak aggregates more airlines, and that's kinda the point.
is for Kayak, for travel booking real or aspirational. I still love Hipmunk, but Kayak aggregates more airlines, and that’s kinda the point.
is for Lifehacker, which I've read since the beginning. I'm just glad I'm not the only person who procrastinates by reading productivity tips.
is for Lifehacker, which I’ve read since the beginning. I’m just glad I’m not the only person who procrastinates by reading productivity tips.
is for Marketplace, the prototype Drupal site we built as part of my thesis (http://bit.ly/partaid).
is for Marketplace, the prototype Drupal site we built as part of my thesis.
is for Netflix, the source of Battlestar Galactica, Freaks & Geeks, and the other series that got me through my thesis.
is for Netflix, the source of Battlestar Galactica, Freaks & Geeks, and the other series that got me through my thesis.
is for The One Fund, the general fund raised for victims of this spring's Boston Marathon bombings.
is for The One Fund, the general fund raised for victims of this spring’s Boston Marathon bombings.
is for News and Participatory Media, the future of news class I TAed at the Lab this spring.
is for News and Participatory Media, the future of news class I TAed at the Lab this spring.
is for the Qatar Computing Research Institute, which puts out interesting research on global media as well as technology for crisis response.
is for the Qatar Computing Research Institute, which puts out interesting research on global media as well as technology for crisis response.
is for Reddit. I don't spend as much time there as lots of other people, but it certainly wins the 'R' category.
is for Reddit. I don’t spend as much time there as lots of other people, but it certainly wins the ‘R’ category.
is for SurveyMonkey. I ran a 145-respondent survey as part of my thesis evaluation.
is for SurveyMonkey. I ran a 145-respondent survey as part of my thesis evaluation.
is for Tumblr. I was a Tumblr Fellow at Personal Democracy Forum and they had us live-tumbl the conference (http://gov.tumblr.com/). I also run AdCropped (http://adcropped.com).
is for Tumblr. I was a Tumblr Fellow at Personal Democracy Forum and they had us live-tumbl the conference (http://gov.tumblr.com/). I also run AdCropped (http://adcropped.com).
is for United. I just booked an award ticket with some miles I've saved up.
is for United. I just booked an award ticket with some miles I’ve saved up.
is for Voice. I use Google Voice when I want to text with the convenience of a full keyboard. Nerd claim to fame: I was an original GrandCentral user before Google acquired them.
is for Voice. I use Google Voice when I want to text with the convenience of a full keyboard. Nerd claim to fame: I was an original GrandCentral user before Google acquired them.
is for Weather.com's hour by hour forecast. Self-explanatory.
is for Weather.com’s hour by hour forecast. Self-explanatory.
is for Comcast Xfinity, my legal Game of Thrones hookup.
is for Comcast Xfinity, my legal Game of Thrones hookup.
is for Yelp
is for Yelp
is for ZipCar
is for ZipCar

 

What shows up in your Internet ABCs?