Design Exploration : Netdisaster.com

Well, somehow I thought I had posted this exploration about 2 weeks ago, but apparently it was still in "edit mode". Well here it is:

I decided to do my design exploration on something I thought was pretty fun and clever, though I don't think its technically complicated, I could be wrong. Its a site called netdisaster.com. Basically, you can go to this site, type in the URL of any site on the internet and superficially destroy it. For example, I can type www.myspace.com into the field for the URL, and click "GO" and myspace will open, but now you have the ability to destroy it and deface it in many different ways.

Some methods of destruction include: METEORS, NUKE, GUN, CHAINSAW, DINOSAURS, SCRIBBLING BABY, GOD ALMIGHTY, ACID PEE, and quite a few more. There are a few options for all the methods of destruction as well. You can choose whether the "damage" self repairs, or if it layers on top of previous damage. You can also choose whether or not you want to point where the damage will occur using your mouse, or if you want to just sit back and watch the carnage. Their is also an option for sound or no sound.

Here's an example of what myspace might look like after a DINOSAUR attack or CHAINSAW MASSACRE:

These pictures are pretty small, but if you notice the flash elements on the page (the black box that overlaps the dino and the chainsaw) you can see that netdisaster.com does not work perfectly on pages with other flash elements, because netdisaster.com itself is created using flash. If you try to destroy an entirely flash based page it doesn't work so well, if at all. It usually just keeps reseting itself.

I'm not exactly sure how the site works. I would imagine that netdisaster uses the ablility of flash to seemingly make a person walk across your computer screen, and apply it to there interactive animations. As for the animations themselves, they're mainly very well drawn and animated. Some are more complex than others, like "demonstration" where a crowd of demonstrators holding picket signs walk across the site being destroyed.

I think this site works well because it is so simple, yet effective. The idea is to be able to "destroy" a website that has been annoying you or just to do it for fun. This site was created in 2005, which means the flash technology back then wasn't quite where it is today, I'd like to see a new version of this site up and running with some really cool new ways to destroy some stupid websites.