I cut my online teeth with Geocities many many moons ago. So far back I can hardly remember what I actually did. I know it was a frustrating experience and finally abandoned what I was doing – and the internet for a while too.

I won’t say I have fond memories of Geocities, but I know a great many who will and I am sure they will saddened to hear that Yahoo! has finally pulled the plug.

For those who don’t know, Geocities was one of the first and one of the most successful free web hosting sites on the internet. Successful for a long while anyway.  With the prevalence of free blog hosts such as WordPress and Blogger and the availability of cheap hosting, Geocities days have been numbered for quite a while.

One wonders where the internet may go in the future. I can’t see blogger ever being ‘shut down’. But will it ever go to a paid only state? It is always a possibility. What about WordPress – will that stay as a free hosting site – or will they fully monetize as well.

I don’t think those options are on the cards at the moment – but you never know what the future holds. I do know one thing – if you’re serious about blogging, or building a web site, you need to buy hosting and host it all yourself. Free hosting is always going to be filled with uncertainty.