TheSpark.com lives again!

After reading an old internet article about websites that have come and gone, I decided to check them to see what, if anything happened to their now defunct and lifeless corpses.

Most pages either simply did not exist or were epitaphs of a website once thriving with internet citizens.

At first I thought this was the same fate for The Spark. It looks like a badly made website from the late 80's early 90's.

Then I saw a date on one of the posts... this was written less than a week ago?

Then it dawns on you the brilliance of that. It is supposed to look like Max Headroom exploded on your screen. (And if you don't know who Max Headroom is... never mind.)

Nostalgia will definitely bring people back.

So as usual I check the about page to see what they had to say about their new found re-submergence.

Here is what it says:

"TheSpark.com was founded in 1999 with the tagline “Internet like burning.”

If you’re kind of old, you may remember The Death Test and The Jerk Test and The Purity Test. You may remember The Date My Sister Project and the internet trailblazer who covered himself in stinky meat and wrote about it. Is any of this sounding familiar? No? Fine. Go sit in a hole.

The Spark has been on hiatus for nearly ten years.

Now it is back." -http://thespark.com/about/

TheSpark.com always had very strange, but very interesting articles. These are hilarious. The "sexy cement block" article really sticks it to the fashion and garment making industries. Funny stuff.

• 
  

  CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE I'VE DATED

  
  

  HAVE YOU BEEN TO ANY OF THESE PLACES?

  
  

  REVIEWBICLES: WE RATE YOUR DESK

  
  

  DO YOU HAVE THE BODY OF A SEXY CEMENT BLOCK?

  
  

  EAT IT AND WEEP

I always did love their quirky sense of humor. Like their advertising page:

"Want to advertise on The Spark? You should. This is a legitimate operation. Everything in our office is beige. That’s how legitimate." -http://thespark.com/advertising/

After reading that all the editors are women on the Masthead and Contributing page:

"Emily Winter Janet Manley Molly Schoemann Lauren Passell

This is not a feminist lifestyle blog. We all just happen to be women. It’s going to be okay." -http://thespark.com/masthead-and-contributing/

It's like they all just set a time machine for one decade and hit start. (also turns pop tarts into a black stain on the rotating plate in the microwave, pretty cool, no?)

I emailed the editors of TheSpark.com about this strange phenomenon.

I got a reply stating that while the site was a little underfunded advertising wise, it had a promising writing and editorial board. Here is the email I sent and the wonderful response I received:

Dennis Gutowski
Jan 4

to thesparkeditors:

Woah, thespark.com lives again, having de-cloaked off my starboard bow.

I would love to know how this all came about.

I am glad to see thespark live again.

Funny new content!

-Denny

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TheSparkEditors
Jan 5

to me:

Thanks, Denny!

SparkNotes.com, the website I work for, was born out of TheSpark.com. We're now owned by Barnes & Noble.com.

We were going to lose the URL due to inactivity unless we restarted the site.

Our editorial team includes several comedic writers and standup comics, so we decided to restart the site—albeit with nearly zero promotions budget—and see where it leads.
I'm glad you like it, and would be happy to answer more questions!

Emily Winter
Editor and Other Things
The Spark

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I emailed the editors back with some questions, and hope to add those as a follow up. So stay tuned for (hopeful) further announcements!

In either case, if you need a good laugh or want to stroll down memory lane, head on over to the re birthed TheSpark.com.