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Random Web Page Grabber

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Moog
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03 Apr 2010, 5:16 am

Does this exist? An app or a search engine or something that can pull up a completely random web page.


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auntblabby
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03 Apr 2010, 6:40 am

this was as close as i could find for you-
random page search engine widget



lau
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03 Apr 2010, 8:54 am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StumbleUpon


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Avarice
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03 Apr 2010, 9:01 am

Be prepared for pornography. It'll happen.

Though I've never had any desire to use a random web page searcher. Now the random page option on wikipedia... that's something else entirely. Very useful.



Moog
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03 Apr 2010, 2:59 pm

Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate it.


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RaceDrv709
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03 Apr 2010, 11:30 pm

Try http://www.boredombutton.com


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fidelis
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04 Apr 2010, 12:05 am

lau wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StumbleUpon


I use stumbleupon all the time! It's the greatest invention of all the internet. :D


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lau
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04 Apr 2010, 6:00 am

fidelis wrote:
lau wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StumbleUpon


I use stumbleupon all the time! It's the greatest invention of all the internet. :D

To be honest, I wouldn't exactly recommend it. I used it when it first came out. I became totally addicted. I'm cured now. :)


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jmr
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04 Apr 2010, 2:18 pm

Here is an algorithm for finding a random webpage:

1. Open up a web browser
2. Type something random into the url bar, like "www.worldofhamsters.com"
3. ???
4. PROFIT



Moog
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04 Apr 2010, 4:32 pm

The only problem with that, jmr, is that my brain doesn't work in a random way!

I too used to use Stumbleupon. It's not entirely random, but it's pretty useful. And yes, addictive!

The boredom button is good too, but it seems biased towards games and entertainment/magazine pieces. Nice though.

I'm still looking for something truly random. I wish I was a technical aspie so I could do it myself, but alas, I am not.


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lau
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04 Apr 2010, 7:56 pm

Moog wrote:
...
I'm still looking for something truly random. I wish I was a technical aspie so I could do it myself, but alas, I am not.

It's nothing to do with being technical. There is a lot of traffic on the internet. However, none of it is truly "random". There is no magical place where all the URL addressable web sites are recorded. Every server can make up the details as it goes along (and change them, dynamically).

Typing purely random strings in as a URL will never find you ANY web site.

What StumbleUpon does for you is essentially the best that can be done.


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computerlove
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04 Apr 2010, 11:40 pm

ffffound
random livejournal picture generator

note: lots of porn


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jmr
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05 Apr 2010, 12:01 am

Quote:
lots of porn

That was Tim-Berners Lee's vision for the internet all along, despite what people have made it out to be since.



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05 Apr 2010, 12:17 am

jmr wrote:
Quote:
lots of porn

That was Tim-Berners Lee's vision for the internet all along
god bless Darpa


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Moog
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05 Apr 2010, 5:21 am

lau wrote:
Moog wrote:
...
I'm still looking for something truly random. I wish I was a technical aspie so I could do it myself, but alas, I am not.

It's nothing to do with being technical. There is a lot of traffic on the internet. However, none of it is truly "random". There is no magical place where all the URL addressable web sites are recorded. Every server can make up the details as it goes along (and change them, dynamically).

Typing purely random strings in as a URL will never find you ANY web site.

What StumbleUpon does for you is essentially the best that can be done.


Okay, thanks. I was not aware that such a 'magic' place does not exist. Seems like it could by my way of thinking. How did you know I wanted this for magic? Divination in particular. I want to do Internetmancy. :)

I knew that just typing random cobblers into anything would not achieve much.

I think SU is a workable solution, it just doesn't appear to 'contain' as much of the Internet as I'd like to use as my pool.


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jmr
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05 Apr 2010, 11:05 am

If you want to know how it all works, read up on the Domain Name System. It would help if you could give us some idea of what purpose you have for finding a random webpage.