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Internet viral experiment recreated 20 years later

Posted by peasantforklift |2 hours ago |2 comments

peasantforklift 2 hours ago

Hi HN,

In 2005, British student Alex Tew created The Million Dollar Homepage, a website where he sold one million pixels for $1 each to pay for college. The project became one of the internet's first viral success stories and eventually allowed him to fund his studies thanks to media attention and support from internet users.

Twenty years later, I wondered whether a similar experiment could still work, so I built 1MPixelWall: https://1mpixelwall.com

The website consists of one million pixels. Every time someone buys a pixel, the price of the next one doubles, starting at $1. The project is already live and has made its first sales.

I'd really appreciate any feedback on the pricing model, the user experience, or anything else that stands out. If you are interested or have any questions,feel free to text me at bna45631@gmail.com

For a bit of context: I'm 19. Shortly before I started college, my father passed away, and my family was left in a difficult financial situation. The financial and personal circumstances eventually forced me to leave my first year of college.

I'm not sharing this to seek pity or donations. I built this because I wanted to create something of my own and see whether one of the internet's most famous experiments could still work today—and whether it might help me find a way to continue my studies.

Thanks for taking a look. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

kallergi6 41 minutes ago

i just bought the pixel 69.69, good luck!