Kanye sings about 808s, but it's the 404 that will really break your heart. Whether you're a nube or a pro at surfing the Internet, it's doubtless that you've run across a 404 error page. 404 is the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) code for an Internet destination that simply doesn't exist. And some pages have gotten creative and cute with these pages. The buck may stop there, but you've never had more fun hitting a dead end than with these nine totally awesome 404 pages.
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Tinsanity.net
This website doesn't have much to offer (except for links to an online video game and a webcomic), but it does have a funny error page for webheads and Adult Swim fans. The frantically running cup gif from Aqua Teen Hunger Force lets you know that you just got 404'd. -
B3ta.com
This 404 page might just be the best of the web, as it contains a long sequence of 404-themed images. Some are funny, some are crass, and some are clever. B3ta.com is a website that hits the highlights of the rest of the web, with an active messageboard and collaborative posting. Get your inner geek on and spend a few minutes on the site, either on the 404 page or elsewhere. -
Lileks.com
Lileks.com's error report looks like a page from a 404 pulp novel (which, by the way, should exist if they don't already). Anyone who can self-referentially rip on sloppy code and use the phrase "feckless lummox" on their 404 page really knows their audience, which appears to be long-time web readers — the comprehensive website and blog has been active since 1997. -
LarkNews.com
If The Onion had a teetotalling little sister that was religious, cutesy, and marginally funny, her name would be LarkNews.com. A well-meaning website with good-natured jokes (nothing too blasphemous, but there's some fun to be had), LarkNews.com's error page follows suit. The 404 contains a breakdown of why you've arrived at the page, with cheeky reasons for each denomination. -
Acme.com
You'll find a nod to the anvil you'd expect to see, and you'll find it front and center. But you won't find it on the error page. Data-heavy Acme.com doesn't offer much by way of design, but is a site for freeware that's been active on the Internet since 1991. And what they lack in flashy style, they more than make up for in pith — the 404 page resembles a blue screen of death. (And if you don't know what that is, there's a good chance you're not sure what a 404 page is, either. Look 'em up. Tech knowledge is good for you.) -
HomestarRunner.com
"Ow! My browser!" This Teen Girl Squad error page reminds old school Homestar fans exactly what they've loved about the site for years, and may help orient new viewers to one of the best (read: silliest) examples of early Internet humor. The combination of text and graphics are so true to form that fans might even be pleased to run across this laugh-worthy page when they're riding waves (because they're surfers, you see) that don't exist. -
PoemOfQuotes.com
This website, which houses — you guessed it — poetry and quotes, has a fun verse for its 404 page. Poetry lovers and cute page likers will enjoy the text, and will certainly find that this site has more to offer than just a couplet or a quip. -
Slonky.com
Oh, snap! This funny, nerdy photo and accompanying text at Slonky.com is sure to make even the coolest geek grin. The Washington, D.C.-based marketing and business solutions firm has plenty of creativity, and they know how to make themselves shine — even when you come across an "Error 404, dude." -
Freeshell.org
Jbaber.Freeshell.org doesn't offer much by way of a front page, but the site's admins are obviously fans of both NES Mario and J.R.R. Tolkien — and that, for the Internet, is cool. The gentle title is a quote from the prolific fantasy writer's oft-quoted poem in Lord of the Rings — "not all those who wander are lost." Additionally, a screen shot of the end of World 2 of the 8-bit Mario Bros. game reminds the viewer that this page is not the one they're looking for, and that their "princess is in another castle."
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