How to Tell When a Page of Homestuck Was Posted
Homestuck, with its sprawling narrative and lengthy update schedule, can make pinpointing the release date of a specific page a real challenge for even the most dedicated fan. Fortunately, several methods exist to determine when a particular page was posted. This guide will walk you through them, equipping you with the knowledge to satisfy your Homestuck chronological curiosity.
1. Using the Official Homestuck Website (mspaintadventures.com):
This is the most reliable method. While the original website's structure has changed over the years, the individual page URLs usually contain a date code within them. Look closely at the URL. You'll often find a date in the format YYYYMMDD embedded within the page's address. For instance, a page URL containing 20090413 indicates the page was originally posted on April 13th, 2009. This method is generally accurate, providing a definitive answer.
2. Checking Fan Wikis and Databases:
Several dedicated Homestuck fan wikis, like the official Homestuck Wiki (if it still maintains this feature), contain comprehensive page lists. These wikis usually include the update date for each page in the page's entry. Searching for the page's title or act/chapter/page number on these wikis can quickly reveal the posting date. Bear in mind that while generally accurate, user-edited wikis may occasionally contain minor errors.
3. Examining Archive Websites:
Various archive websites have preserved older versions of the Homestuck website. While less reliable for individual pages due to potential archiving inconsistencies, browsing these archives (if available) could potentially provide context clues like surrounding page updates or website snapshots showing the date. Note: finding and verifying the accuracy of such information across different archives requires careful cross-referencing.
4. Leveraging Wayback Machine (archive.org):
The Wayback Machine is a powerful tool for accessing archived versions of websites. If you know the page's URL, you can input it into the Wayback Machine. This may or may not yield results showing an archived version of the page with a visible date. The accuracy depends on the availability of archived versions and may not always show the precise initial upload date.
5. Community Forums and Discussions:
Engage with the Homestuck community through forums and discussions online. Posing your question about a specific page to dedicated fans might yield answers. The collective memory of the fandom can be surprisingly reliable, even if an official source is unavailable. However, treat this information with a degree of caution, always verifying with more reliable methods whenever possible.
Why is knowing the update date important?
Knowing the update date of a Homestuck page can be important for several reasons:
- Understanding the narrative flow: Tracking the timeline helps understand the evolution of the story and its characters' development.
- Contextualizing events: The release date can significantly impact the interpretation of certain events within the broader story arc.
- Analyzing fan reactions: Comparing the page's release date with discussions from the time provides valuable insight into initial fan responses and theories.
- Identifying patterns in update frequency: Observing the update schedule helps grasp the comic's creative process and its shifts over time.
By combining the methods outlined above, you should be able to effectively determine when any given page of Homestuck was originally posted. Remember to always cross-reference your findings for the most reliable results. Happy sleuthing!
