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Ascii art in HTML comments - fad or function?

Asked 2010-12-30T08:54:59.470
11

Lately I've seen several websites with large ASCII art headers in their HTML. I don't get the point and it seems like this must just be a fad. For instance, tumblr.com has it:

<!--

        .                                 .o8       oooo
      .o8                                "888       `888
    .o888oo oooo  oooo  ooo. .oo.  .oo.   888oooo.   888  oooo d8b
      888   `888  `888  `888P"Y88bP"Y88b  d88' `88b  888  `888""8P
      888    888   888   888   888   888  888   888  888   888
      888 .  888   888   888   888   888  888   888  888   888    .o.
      "888"  `V88V"V8P' o888o o888o o888o `Y8bod8P' o888o d888b   Y8P

-->

Adding this art to the file increases the size of each HTML download, which could equate to actual bandwidth cost increases on popular sites. I can't imagine why someone would do this on purpose unless they are just trying to be hip and cool and don't care about the extra bandwidth.

Is there a valid business reason for doing this? Is it a branding technique? Is it used to deter people from ripping off HTML and site designs?

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1 Answer

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I can't imagine why someone would do this either. Then again, I'm not much of an artist. ;-)

The images almost certainly serve no useful function, and you're right about increasing the size of the HTML files per download (although, the amount by which you increase the size is probably negligible with the ubiquity of high-speed connections today).

I'm also not sure it can properly be labeled a "fad"—I haven't seen this nearly often as other social fads like crocs and iPods.

There's no way this would deter people from ripping off HTML and site designs. If you have no conscience that stops you from blatantly ripping off people's designs and source, you'll have absolutely no reason not to yank out the giant comment block at the top, whether it has a pretty design or not.

It's probably best to think of this like an "easter egg" in a traditional software program. Relatively few people are likely to see it (the average person rarely looks at a page's source code), but it's the programmer's way of leaving their individual mark on their work.

answered 2010-12-30T09:00:48.703

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