Community:Hyrule.net



Hyrule.net ("The Original Zelda Online") was founded by Dustin in December of 1998. Hyrule.net was once one of the most popular Zelda sites on the internet (even the first to call itself "Zelda Online"). However, due to periods of inactivity the site dwindled severely in popularity. Hyrule.net was once well known and popular for one of it's unique features: The Zelda Chat Network (TZCN), which allowed Zelda fans from any site to come together to chat about Zelda. This network is now regaining popularity. Hyrule.net also gained a great deal of popularity by giving away various prizes such as a Nintendo Wii, a Master Sword replica, and other various prizes with donated money and sponsorships.

History
1998 - Hyrule.net was created and launched and quickly gained popularity. Combined with The Zelda Chat Network, the site's traffic grew and became more well known. The chat network at the time connected to the DALnet IRC network in the channel #zelda. Hyrule.net offered exclusive walkthroughs and media content which was much less common then as it is now.

2003 - Due to a severe lack of time and funding, the site was shut down and replaced with a forum. The abrupt fall of the site and lack of involvement from Dustin severely damaged the site and ended with a very inactive forum.

2004 - Dustin posted a note at the top of Hyrule.net asking if anyone was interested in running a site on Hyrule.net as volunteers. Several responses were received. After choosing one, Dustin outsourced site updates and development to a third party and the site began to regain popularity. As the domain name was very well known online and had high search engine ranks despite the forum failure, visitors flooded in quickly.

2005 - Dustin discovered possible misuse of advertising funds and the agreement between Dustin and third party ended. Dustin completely redesigned the site and created a new Hyrule.net from scratch in a matter of weeks. This is the site you see today.

2006 - Many interactive features were added to the site such as the 'Deku Tree' game which allowed visitors to earn Rupees, the site's currency, by clicking on an image and exploring it. Other interactive features such as quests, bug catching, and more have been implemented or are on the way.