2026-06-09 · 3 min read

How this archive is built

No database, no trackers, no third-party scripts: a look at the boring technology behind WebSooty.

The best way to keep a small site fast and reliable is to give it as little to do as possible. WebSooty is deliberately plain.

Static pages

Every page you see is a ready-made HTML file. There is no database and no login, so there is nothing to slow down and very little that can break. The few animations are hand-written CSS and a small script.

Video that seeks instantly

Each film is a single MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio) with its index moved to the front of the file, so playback starts quickly. The web server supports byte-range requests, which is why you can jump to the middle of a film without waiting for the beginning to download.

No tracking

We do not run analytics, advertising or social-media widgets, and we do not set cookies. Fonts are the ones already on your device, so loading a page does not involve any other company. Only your choice between the light and dark theme is stored locally in your browser.

Small on purpose

A short, carefully checked catalogue is easier to maintain than a huge one. If a film's license is unclear, it stays off the site until it is not.

Next read

Where open movies came from

A short tour of the Blender Foundation's open movie projects, and why they were made in the first place.