EST. 01 JUL 2001 // STILL HOT
The story of a crew born in the shadow of the demoscene,
still standing — still pushing — over two decades later.
// TIMELINE
// ORIGIN
FS HOT was founded on 1st July 2001 by Deakster — a handle invented by his brother back in their college days. What started as a small crew with a deliberately unhinged name has become one of the longest-standing personal web presences on the internet.
The early fshot.org was very much a product of its time — fast-moving, scrappy, and full of the anarchic energy that made the early web feel alive. A number of those original pages are preserved on archive.org, if you know where to look.
// THE NAME
The name was coined in my twenties. Back then I thought it was cool. Now fast approaching fifty, I still think it's cool. Some things are just right.
As for what FS HOT actually stands for — well, that's one of those things best left to the imagination. The name has an energy to it. It does what it says on the tin. Whether you read it as fierce, irreverent, or just plain attitude — you're probably not wrong.
// MEDIA GRAVEYARD
The first piece of software ever released by FS HOT was Media Graveyard v1 — a media player that was ahead of its time.
Scan drives for music and video, then automatically add everything to the playlist — one click, done.
Play full screen video continuously without breaks — ideal for music video marathon sessions.
Media Graveyard never died. It lives on today as a Firefox extension, adapted for the modern web while keeping its original philosophy intact: media playback that just works.
🦊 Firefox Extension — Still Active// THE CREW
FS HOT originally ran with a crew — various members who contributed, collaborated, and over time moved on. That's the nature of the thing. Life happens.
Currently only Deakster remains. One person. One site. 25+ years of output.
// INSPIRATION
FS HOT was born from the creative energy of the 90s demoscene and the hacking culture of that era. If you know, you know — the demoscene was the place where programmers pushed hardware to its absolute limits purely for the art of it. No commercial motive. No audience to please beyond each other. Just raw technical creativity and aesthetic obsession.
That spirit runs through everything FS HOT does. Do things properly. Make them look incredible. Care about the craft.
// THE AESTHETIC
The visual design of fshot.org is not accidental. Every single choice is deliberate, rooted in the era that shaped us. The Amiga crossed with PCs of the time were the inspirational backbone of what you see here today.
The classic terminal palette. Phosphor glow. Readability with attitude.
That CRT monitor effect is entirely deliberate — a nod to the screens we grew up staring at.
Monospace. Always monospace. Courier New isn't just nostalgia — it's a statement of intent.
Old school aesthetic. Latest techniques under the hood. That tension is the whole point.
FS HOT is a blend of retro old school with the latest techniques of today. We care deeply about both ends of that spectrum — and refuse to compromise on either.
// PERFORMANCE
// Lighthouse scores — all 4 categories — across ALL pages
// EASTER EGGS
There are a few easter eggs hidden throughout fshot.org. We're not going to tell you where all of them are — that would completely defeat the point.
What we will say is this: one can be found by viewing the source of any page on the site. The rest? That's entirely for you to discover.
Right-click → View Page Source
Happy hunting. 🥚
Check out fshot.org for the full list of current tools and utilities. Test your own site's privacy score with SurfaceScan.