It's kinda odd (to me, at least) to see an active blogpost in 2026. Everyone here seems to miss pre-html5 and css3 web but nobody seems to miss this era of the web, circa 2007-2010
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kridsdale1
This is exactly what I like to see on HN while I’m having my coffee.
No Ampelmann???
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampelmännchen
Istanbul is doing a ska dance. Also looks like he's wearing a porkpie hat. Probably listening to The Specials.
Chicago and Boston look like tired old men with bad posture.
Contrast that with the virile Beijing and Madrid.
I’m not sure why Saragossa is wearing a dress.
And Warsaw looks like he’s ready to fight somebody.
What about Bompel against smombies?
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodenampel
(short for Bodenampel, or "ground traffic light" to help "smartphone zombies" cross the street)
I just wish they also had gotten cool designs.
Fun!
I always like to see one off designs, like this one in The Netherlands of Miffy (1) or Det in Mainz in Germany (2), or in Akureyri (3).
(1) https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/miffy-traffic-light-utre...
(2) https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mainzelmaenchen-ampel-tr...
(3) https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/akureyri-heart-shaped-tr...
Not exactly a man, but Sofie[0] from Amersfoort is also interesting.
[0] https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofie_(verkeerslicht)
If people are into this kind of thing, I highly suggest reading about the DOT pictograms:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT_pictograms
Interestingly, Saragossa seems to be wearing a dress (jodhpurs? breeches?).
Direct link to the project: https://walking-men.com/
It's kinda odd (to me, at least) to see an active blogpost in 2026. Everyone here seems to miss pre-html5 and css3 web but nobody seems to miss this era of the web, circa 2007-2010
This is exactly what I like to see on HN while I’m having my coffee.