In 2005 the Million Dollar Homepage captured the imagination of the general public, not least because the person behind it was a 21 year old trying to pay his way through university.
Alex Tew created a web page of one million individual "pixels" and sold each one (or multiples of blocks) to a different advertiser for $1 each.
While some seasoned web entrepreneurs might have sniffed snobbishly at such a simple idea, mainstream media lapped it up primarily due to Tew's fresh faced innocence and because it was, well, simple. And it did eventually achieve its goal (despite security attacks).
Fast forward six years and tour and activity web network Alcatraz Media is trying to do the same thing all over again, this time with TourMillion.
Alcatraz Media, based in San Francisco (where , ironically, Tew ended up with Monkey Inferno), is trying to regurgitate interest in the idea by selling pixels in blocks of 10x10 to travel, tourism and hospitality companies.
The concept is exactly the same - companies buy space, get a tiny logo and a link, and the page stays up for at least three years. Pixels cost $50 for a block of 10x10, half the price of Tew's original.
Alcatraz, which is using the Reserve123 brand as a front for the project, has curiously omitted to mention Tew's pioneering concept at all in the promotion of TourMillion, only responding to a tweet that it "...loved 2005. Wish we could all travel back in time and relive our youth".
Tew has spoken before of those trying the idea again:
"The copycats are all competing with each other. They have very little ads, therefore I guess it’s not going too well for them. The idea only works once and relies on novelty... any copycat sites will only have pure comedy value, whereas mine possibly has a bit of comedy PLUS some actual pull in advertising dollars... so I say good luck to the imitators!"
So sure of the outcome that Alcatraz bosses are already calling it a chance to "create history within the travel industry".
Tnooz will be checking back regularly...