Bradacon

Summary

Bradacon is a website created by Brad in 2007 that converts image files to icon files. The tool became unexpectedly popular, particularly in Italy, and was featured in major tech publications including Lifehacker and Gizmodo in 2007-2008. In Session 9 of the campaign, Bradacon became the primary focus of the players' out-of-character investigation into Brad's Internet history, with Shawn and others examining the website's design, donation system, and media coverage.

The website features a distinctive two-step conversion process and supports a wider range of file formats than competing tools. Its aesthetic was described by Shawn as looking "like fake websites from TV shows" with oversized, camera-friendly interfaces.

Details

Bradacon's functionality centers on converting image files to icon files through what tech publications praised as a streamlined two-step process. Articles from the 2007-2008 period noted that "Bradacon's wider range, wider file range and two step process make it a great bookmark for anyone fixing a desktop or personalizing a file package."

The website includes a donation button with humorous copy that demonstrates Brad's characteristic tone. The interface presents users with two options: "anxious to contribute some of your hard earned money. We probably won't refuse" with a donate button, and underneath, "not so anxious. That's cool. We're still friends." The donation button connects to a PayPal account using Brad's personal Gmail address.

Bradacon received significant media attention during its early years. The tool was featured on Lifehacker, Gizmodo, and a site called jakart.com. Someone named Jeraime apparently recommended the tool to tech publications, though Brad doesn't know who that person is. The website also gained traction through social media, being pinned on Pinterest by someone named Daryl Owens.

Brad made multiple attempts to add Bradacon to Wikipedia's icon page, stating "After I made Bradacon, I kept going on to Wikipedia and adding it to the Wikipedia page for icons. Yeah, no, they kept taking it off." These additions were repeatedly removed by Wikipedia editors.

The website's popularity proved particularly strong in Italy for reasons Brad could not explain during the session.

History

Session 9

In Session 9, Bradacon became a focal point of discussion during the players' investigation into Brad's online presence. Brad initially stated "I made Bradacon in like, I don't know, 2008, something like that," before correcting the date to 2007 based on the evidence from archived tech articles.

The group examined the Gizmodo coverage, with Brad remarking "This is like wow. On an actual Gizmodo website. It's pretty funny." Shawn analyzed the website's visual design, noting its resemblance to fictional websites from television shows, characterized by oversized, camera-friendly interface elements.

The discussion of Bradacon occurred alongside the examination of other artifacts from Brad's Internet history, including the Family Wishlist and connections to Dayna.

Episode: "Session 10"

Bradacon was briefly referenced during the pre-session conversation in Session 10, when participants discussed Brad's web development work. The site was mentioned alongside Family Wishlist as one of two examples of websites Brad has built, though no new details about Bradacon's functionality or history were explored during this passing reference.