MiriResortCity.com Celebrating 20 Years ( Oct 2004 - Oct 2024 )

It's October, and as 2025 approaches, MiriResortCity.com and MiriBiz.com will have reached their 20th anniversary, it's time to reflect on their remarkable journey and the profound impact we've had on Miri's online presence.

Pre-2004, the internet was very different back then. Searching "Miri" would result in something else that had nothing to do with Miri, the city in Sarawak. Online maps and street views didn't even yet exist. Finding companies and businesses in Miri wasn't as simple as just typing it into search engines - they do exist back then, but Miri doesn't come up in the results.

In late October 2004, a pair of entreprising individuals, Ian & Paul, who were experimenting with the exciting new world of internet web sites and online hosting, got together and registered the domain and MiriResortCity.com was born, and initially pointed to the Miri page in Dmoz directory (unaware that the domain had actually just been released, as there existed another site using this domain just months before that). Having decided on a direction that is aimed at becoming the go-to destination for information about all attractions, maps and places of interest Miri Sarawak. MiriResortCity.com had a clear vision – to provide a comprehensive digital hub for tourist attractions in Miri, and have fun and learn while doing it.

The site in 2006

Moving on from the Dmoz directory, experimentations with content management systems which was very new at the time of the blogging trend and the format stuck. With no real experience and expertise, almost entirely on a whim, and out of their own pockets, Ian & Paul created the web site and collected information and self-hosted it on a 2003 Mac Mini G4, running entirely on a 512 Streamyx connection. Later on, when it was decided that this was inadequate for the flood of traffic, so a Dell PowerEdge server was ordered for the explicit purpose of hosting, and with lots of trial and errors it was configured and set up to host MiriResortCity.com directly from the Dell using a 4 MBPS TM Streamyx connection.

MiriResortCity.com originally follows a blog format but this was later revamped and changed to a more conventional articles format. It also initially hosts a directory section as part of MiriResortCity.com, with the subdomain 'search.miriresortcity.com' where local businesses could list their services.

In 2006 the decision was set to split the directory to its own site with the goal of uniting all business listings in one collection resulting in the birth of MiriBiz.com in 2006. This spinoff of MiriBiz.com from MiriResortCity.com would make it easier for residents and tourists alike to find what they needed without overlapping search results. Long before the rise of social media giants like Facebook and LinkedIn, MiriBiz.com served as a directory resource for Mirians.

Over the years, both sites have continued to evolve and adapted to changes in web technology, user expectations, and the ever-expanding digital landscape. To this day they still remain a reliable source of information about Miri's attractions, accommodations, and businesses, serving as a bridge between the community and the world and together they have provided a platform for locals to share their experiences, stories, and insights about the city, Over the years, MiriResortCity.com also featured several other photographers and writers on the platform showcasing and contributing their work about Miri.

The site continues to be locally hosted (down time and internet woes all-inclusive) within Miri continued until 2015, when the decision was finally made to go for external web hosting services, due to new ISP restrictions and limitations on self-hosting and email restrictions thus it marked the end of the era of a fully locally-hosted web site within Miri for us.

Our 20th anniversary is not just a celebration of the two websites; it's a celebration of Miri itself – its places, its culture, its history, its businesses, and its people. These websites have been more than just directories and information resource sites; they've been digital landmarks that have shaped the online identity of Miri, and, hopefully, demonstrated the resourcefulness of Mirians' technological prowess back in 2004.

As we look forward to the next chapter in Miri's digital journey, we ensure these two websites will continue to play a role in connecting the community and showcasing the unbiased history, beauties and people of Miri to the world.