[image of compass]

the online diary history project

introduction

In 1995, when the first online journal or diary was started, nobody thought that the number of online journals would reach the thousands in five short years.

When we started this project in 2000, 1995 already seemed like ancient history. There were stories out there, stories about the people who pioneered this genre, that were in danger of disappearing. It was our goal to preserve some memories of what online journaling was like in the beginning.

The Online Diary History Project was a collaborative effort. After all, who better to write the history of online journals than the people who wrote (and still write) the online journals? We brought together the personal recollections of those journallers who got their start between 1995 and the end of 1997.

We would like to thank everyone for sharing their memories and ideas with us. The support for this project was wonderful, with many people digging through their archives and bookmarks to provide us with material. We hope you enjoy this look into the early days of online journaling.

personal recollections

We asked people who began keeping online journals before January 1998 to reflect on how and why they began journaling, and how they felt journals and the journaling community had changed over the years. Here they tell the story of the first years of online journals in their own words. The entries are arranged according to when the contributor first started keeping an online journal.

contact

If you have any questions about the Online Diary History Project, please contact us.