If i was a more eloquent writer, i could tell you about what the web means to me - the excitement of a new medium, the human need for community and sense of belonging, and the desire to share a treasured thought or creative expression.  Of course, it's many things to many people - a job, a distraction, a hobby, an exercise in ego, a forum for debate, or a way of keeping in touch with friends - as many reasons as there are people.

Sadly, as you may see on this site, my ability to write with warmth and humor needs a lot of work.  It's so frustrating, having a hyperactive mind and having everything i write feel flat and dead.  What can i do?  I can at least present some awkwardly-told stories, a dry description of myself, and some original content from my intellectual pursuits.

Thankfully there are wonderful people who have written eloquently on the why of personal pages.

Julie's site Awaken - especially her story about sheep, really captures the subject in a profound way.  Sheep seem to be a good metaphor for a lot of human behavior.

Doug made a documentary film called "Home Page" on this very subject. Justin, whose "painfully candid" site is the main subject of Doug's film, explains why the web? and talked about storytelling as catharsis.

Weevil mused on the validity [went offline] of personal pages, after her father saw her page and was appalled.  Gerry, who kept a wonderful list of well-written pages, was soliciting comments on the question of why?  Cynthia Morton summarized the many reasons her page Why web?