Journals Are Like Web Sites  by Grandpa Chuck

Journals are like mini websites in many ways.  A few days back it was mentioned on another journal that Guest Books are a thing of the past.  I believe that the author of that statement is correct.  “Guest Books” have been replaced by “Tag Boards”.  The purpose of Guest Books were to leave a short message to the owner of the website with a few comments and a link so that she/he could return the visit.  Sounds a lot like a Tag Board doesn’t it?

Another website standard is the “Forum or Message Boards”.  The purposes of these Message Boards were to add your 2-cents on whatever subject was being discussed.   In looking at the world of Journals, the Message Boards are now the Journal Entries with the comments section becoming the area where the subject thread is continued.  Sounds like a Message Board doesn’t it?

 “Link Pages” where set up as a place where the author of the website could list links to pages of interest for the viewer.  If the website subject was for example Childcare the Link Pages normally followed the subject of the website and offered additional websites containing similar information.  Journals also have links.  They go under the headings of Just For Fun, Things To Do, and Friends.  Sounds like a Links Page doesn’t it?  

“Friends Lists” are like mini Web Rings.  Web Rings are found on some journals but were originally designed to link web sites or even web pages of similar interest.  If for example I had a web page detailing my Garden I might add a Garden Web Ring to that page or if I had a web site showing my grandchildren I might add a Grandparents’ Web Ring to that web site. 

Friend’s Lists on Journals might better be labeled “Journals I Recommend”.  If I visit a Journal with a “Family Theme” in most cases I can expect their Friend’s List to contain similar journals.  I wouldn’t expect a journal with photos of their children or grandchildren to contain a link to a journal called “Biker Chicks”. 

Would you?