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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Kiwibox. My old friend.

Maybe you are just discovering my blog, or maybe you have followed me on her for awhile. But what most don't know is this. While I have only recently picked up blogging on blogger, I have been blogging for well over a decade now.

Back in 2000 I came across this site that was created for the main attraction of teenagers. And I, entering the last few months of teen decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I signed up and began journaling. Looking back on most of my entries, they seem childish and all together rather silly. Most consisted of boys I liked, the occasional piece of poetry and bitching about my family. Yes there was plenty of that. But then again I was a nineteen year old kid, living under my parents roof and while she may not admit it or not, my sister was in the midst of her teenage angst as well.

I didn't really set out to make it to any milestone, or to be there for years. And yet, that is exactly what happened. It turned out to be the one thing I looked forward to on a daily basis. And yes, I said daily. The years grew, as did I. I fell in love on that journal, got engaged on that journal. Got married and had a baby. All while 'blogging' about day to day life. There was no formal structure nor was there any really topics. More or less just a bunch of Hodge Podge that became my life.

I made friends on that site, I read others insightful-and sometimes not so-and felt like I knew them. Several people came and went on the site, due in part because lets not forget, the site was after all for teenagers. But that was not the reason I had remained. I didn't care about the articles, the advice columns or anything else the site supposedly had to offer, I was there for the blog. And the blog alone.

I realize now, that this was the beginning of the blogging sensation. While everyone is claiming they had just discovered it I sat back and smiled for I had known it all alone, it was a well treasured event, a part of my life as much as my job was.

But as all good things often do, Kiwibox decided to change a year ago. A major overhaul and everything about the site would change with it. And after ten years of keeping up with the site, with the journal and with several others. I decided to leave my beloved journal.

And move on to if not bigger-cus I know the audience really isn't-at least newer greener pastures. It was time to grow up, and join the site where more adults blogged and what not.

Hence the reason I know blog on this current site.

Still, I decided to hit up my old stopping ground yesterday. And for reasons that I can't explain I began to miss it.

Whether it was the actual site or the time is still up in the air.
But for whatever reason I missed it.

And for a moment, I wanted it all back.

4 comments:

eslachtdermai said...

Oh goodness...I can't begin to tell you how much I miss KB too! It was like a little family that we had on there. We became friends on there, and thankfully the good ones stayed on (like you! :-) ). I went back a few weeks ago and looked around...I can't bring myself to go back. Too much has changed. It's not the same site that we enjoyed for ten years. They sold out...and I still mist up at it. We grew up on that site...it was more valuable than if we were just teenagers on there. While this is a great site here, it's still not Kiwibox...and it never will be. Here I feel like I really have to have something to say in order to write it, like I have to be more of an adult. On there, it could be just random crap, whining, celebrating the day to day things that happened because we wrote on there every day. I still say...RIP KB.

Aleisha said...

I know, I was on and its just not the same. Seriously. I was like I miss those days. Totally get what you are saying there and you are right its like we became family there and they did sell out. I miss those days when I could just go on about stupid stuff. I agree I always feel like here I have to have a theme or something to say thats meaningful enough to write about...I mean what happened to the days when we just wrote and wrote and wrote about our lives...

Mike Howard said...

Hey guys! Kiwibox Mike here. Great article. And I agree, i really miss Kiwibox as well (I left a year ago myself, pretty much for the same reasons you guys did, sad). It was such an amazing family, we were shaping the web, and writing our own rules at the same time, in our own little club of awesome users. Loved that site, and even after 10 years running it, i still get nostalgic for it, and hangin with you guys. Thanks for writing that entry.

Rock on guys,
Mike

Anonymous said...

I remember spending HOURS on kiwibox, reading the articles (even writing a few, playing the games and everything. I used to love posting new postboards and qbooks. That was a long time ago - it's definitely no longer the same. If you guys are wanting to share your thoughts and earn points for prizes again check out Serene Distraction: http://serened.proboards.com We've only recently implemented the points for prizes thing but hey something is something! ;)