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The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL, is one of the oldest virtual communities in continuous operation. As of June 2012, it had 2,693 members.〔"(The Well, a Pioneering Online Community, Is for Sale Again )". ''The New York Times'', June 29, 2012〕 It is best known for its Internet forums, but also provides email, shell accounts, and web pages. The discussion and topics on The WELL range from deeply serious to trivial, depending on the nature and interests of the participants. ==History== The WELL was started by Stewart Brand and Larry Brilliant in 1985, and the name is partially a reference to some of Brand's earlier projects, including the ''Whole Earth Catalog''. The WELL began as a dial-up bulletin board system (BBS) influenced by EIES, became one of the original dial-up ISPs in the early 1990s when commercial traffic was first allowed, and changed into its current form as the Internet and web technology evolved. Its original management team—Matthew McClure, soon joined by Cliff Figallo and John Coate—collaborated with its early users to foster a sense of virtual community. Gail Ann Williams was hired by Figallo in 1991, as community manager, and has continued in management roles into the current era. From 1994 to 1999 The WELL was owned by Bruce Katz, founder of Rockport, a manufacturer of walking shoes. In April 1999 it was acquired by Salon Media Group (Salon.com), several of whose founders such as Scott Rosenberg had previously been regular participants there. In August 2005 Salon announced that it was looking for a buyer for The WELL, in order to concentrate on other business lines. In November 2006, a press release of The WELL said, "As Salon has not found a suitable purchaser, it has determined that it is currently in the best interest of the company to retain this business and has therefore suspended all efforts to sell The WELL." In June 2012 Salon once again announced that it was looking for a buyer for The WELL as its subscriber base "did not bear financial promise". Additionally, it announced that it had entered into discussions with various parties interested in buying the well.com domain name, and that the remaining WELL staff had been laid off at the end of May.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Salon 10K filing, June 2012 )〕 The community pledged money to take over The WELL itself and rehire important staff.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Will The WELL Survive? Members Pledge $100K+ to Buy Influential Virtual Community from Corporate Owners )〕 In September 2012, Salon sold The WELL to a new corporation, The WELL Group Inc., owned by a group of eleven investors, who are all long-time members. The CEO was Earl Crabb, who died on February 20th, 2015. The sale price was reported to be $400,000. Members have no official role in the management, but "can .. go back to what they do best: conversation. And complaining about the management."〔(Salon Media Group Sells The WELL to The Well Group )〕 Notable items in WELL history include being the forum through which John Perry Barlow, John Gilmore, and Mitch Kapor, the founders of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, first met. Howard Rheingold, an early and very active member, was inspired to write his book ''The Virtual Community'' by his experience on The WELL. According to Rheingold's book, The WELL's Usenet feed was for years provided by Apple Computer over UUCP. The WELL was a major online meeting place for fans of the Grateful Dead, especially those who followed the band from concert to concert, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The WELL also played a role in the book ''Takedown'' about the pursuit and capture of Kevin Mitnick. Founded in Sausalito, California, the service is now based in San Francisco. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The WELL」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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