What is The WELL?

Welcome to a gathering that's like none other — remarkably uninhibited, intelligent and iconoclastic.

The regulars in this place include noted authors, programmers, journalists, activists and other creative people who swap info, test their convictions and banter with one another in wide-ranging conversations.

The WELL, originally the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, provides a literate watering hole for some articulate and unpretentious thinkers. [more about The WELL...]

Fresh Conversations

Who hacked my hedges?
Clueless neighbors and other garden pests (Members only)

Why is the underground white?
Hip-hop, radicalism and the music biz (Guests welcome)

Leaving a quagmire
How might a new president end the war? (Members only)

More discussions...

Membership is not for everyone: partly because we are non-anonymous here. This means that as a member, you know the names of the people you're talking with and they know you, leading to real relationships. Here's how to decide whether The WELL is for you, and whether you're for The WELL. [more on how to join...]

Doug Masson, attorney
I am a political junkie, and the heat-to-light ratio in the Politics conference is very favorable -- there's a lot of substantial discussion without a lot of name-calling. The Sports conference features the day-to-day discussion of all kinds of sporting events, but the best things about the conference are the annual football and March Madness pools. Finally, the Legal conference is where I go to share war stories and get advice and dark humor from the grizzled old war horses. [more recommendations...]

Use the search box below to explore those goodies that are open for everybody to enjoy. Find FAQs, sites created by members and a few topics being discussed out front. (Members log in at the top of the page to the acclaimed forums on the inside.)

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