America Online Launches AOL Journals

Posted on September 19, 2003

America Online, Inc. has jumped on the growing blogging and online journaling trend with the launch of AOL Journals. The service aims to make it easy for AOL members to share thoughts, photos and much more online with friends, family and others on the Internet.

Members can choose an existing template or design their own to create a journal, blog, an online column, a travelogue and more. AOL Journals are integrated with AOL's Picture Finder service so that members can embed photos and picture albums along with text entries. Members can set up their own personal journal at AOL Keyword: AOL Journals. AOL Journals can also be searched from AOL's Hometown website.

By sending an instant message to the Screen Name: AOL Journals, members can enter updates to their journal anytime online or while on the go via text messages from a cell phone with access to the AOL Instant Messenger service. Additionally, members who subscribe to the AOL by Phone service can also update their AOL Journal over the phone and record an MP3 sound file that will be inserted into their journal.

Members can create an AOL Journal based on their particular interests, hobbies or needs, and can be anything members want, including a baby book, a family picture album, a fan site for sports or music. For example, families may design a journal to keep in touch with relatives while travelers can set up journals to post descriptions of their journeys. Business professionals will be able to create journals devoted to industry trends while music and entertainment fans can publish personal observations about the celebrities that fascinate them the most. News journals will allow amateur and aspiring journalists to provide their take on current events while others can choose to set up personal journals to post commentary and links on areas of interest or eclectic hobbies.

"AOL Journals is the simplest, most elegant way for our members to instantly express ideas online," said Rick Robinson, vice president, Community Products, America Online. "Now anyone with something to say can be an author, keep a diary, express an opinion, or be a blogger. In fact, interest in blogs among AOL members has increased dramatically this year, with thousands of members becoming avid journalers and hundreds of thousands regular readers. And members who just want to publish vacation stories with pictures or a weekend trek with the kids can now share that with family and friends with ease."