The WELL Community

After reading “The Heart of the Well”, by Howard Rheingold, I feel like I have a much greater understanding and appreciation for the WELL. There were so many stories of people on the WELL supporting each other and even getting to know each other well enough that they met in person at picnics. I thought the story of Elly was particularly memorable. Elly ended up in a hospital in New Delhi suffering from liver failure. Within hours, concerned WELL users who had probably never met Elly had started a fund to raise money to help her. The WELL was such an efficient way of getting advice that Rheingold himself had been able to receive medical advice from the WELL even before receiving a call back from the doctor. The WELL was the first way to exchange such diverse information online. I can’t imagine not having the capability to do this. The WELL also brought users together in person. WELL users began to have gatherings, which turned into an annual summer picnic. The WELL allowed users to find people online with interests similar to their own, and then meet them outside of the Internet and actually form friendships.

Here is a link to Rheingold’s article:

http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/1.html