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

You are President: who is your cabinet?
Name your dream (or nightmare) team to run the USA. (Members only)

Sustainable food for what number of guests?
Pondering the limits to organic farm production. (Guests welcome)

Could Pixar really have another animated classic?
WALL-E and the post-Disneyfication era (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...]

Chris Barker, clinical trial statistician
I've gotten wonderful advice over the years about my sons in the Parenting conference, everything from finding a car seat to a preschool, and recently, on applications for college. I visit the Jazz conference regularly, where there are discussions on everything from Louis Armstrong to Carla Bley and Sun Ra. Before every vacation, I get travel advice in the Travel conference. [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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