Real People. Real Names. Real Conversation. 
When we talk about The WELL, we are usually talking about the conferences, where the magic happens, where posts develop into conversations, and members become a community.
Conversation is so treasured on The WELL that members of the community banded together to buy the site in 2012. Still civil, still thoughtful, no data mining, no ads. Real People. Real Names. Real Conversation.
If you like what you see, join us!
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NOW in the Inkwell, a world-readable forum
Tom Hilton, Aldora Britain Records, starts March 24, 2026
Our guest in Inkwell.vue is Tom Hilton, publisher of Aldora Britain Records. He will be discussing his experience publishing a music e-zine during an unprecedented period of transformational turbulence in the digital media environment and the integration of massive streaming services disintermediating traditional distribution models. He started the zine in 2013, and has been showcasing and interviewing independent artists across a variety of genres over 500 issues in 13 years. See the most recent issue.
He also produces 5-song sampler CDs of his subjects’ work and distributes them on Bandcamp. They offer his readers a great way toget exposed to new artists and to follow up on those who have appeared in ABR’s pages. We will be discussing this multifaceted micromedia property in Inkwell through the end of March.
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BBC highlights the historic role of The WELL:
‘How the Grateful Dead built the internet‘.
“In the 1980s, years before the World Wide Web, a virtual online community emerged called the Well (the Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link). Centred on the San Francisco Bay Area of California, the Well not only thrived in its own right, but proved to be one of the most influential factors in the birth of the internet as we know it today… “
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Now included with WELL Membership: Mastodon
the Open-Source Social Network 
Your WELL membership now gives you access to our Mastodon server and the entire Fediverse, in addition to the rich conversations in our local conferences. The Fediverse is an internet-wide social network. free of advertising, algorithms, and corporate objectives. Join us and see Mastodon Quick Start Guide to join the worldwide conversation today!
Featured Recently in The Inkwell
Unlike most conversations on The WELL, you don’t need a WELL member account to participate – this one is open to all!
State of the World 2026, Jan 1 - Feb 4, 2026
The Future of Public Radio, October 2 - Nov 13, 2025
The loss of public funding forces us to confront questions about the very identity of public radio. Will stations shift toward a more commercial model, relying heavily on corporate sponsorships? Can they adapt to new digital platforms while retaining their commitment to accessibility and diversity? Or will public radio lean more deeply into community-driven models, where audiences not only consume content but actively support and shape it?
We have assembled an illustrious panel of subject matter experts with substantial experience in Public Radio to discuss the looming challenges facing public radio stations, content producer networks, and distribution platforms as public funding is being disrupted.
VISIT the archived conversation