Spot On!!!

When I was young,
And my life was an open book
I used to say...
"What's happening at The Spot today?"

Does anyone remember The Spot? The first time around?
This mid-to-late 90's we're talking here. In Internet terms, that's between the last and the penultimate ice ages.

Back in those heady times, Marcus and I were involved in a project that I won't bore you with called The Edge. As part of that, we got Internet access, and an opportunity to look around. This is back in the days when everything was new and exciting and it was still cool to go to the CIA, White House and Playboy websites. I'm pretty sure Marcus discovered The Spot, but I was equally hooked by it from the word go.

The idea is that you have this house in California where a bunch of people live, and they all keep diaries of the goings-on in the house and in their lives. The diaries are on-line for you to read, and you could e-mail The Spot residents, and they would quite often e-mail you back. There was also a messageboard. And LOADS of photos.

So it was like an interactive soap opera. Today, think cross between Blog and Big Brother, and you're about there. But remember - this was way back then. So cool - very original. It was captivating. We really did read it every lunchtime. And we used to e-mail them.

There was much urban legend around The Spot. Who, or what, was behind it? What was the point? Was it real? The last one is easy to answer.
/SPOILER WARNING/
No.
/END SPOILER WARNING/
It takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to be able to get around the fact that Spotnik, the dog, had a diary, and replied to your e-mails. Sorry. Somehow that didn't matter, though.

I used to e-mail Tara Hartwick - ah - Tara - sigh... We did get to the stage where she switched to her real name (Laurie Plaksin) - it was good fun to mail her. We drifted - our paths uncrossed - Laurie - where are you?? Marcus e-mailed Spotnik - not sure they made it to real-name terms. Marcus's real name is Zara, by the way - since that very expensive operation in Brazil.

So much for memories. The Spot was very good, and very cool, and totally years ahead of its time. And I would love to catch up with Laurie and find out what she has been doing since. One thing I can say, though, is that she isn't at The Spot.

The Spot is BACK!!! Check out www.thespot.com. But has it had its day? Now we DO have Big Brother. There have been other interactive soaps. Are they still characters that we can, want, and do, connect with? In the fourth year of the 21st century, with the Internet having evolved to the point where it currently has, is there still a place for The Spot? My brief survey would suggest not - but I'd be interested to hear what you think of The Spot.

The Spot Reloaded?
The Spot Revisited?
A Spot too far?

I like The Spot Reloaded - reloaded with new people? :)