LiveJournal (often abbreviated LJ) is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community. LiveJournal's differences from other blogging sites include its WELL-like features of a self-contained community and some social networking features similar to other social networking sites.

LiveJournal was started in March 1999 by Brad Fitzpatrick as a way of keeping his high school friends updated on his activities.LiveJournal FAQ: How did LiveJournal get started? Who runs it now? In January 2005, blogging software company Six Apart purchased Danga Interactive, the company that operated LiveJournal, from Fitzpatrick.

On December 2, 2007, Six Apart announced it was selling LiveJournal to SUP, a Russian media company that had been licensing the LiveJournal brand and software for use in Russia. The new owners unveiled a plan to upgrade the service, engage with the LiveJournal community and launch new products for advertisers, this work would be undertaken by the newly formed American-based company LiveJournal, Inc.

Features

• Each journal entry has its own web page, which includes the comments left by other users. In addition, each user has a journal page, which shows all of his or her most recent journal entries, along with links to the comment pages.
• The most distinctive feature of LiveJournal is the "friends list," which gives the site a strong social aspect in addition to the blog services. The friends list provides various syndication and privacy services as described below. Each user has a friends page, which collects the most recent journal entries of the people on his or her friends list.
• LiveJournal allows users to customize their accounts in several ways. The S2 programming language allows journal templates to be modified by members. Users may upload graphical avatars, or "userpics," which appear next to the username in prominent areas as it would on an Internet forum. Paid account holders are given full access to S2 management and more userpics, as well as other features.
• Each user also has a "User Info" page, which contains a variety of data including contact information, a biography, images (linked from off-site sources) and lists of friends, interests, communities and even schools which the user has attended in the past or is currently attending.
• LiveJournal also allows "voice posts" to their paid and sponsored users, where one can call into the system and record an entry.
• Currently LiveJournal has five account levels: basic (comprising approximately 95% of the network); plus (sponsored with advertising); "early adopters" who were registered prior to