The first version of this website appeared in 1995, not long after Netscape introduced a WYSIWYG editor to go with its then-new Internet browser. The new medium offered a way to reach people with a pronounced but narrow interest – such as the history of a family, or a community. The original site, www.keidan.net, stayed on line for nearly 20 years, until the company that had been hosting it – Comcast – decided to quit that business and pulled the plug.
Since then I’ve explored ideas for restoring the site, but have been deterred by several factors, including inertia. Compounding the problem, the tools and codes with which I originally built the site had become outdated, and I lacked the time (or stamina) to relearn the basics of website design, even with the ostensibly more user-friendly tools available today. In the meantime, however, I set up several social-media groups that today reach several hundred descendants and others interested in Keidan. This page on Facebook and this one on Yahoo provide access to at least some of the same material formerly contained on the keidan.net site. They also help foster a sense of community, which was a key part of the original goal.
Now I’m trying again, using the WordPress platform to create another site focused on Keidan, its history and legacy. It’s a work in progress, and will change as I add more material and, hopefully, learn more about how to present it effectively. The blog posts will offer updates, commentary and links to the archives, which themselves will grow and develop over time. Feedback is welcome.
