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Remember when diaries were top secret--locked with a tiny key and hidden under a mattress? Now the place to share innermost hopes and fears seems to be the very public 'Net. Some online diaries are spontaneous, unselfconscious and moving, while others are all ego, no substance. Pamela O'Connell, who maintains the Personal Web Pages guide at the Mining Company, says that online diaries, once defined as boring what-I-did-today minutiae on the one hand and embarrassing 'peek-a-boo' revelations on the other, "have grown up." Althea, who herself keeps a journal, describes what she feels makes a good

(or bad) journal: "I like it when a journal moves me, to tears, or laughter, anger, wonder, fear, delight, despair or hope. I don't like it when a journal is too inhibited, self-conscious, filled with double-speak and talking but not really talking about something, or else alluding to something that only the "in-crowd" would understand." Whether you're inspired to keep your own journal online, or just want to be a voyeur, here are links to the world of online diaries. A Few Notable Diaries: Carolyn's Diary Justin's Diary The Mighty Kymm Willa's Journal Diary Webrings: Open Pages Often -- A webring for journals that update almost daily Archipelago -- online journals that combine excellence in writing with excellence in graphics. About Diaries and Journaling: The Diary Guide -- Personal Web Pages at the Mining Company Journals at the Mining Company Journal Writing -- Diane Patterson shares tips and a history of journal writing. The Emily Project -- Discovering the identity of a young diarist in 1930s Vermont.