6584 days

18 years ago today, I uploaded a bunch of files I’d written in a text editor, confirmed that the blogging software I’d installed was working, and I pressed publish on wilwheaton.net. It wasn’t the fanciest website in the world, but I went from knowing nothing about HTML and scripting, to launch of the website in just six weeks, and I built it entirely by myself (with some PHP and CSS guidance from a couple of guys I’ve since lost touch with). I enjoyed writing in my blog (powered by Greymatter!), and I felt like, for the first time in my life, I could speak for myself. My voice, which had only been heard through the filter of teen magazines, or vapid entertainment press, a voice which had been tightly controlled by the adults in my life, could finally have a chance to speak on its own truth.

It’s been a little over 6500 days, and hundreds of thousands of words, since I started writing a public journal and random people online started to give a shit about what I was doing. It’s so weird to think about how much smaller the Internet felt back then, how different our interactions were.

28 year-old me was struggling so much, in those days. He was trying so hard to be a good husband and stepfather with pretty much no support from his narcissist parents who weren’t thrilled about him marrying a woman with children. He struggled with undiagnosed depression, Anne’s vindictive and destructive ex-husband, and not meeting the extremely high expectations he had for himself. He has some real painful days ahead, but he gets through them with the love and support of his phenomenal wife, who he still can’t believe picked him, out of all the humans on the planet. He doesn’t know it, yet, but writing this blog is going to change his life, save his life, and make it possible for him to find his own dream, instead of trying (and failing) to live someone else’s.

So on this day, in 2019, as I look back on the early days of my life as a blogger, I have a lot of feelings, and I want to say thank you to everyone who has been around for all or some of this journey of mine. Because you’ve been an audience for me to speak to, entertain, challenge, and inspire, you’ve given me the unconditional support I never had to find my voice, and live my dream of being a writer and storyteller.

NB: This linked post from exactly 19 years ago is technically from the Blogger install I had at Geocities. I wouldn’t make a proper post at WWdN for another full day, but today is the actual anniversary of when I pressed the big red button to activate index.php, and since my website is actually old enough to go to a strip club, I thought I should mark the occasion.

101 thoughts on “6584 days”

  3. Good stuff Mao, after a long day of cramming for a Tuesday Mediation, mowing & whacking the weeds of 6 acres; settling in on a cool frosty Guinness Extra Stout; and a cooler evening loaded with buzzing baby bugs feeding at my nose; your words of yesterday gone come hither leave me happy and wasted sleep stupor where drool becomes not of babies; but babbling adults living in the yesterday of live journal; and U2’s Beautiful Day…Be Well my Friend; Be Will

  4. I’m so glad that you have been able to speak for yourself, express yourself freely and honestly, through the good times, the bad times, and the weird times, and that this has been good for you – I know it has been good for me, good for the online community, good for the world. Thank you! Happy Blogiversary!

  8. Holy carp…18. I think I’ve been stalking your blog for 17.5 of it. And because of Teh Soapbox, I have some of the best friends I’ve ever had and ever will have. Your starting this blog saved more than yourself. And dude, you’ve become one hell of a writer. Congrats!

    1. Hey Thumper! Pmacca01 here (as you know). I’m so glad we are still close internet family!

  9. I just finished listening to “Just a Geek”. I love the way that you are open and honest about what’s happening in your life and how you make decisions based on what’s best for your family. You should be very proud of yourself for being a great husband, parent, actor and author.

  11. I still remember when you were HMIC! Your Monkeys are still a happy family. Thanks for bringing us together.

  12. Really love that. Have similar feelings as 18 years ago came back to Australia from Japan. Was that a mistake? Mmm. Made a comic it that in the last few weeks too..with all these recurring memories and feelings.. our 60 years in 37 pages

  13. I just googled best audiobook readers. Do you know you are on the list? Going to try to paste:

    Who is the best audiobook reader?
    Of course, we all have our own personal preferences, but here are the top ten audiobook narrators we came up with:
    Julia Whelan. …
    Neil Gaiman. …
    Finty Williams. …
    Wil Wheaton. …
    Stephen Fry. …
    David Sedaris. …
    Toni Morrison. …
    Frank Muller.
    More items…•

    2. Will Wheaton is a kick-ass narrator. I love it when I get an audio book and realize it’s Mr. Weaton reading. I miss the small internet.

  14. I’ve always enjoyed you and your acting. Glad I found your Blog as well. Glad it has been cathartic for you.

  17. I must have discovered your blog around the time it launched, then. I can’t say I followed it consistently – but it was a nice revelation at the time that the actor who played Wesley Crusher wasn’t an annoying know-it-all like his character, but much more like a fellow nerd.

    Thank you for blogging.

  18. I went and read that first post you linked to, and have been reading this site for a while now, and I can say the differences in your writing from then to now are striking. Even in word choice and structure, you’ve come a long way. I suppose we all go through that growth, and some faster than others, but it’s a neat glimpse into the “Good old Days” and see what things were like then compared to now. It’s been a pleasure to read your posts and to know someone can be successful and still battle the big D.

  19. This is a great anniversary to mark – thank you so much for your words and sharing your thoughts. Your reflections on the kindness in human beings and on mental health and well-being have really helped me. Keep being awesome!

  20. Your blog is the only one I have consistently followed for, It think 10+ years now. I like reading your stuff. Look forward to more posts in the future.

  22. I’m not a regular reader of your blog, yet when I do stop by I find I have to set a time limit or I’ll read for hours. I find your writing engaging even on subjects which I didn’t think I was particularly interested in. Anyway, I stopped by today and when I had almost hit my time limit, I found myself at the same place (somewhere in 2017, I think) where you wrote about Wesley. I know I’ve read this post previously and have tried to comment previously but the comments on a post from so long ago are understandably closed. I’m a 65 yo female and lifelong sci-fi fan, particularly of space opera…and I just want to say, I loved Wesley. I liked him from the beginning even when you indicate that you thought he was awkwardly written, grew to love him as he matured and was saddened when he left the show. I always found the episodes which featured Wesley or Data to be the most interesting. I was actually shocked to find that there was a contingent of fans of the show that did not like Wesley. I think the reason that Data and Wesley were my favorite characters is because they provided an emotional focus in the story. In a similar manner, the crew came to love both Data and Wesley and played a part in their “growing up.” The magic of the original Trek, the thing that most endeared the show and its characters to me, was the relationship between Kirk, Spock and Bones. The relationship that developed between Picard and Wesley or Picard and Data was a similar sort of magic. It was the developing relationships between these characters and others in the show that provided the continuity and is what kept me watching as opposed to the adventure of the week which was of only secondary interest. I’ve always preferred serialized to episodic programming so perhaps that’s a significant part of why watching the relationships develop was of far greater interest to me. And I always wished there were more episodes that told Wesley’s story at the Starfleet Academy.

  23. Wil – I’ve been reading your blog since around 2003, so not quite the entire time. I loved it, I love it still and I miss it. I just recently discovered Instagram and lo and behold! You’re on Instagram, like constantly. It’s a different view of your thoughts. Speaking only for myself, I prefer the blog. You’ve always been thoughtful and insightful and I’ve learned a lot about how people can manage their lives. I look forward to more posts. Thank you so much for generously sharing your thoughts with us for so many years. It’s been inspiring.

  24. Hey Wil,
    Is there a place that lists all your podcasts or audio recordings? I’m working on spreadsheets and reports this week and really need something interesting to listen to while I work. Can you do a blog entry that reminds us where that stuff is? Thanks!

  25. For the 20th anniversary, free froyo for Frodo.

    Also, ask Shatner to sing Happy Birfesday.

  27. I got quite emotional reading this, although I think it’s because my life is very uncertain right now and God knows I could really do with some support. I am happy you and Anne found each other You are very much a role model to me and act like a way of seeing where I might be in 10 or 20 years from now. Actually, it’s strange to admit, but I’ve fallen in love with someone over the internet and it’s absolutely for who they are. It’s a weird thing to process but we are only on this planet for so many days and I believe she needs someone herself. I think I owe it to her as well as myself to at least present myself to her and say, I’m here, if you want or need me in what capacity you want me in. There’s nothing more I can do than that. It will take tremendous courage for me to do that though and I’m tired of feeling like a coward.

  29. This made me smile. I’m glad you hit the big red button. You’ve helped me so much over all these years by sharing your thoughts, taking a chance, being vulnerable.

  30. I followed you in the early days- discovered geocaching because of one of your posts- because of you, my family and I have a lot of fun, outdoor memories, searching for treasures in Northern CA

  31. Thank you for sharing your voice, Wil. I gifted your first book to both my grown daughters, and suspect my young son will find value in it when older, as well. I know his dad did.

  33. Happy anniversary, Wil! I’m so glad you’re still writing and I’m still reading. I miss the small internet too, sometimes, but I’m glad it was big enough for me to find my way here way back when from the old startrek.com message boards. Thank you for sharing your voice and your journey. Peace.

  34. I like that this post kicked off with number of sols? A simple change in units and perspective can be changed in interesting ways? Beautiful underlying symmetry gives rise to expression in infinite many forms. And in this mass data systems prosthesis for an entire planet, it is hard to find adequate words for everything a given work means and does? I’m thrilled so many people have so much that is positive to say in reaction. I’m equally deeply impressed and humbled by what you have had to say about severe wetware impairment speaking as someone who also has significant mental illness and tries to be forthright about it? I think we lack language for the deep human empathy that can exist if we choose it? This blog has always been a place I could go to ask “what else is there to try?”

    Thank you for it. Thank you for sharing, cliche but true.

  35. Geocities! Man, I haven’t thought about that site for ages. I had something there once. Can’t remember what it was, except that it was HTML and rough and probably said something like “Hello World!” because that’s all I knew how to code.

  36. I don’t know if you remember, but not so very long after that first post, my wife emailed you saying she’d been a fan and asked you to have a look at her own new weblog. You did, and linked to it, and that day her traffic went up.. a lot. Some of it even stuck around. She’s always remembered that, and so have I. You didn’t have to even pay attention, she wasn’t expecting a response at all, and we were both very touched that you bothered. So, thanks, and here’s to another 19 years!

  38. Congratulations on 18 years strong! Life can be tough in so many ways….and having an outlet is always important and I love how you write your truth about life! I keep thinking about writing a blog I’ve just not got around to it yet….

  39. For what it is worth, glad that you are here, well and thriving. Thank you Wil, i hope the days that follow keep that upwards trajectory, the world is better with you in it 🙂

  41. I admit it, I found your blog from a link on a Star Trek site. But it is for articles like this that I kept coming back. It took only a few looks, probably about 15 year ago and I said to myself, “Hey, this guy can WRITE!
    Clear skies and clean glass,
    Mike

  42. I’ve been reading your blog, on and off, since the very beginning. I started reading it because I wanted to see what that geeky kid actor from Star Trek was up to. I’ve been both challenged and enlightened by the things that you’ve written. If that’s growth, then I grew by watching you grow. Thank you for sharing your life with all of us. I wish you nothing but good things for the future. p.s. You’re wife’s very cool. You’re a lucky man.

  43. I first stumbled across your blog when I was approx 17 or 18 and living on my own in a dingy studio flat in a rough area of Glasgow. I distinctly remember finding your blog and it being like seeing a light in the dark.. I used to look forward to reading every new entry..

    It’s been a pleasure to follow you on your journey and watch you grow, stumble, and ultimately heal. As I have done kber these past 20 years..

    BTW random trivia were birthday brothers we were born a decade apart but I still think of you on our birthday every year wondering what you’re doing.

  44. I’ve been around for a long time. I’m happy you are doing better. Thank you for sharing your struggles. It has helped me with my own.

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