It began with the forwards that filled your inbox. Long, extensive surveys, asking the most intimate questions about yourself, your family, and your friends, ended with well-wishes and unexpected warnings of life-long bad luck, should you neglect to pass it along to eight friends (and back to the person who sent it to you, obviously.) These soon became quizzes, passed through AOL Instant Messenger, and posted in personal profiles. Soon, Myspace became the home of these poems, quizzes, and questionnaires that had made the rounds on other platforms. The next generation thrived on blogs like LiveJournal and Xanga, along with Myspace, until Facebook joined the game with Notes, Boxes, and later, Apps.

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