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 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, but pre-dating, Friendster and MySpace. Danga Interactive, the company which provides the LiveJournal service, is based in San Francisco, California. blank">LiveJournal FAQ: How did LiveJournal get started? Who runs it now? LiveJournal was started in March _1999 by Brad Fitzpatrick as a way of keeping his high school friends updated on his activities. 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. Six Apart would continue to handle advertising in America, under the terms of this deal, but future development of the LiveJournal software would be handled by SUP and the newly formed American-based company LiveJournal, Inc.