Personal web pages are World Wide Web pages created by an individual to contain content of a personal nature rather than on behalf of a company, organization or institution. Personal web pages are often used solely for informative or entertainment purposes.
The content of personal web pages varies. Many contain biographical information, résumés, and blog posts. Many personal pages will include information about the author's hobbies, interests and information of interest only to friends and family of the author.
Motivations
Many people maintain personal web pages because they are the most effective medium to express their opinions or creative endeavors that, otherwise, simply would not have an outlet.
In the past, a personal home page would usually be hosted on free web space included with an ISP account, or on a free hosting service such as Geocities. These services would typically include web-based site management and pre-configured scripts to easily integrate a contact form or guestbook into the user's site. Since the early 2000s, the rise of blogging eased the creation of personal web pages further, with blogging platforms like LiveJournal and Blogger providing an attractive and easy-to-use CMS.
While blogging remains popular, today many casual internet users tend to rely on free social networking services such as Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace that serve the same purpose as a personal webpage, without the prerequisite foundation in web design. Their predetermined structures are much simpler to begin using and navigating, but impose limitations to formatting, amount of content, etc. Users who want full control of all aspects of the page must create their own. Adobe DreamWeaver and similar programs provide the means.
With the advent of social networking services, personal web pages can be used to display any forms of content or media produced by the site's creator. This avenue of distribution is effective for amateurs and aspiring content creators. Web site creation tools also allow users to easily create their own space to share this media in whatever way they see fit.
Relaxed regulation allows for users to post their feelings and content without fear of being censored or shut down, and personal web pages are becoming more and more popular and can actually make people money. Gossip sites and blogs that were once low brow are now publicly and privately funded and allow users to make money.
Official celebrity sites
Many celebrities have websites. Were their owners not famous, these sites would generally be considered personal web pages. The celebrity status of the subject and the existence of separate fan-created sites (over which the celebrity in question has no direct control) leads a personal site authorized by the celebrity and maintained by an individual or company directly associated with the celebrity to be labeled an "official website". This designation is often a seal of approval and an assurance to the public that the information provided on the site (including press releases, tour dates, and promotional materials) has been authored or approved by the celebrity in question. Some celebrities involved in criminal and civil trials, such as late pop star Michael Jackson and media mogul Martha Stewart, establish official websites to issue statements to the press and to respond to statements and press releases issued by the prosecuting officials.
Most celebrity sites are created and maintained by marketing and web professionals employed by the celebrity or the celebrity's publicist; however, some celebrities, such as film director Roger Avary, actor Wil Wheaton, and video game developer John Romero, maintain their own official sites without professional help, although many of them still use third-party templates and blogging software.
Sites of academics
Academic professionals (especially at the college and university level) are often given space for creating and storing personal web documents, including personal web pages, on the sites of their employers. This goes back to the dawn of the World Wide Web and its original purpose of quickly and easily sharing research papers.
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