Today is the last day of li.st AKA The List App. It feels a little bit silly to be so upset at the loss of an app but it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever been involved in.
When BJ Novak tweeted about his new app almost two years ago, I joined immediately. I could see how much potential it had for sharing experiences – longer than Twitter, shorter than blogging, with the list format to give it structure.
It was full of smart, funny, interesting people and what started as a group of strangers became a community. A completely supportive place where you could share honestly and write about any subject without fear of judgement. I made some truly wonderful friends and became a much better writer being able to write regularly in a supportive space and learn from so many brilliant writers.
Other parts of the internet are so competitive with everyone so quick to point out your mistakes, jump in with a ‘me too’ to lessen your achievement or drain you dry with questions and demands. Li.st was never like that and I’ll always treasure my time there.
Li.st was never perfect and it never managed to attract a big enough audience to be financially viable but what they did create will never be forgotten by its users. The web archive will remain as a memorial and you can read all my 250+ lists there, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. What you can’t see are the comments, the connections, the response lists, the title waves, the list requests, the collaborations, the meetups, the Secret Santas, the AMAs, the love for two little globe-trotting origami Listbots.
I feel a bit like Listbot myself today. I’ve packed up my lists in a suitcase and I’m looking for the next adventure. Thanks to everyone who made li.st amazing. I will forever be Into It!
