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June 18, 2005

Profile: PostSecret

Michael Arrington

350 comments »

Editors Note: PostSecret is not a for-profit company as far as I can tell. But it is beautiful and interesting and I feel like profiling it here because, as we say in our About section, we are profiling companies “that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the web 2.0 space”. Clearly, PostSecret is making a cultural impact on the web.

Website: PostSecret

Location: Germantown, Md.

Launched: January 1, 2005

What is it?

Postsecret is a weblog that asks people to submit 4-by-6-inch postcards that contain anonymous secrets. The postcards are scanned and placed on the website. PostSecret has thousands of daily visitors and a quick check of RSS reed subscriptions shows thousand of people get RSS feeds daily with new postcards.

In their own words, “Each secret can be a regret, hope, funny experience, unseen kindness, fantasy, belief, fear, betrayal, erotic desire, feeling, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything - as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before.”

It is a beautiful site and a wonderful idea.

A few Comments left on PostSecret:

“When I read these, I don’t feel so alone.”
-Calgary

“I wish I could give all these people on the site a hug and tell them it’s ok to be human.”
-Washington DC

“Your site is truly inspirational, I’m left feeling full of compassion for my fellow human beings - We’re the same the world over.”
-England.

“I cryed when i saw your site. Its truly amazing that so many people have so many secrets like mine. I wish i could just tell most of these people it will be ok, cause i myself have never had anyone tell ME that…and it would help.”
-West Virgina

“So many of my secrets are there, without even sending a card.”
-Mexico

Screen Shots:





Relevant Links:

NY Times on Postsecret
Technorati Tag: Postsecret
Delicious tag: postsecret
Flickr tag: postsecret
BoingBoing on Postsecret
Internet Archive
SophisticatedSecrets on PostSecret
Travels with Rhody on postsecret
Tom Keating on postsecret

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 18th, 2005 at 11:47 am and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Trackbacks/Pings (Trackback URL)

  1. TechCrunch » The PostSecret Book Cometh

    October 23rd, 2005 at 11:53 am

  2. Tracing Life » PostSecret

    January 26th, 2006 at 7:21 am

  3. TechCrunch » Confess Your Secrets: i4giveu

    April 21st, 2006 at 12:27 pm

  4. techcrunch » Blog Archive » Confess Your Secrets: i4giveu

    August 14th, 2007 at 5:14 am

Comments

RSS feed for comments on this post.

  1. Jessica

    November 14th, 2005 at 8:54 am

    I recently fell in love with PostSecrets. I find them very intersting and it made me start thinking of what I would post, it wasn’t hard thinking of one.

    Anytime I am ever away from my boyfriend I fall back into depression, the depression that he got me out of that he has no idea about.

  2. Olly

    November 20th, 2005 at 9:28 pm

    There is something incredibly haunting about PostSecret.

    Sometimes I cry after encountering secrets that are particularly close to the being I hide during daylight. It turns out that a stranger with a homemade card can accomplish far more than the the one who is supposed to be “close”.

    And I keep wondering if someone paused and dropped a tear after seeing my secret. Even if not. It turns out I don’t hate the world, if looking through the postsecret lense.

  3. chaz

    November 21st, 2005 at 11:37 pm

    hi,

    i personally think that postsecret was the most amazing thing ever made.

    Everrone one needs someone to tell their secret to…

  4. laura

    December 1st, 2005 at 10:06 am

    this site makes me feel for the first time in my life normal. it makes me feel alone no more

  5. Rose

    December 24th, 2005 at 7:35 am

    I Am absolutely obsessed with Post Secret. I read it every single sunday. I am just fourteen years old, but I have gotten my friends into it, and it gives us all hope, and strength. Sometimes I honestly believe Post Secret should be a requirement in schools.

    tahnk you, for once, im no longer terrified.

  6. Frankie

    December 29th, 2005 at 5:15 am

    I love post secret, every sunday I go on it and save all the postcards that I like or ones that mean something to me. I hope to get the post secret book soon I can’t wait

  7. Mitch

    January 12th, 2006 at 2:52 am

    postsecret exposes every natural human tendency and emotion even those we hate to admit to.

  8. Cleo

    January 12th, 2006 at 12:16 pm

    post secret helps me understand my own emotions and thoughts…it helps me put things in persepective…
    i’ve read it every week for the past year…occasionaly more than once a week…
    i stopped me feeling like a freak and helped me feel accepted
    x

  9. jasmine

    January 13th, 2006 at 10:06 am

    I really enjoy reading post secrets. They are very interresting. It makes me happy to read other peoples secrets they share.

  10. josh

    January 15th, 2006 at 4:26 pm

    i like this site but im a bit afraid of it and some of the things that people say…

  11. Matt

    January 17th, 2006 at 4:40 pm

    I’d like to personally thank the guy who made this. Several of my secrets are there too. It really made me realize that other people have my prroblems.

  12. Ashley Smiht

    January 18th, 2006 at 7:53 am

    I have the book of all the postsecret’s and I enjoy reading it all the time. I would love to send in a secret but I fear that it will be put in the next book and everyone including myself will see it!! :)

  13. SepTrizzle

    January 19th, 2006 at 8:04 am

    I love post secret.
    I read it every sunday;
    No matter what.

    I think its a great way to let people know that they’re not alone. And that everyone has problems.
    We all have secrets. And sometimes it hurts less if we share it.

    Post Secret is a way of letting people hurt less by sharing they’re secrets.

    Thank you Post Secret.

  14. Tarryn

    January 21st, 2006 at 9:22 am

    I too am a Postsecret Admirer. Does anyone know how to get hold of the website creator?

  15. Tarryn

    January 21st, 2006 at 9:22 am

    I too am a Postsecret Admirer. Does anyone know how to get hold of the website creator?

  16. secret..

    January 21st, 2006 at 6:48 pm

    i truly love reading post secret every week.. its something to look forward to. it is amazing how much better i feel after reading these its fun to read them but also each one impacts my life. thank you

  17. Haley W.

    January 27th, 2006 at 12:07 pm

    Postsecret was a wonderful discovery for me. It touched me so much that I, myself, had to mail in a secret. I believe in the power of letting go of something you keep so tightly bound inside of you…and the best way to let go, is to do it for all the world to see.

  18. Melissa

    January 31st, 2006 at 7:49 pm

    Post secret is my new salvation. I read on a postcard today “His depression is killing me. I would rather be happy than loved. This provoked a lot of thought from me. I always assumed that being loved would make me happy. Maybe that isn’t so. It was really kind of an epiphany moment. Would his love make me happy? Does one equal the other? This one postcard could change my life…if not for post secret I would never have come to this realization on my own.

  19. Scooby Doo

    February 6th, 2006 at 8:06 pm

    I am moved to know that I am not the only one with issues.

    I stayed for 8.5 years with a man who used me, stole from me, degraded me and beat me, because I thought that some day I would deserve him.

    Thank GOD for new found self esteem. I have a long way to go!

  20. Vic

    February 7th, 2006 at 7:25 am

    Post secret is great and is the inspiration for my new website - The Dollar Wish Blog - http://thedollarwishblog.blogspot.com
    Check it out if you like post secret and send me your wishes.

  21. Vicky

    February 11th, 2006 at 6:23 pm

    I love postsecret.com.
    I love reading everyones secrets and knowing that some one out there feels the same way that I’m feeling.

  22. Claire

    February 17th, 2006 at 10:33 am

    I just recently started reading Post Secret after hearing about the book. I can’t tell you how comforting it is knowing that I’m not alone in the way I feel. Yesterday I was feeling depressed; My boyfriend is about to move out of state. Reading the site helped me to feel happy. It also helped me to understand how lucky I am to be loved by, and to love, my wonderful boyfriend. There are so many people out there who are not as lucky. But don’t give up yet! Love is quite unexpected.

  23. Torie

    February 20th, 2006 at 12:27 pm

    the post screte site is absolutly the most creative and helpful sit that is online if you ask me. I’ve checked the site more then a few times a week and even reading the book I can count endless secrets that are just like me. I tryed to even show my father some of them to try adn get him intrested so maybe he’d understand more of the things that go trhought my head it didn’t help much. But I will still continue to have hope. It’s always so wonderful hearing about the positive adn negative ways people have experiences life.

  24. Scott

    February 20th, 2006 at 10:49 pm

    The only thing i hate, is that they took most of the postcards off. I used to sit and read them. and feel better about the feelings i was having. knowing people felt the same way…but their mainly gone now.

  25. Michael

    February 25th, 2006 at 8:45 pm

    HAYY i just herd about post secret but for some reason the secrets are always the same ones when i read them do new ones eva get posted???

  26. mp.

    February 27th, 2006 at 12:30 pm

    it amazes me that everyone has to feel as if they are perfect. all people need to realize is that no one does everything correctly, and that its okay to end up in bad situations. somehow, you’ll pull out. for every up; there is a down.

  27. mp.

    February 27th, 2006 at 12:31 pm

    and yes. to the above question. new ones are posted every sunday. maybe you should try the refresh button on your computer. and it may work….:)

  28. liz

    March 8th, 2006 at 8:06 pm

    i still love him

  29. Dan

    March 8th, 2006 at 10:01 pm

    Post Secret bothers me. Human weakness is so banal and despicable and I find it incredulous that so many people can be so whiny. Everyone’s secret is the same, the same boring vaguely philisophical issues. I believe that if people invested their time in reading, rather than writing atrociously boring secrets on postcards– some of them are creative, I’ll give them that– their would be fewer annoyingly depressed people.

  30. sara

    March 9th, 2006 at 4:00 am

    To the comment above:

    I find it incredulous that you spelled “there” incorrectly.

    The site is not a celebration of weakness, but rather a way of sharing the struggles we have with ourselves with others. I think this makes both the reader and sender stronger in knowing that it’s okay to be imperfect, thereby embracing humanity itself.

  31. Christine

    March 9th, 2006 at 5:21 pm

    This is to Dan-
    No one asked you to read it. Superiority complexes are interesting to no one. Depression is a serious disease. If this site helps even one person, then it has served a greaterpurpose than your judgement ever will. Learn how to open your mind oh wait, that might mean that you actually have one

  32. Kirsten

    March 17th, 2006 at 4:49 pm

    When I read this, I felt horrible about all of this. I sat there and thought that these people do have problems. It is a great book.

  33. DB

    March 17th, 2006 at 7:51 pm

    Dear Dan

    Here’s my secret: You are an asshole.

  34. quinn

    March 19th, 2006 at 2:56 pm

    i LOVE post secret
    its my secret addiction =P
    i look at it every sunday and i always end up wanting to read more!! its such a great site because it tells us that not a single person is perfect and all of us are human!!!!! 1-10 rating on this site i would give a 9.9 because there should be more postcards on every sunday =]

  35. Michael

    March 23rd, 2006 at 1:29 am

    dan shut up just becos u think that your so perfect how could anything be wrong with anyone else ur probly in dinal about your life mayb u shold post a secrect ay??

  36. Đaŵnĭēpòò§

    April 3rd, 2006 at 10:19 am

    i have just recently discovered postsecret, is there an archives? to read past postcards?

    it’s amazing, it strikes you to the very core.
    P.S.
    to dan–some advice, if postsecret bothers you, don’t read it, noone says you have to

  37. confuse

    April 18th, 2006 at 5:00 am

    i like him but i love her, hope u know what i felt for u now

  38. Charlotte

    April 29th, 2006 at 2:15 am

    The site reaches out to everyone, it helps anyone who reads it (even sceptics, otherwise they wouldnt look) See that no one is alone in feeling the, happy, sinful, painful, lusting, loathing, sad, unforgiveable, unforgettable things they feel.

    .I still love you, so so much. What happend to you?

  39. me

    May 18th, 2006 at 11:20 am

    i read the message you left me. i wish you still cared.

  40. RaeJer

    May 19th, 2006 at 3:45 pm

    This is the only archive I have seen
    http://community.livejournal.c.....tml#cutid1

  41. Sophy

    May 21st, 2006 at 5:06 am

    I told him I’d gotten over my bulimia.

    I lied.

    It’s worse now than ever before, yet I still cant tell him the truth.

  42. Hannah

    May 29th, 2006 at 3:35 pm

    i tell my friends that really care about me that i dont smoke pot. i tell the people who could care less the truth.

  43. mo

    June 1st, 2006 at 8:55 am

    he lied to me
    he used me
    he cheated on his gf with me
    i love him

  44. ny

    June 2nd, 2006 at 9:13 pm

    im a strait guy but ive alway wanted to know what it feels like to be a pregnant woman. have a huge belly waddling around, pregnant curves big boobs. then go throug the excruciating pain of giving birth. i have always wanted to know what it was like but i neer will. Unless the movie junior comes true and even then.

  45. sis

    June 14th, 2006 at 5:59 pm

    hi,

    i love post secret, nad i only started reading it today!!! it really makes you realize that u r not alone. all my friends seem to have their perfect lives. not me.
    here’s my secrets: i am 13. my father drinks every night. i see a counselor. i have never had a friend over and i think i am fat. i dont think i will ever get married or have sex with a guy i truely love. i long to be loved by a guy that cares about me. i have never been kissed and never had a boyfriend.

    o yah to dan the whiner: u suck. u think u r perfect. well ur not. when i read post secret, it touched me deeply. u r obviously an ass.

    the secret that touched me the most was the one that said “i have been suicidal for two years. i have wonderful dreams about death and pain. i am only 13 years old.”

    i just wanna say to that person, you inspire me. i am sure you have touched many people’s hearts. please, please tell someone you love. u can get help and not have these horrible thoughts. u can inspire many more people. i feel very close to u and i love you, even though i do not know you.

  46. Landus

    June 21st, 2006 at 1:16 am

    I -really- like this totally awesome guy named Mark…but I don’t think that he’ll never know because I’m a guy too.

  47. waevlahaui

    June 21st, 2006 at 11:57 am

    ferejpshfgu pmdenkcs oqngo

  48. courtney

    June 29th, 2006 at 5:59 am


    click here to tell your secrets!!!

  49. loner

    June 29th, 2006 at 1:23 pm

    sometimes i used to read some of the secrets and think how horrible they were, until i saw one that was my own, and i was to afraid to send in…everyone has secrets and everyone needs to know theyre not alone

  50. meh

    July 4th, 2006 at 7:37 am

    GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

    This site really helps!!!

    Have a good day! :)

  51. dawn

    July 12th, 2006 at 4:58 am

    i need to know, please….anyone reading this, how do i get in touch with the post secret website? when you click on “email postsecret” it doesn’t send them your email…it makes it so you are emailing the blogsite to a friend. i need to know how to get intouch with frank warren about a postcard this week of july 9 to july 16th. it’s very important to me. thank you

  52. Danielle

    July 17th, 2006 at 2:10 pm

    the only postsecret secret that’s hit home for me is one about blowing your nose int eh shower to save time and tissues…

  53. Meemee

    July 25th, 2006 at 4:10 pm

    does anyone know where i can find old post secret cards? is there a site with them all on?

  54. Eva

    July 31st, 2006 at 5:55 pm

    Re: Dawn

    I wish I knew! I have been trying to figure out the same thing.

    x.X

  55. use-d and abuse-d

    August 2nd, 2006 at 1:53 am

    im not a nazi..i love people of all shapes colors and sizes..my father kicked the shit out of me as a young boy..i kicked the shit out of everyone and everything in my life as a young boy..i was just doing what i was told..or what i thought i was told..i dont want to play anymore..when people hurt me i do stupid things..when are hurt people they get revenge..my life is an open book ive been used like a pawn..change is hard..my life is being held hostage..love is lasting and its all we have….im ashamed to know that i care about people that i’ve never met..even more ashamed that i hurt people who care about me..i wish these eyes would just give my life back..what a strange cool book..keep up the good work..long live a loving earth..i wish i was alive 2 see it..

  56. michelle

    August 3rd, 2006 at 12:29 pm

    postsecret has saved my life more times than i can count…

  57. ashley

    August 3rd, 2006 at 10:21 pm

    ever since a girl on a message board mentioned this site to me over a year ago, i go there everyday and read the post cards. new ones are posted every sunday but i still go back and read them over. some make me cry. some i save on my computer to go back and remind myself that im not alone. some make me just wish i was friends with these people. i love post secret and i recommend everyone to go there and read the secrets and purchase the book. you’ll love it, i promise.

  58. ...

    August 6th, 2006 at 7:26 am

    I LOVE PostSecret. It has a lot to relate to me. You’re Not the only ones=]

  59. LITTLE PRINCESS

    August 7th, 2006 at 5:29 am

    I LOVE POST SECRET I WAS JUST ON THE INTERNET AND HAPPEN TO FIND IT EVER SINCE I HAVE BEEN HOOKED!!!! IT IS SOOO BEAUTIFUL THAT PEOPLE CAN SHARE THEIR SECRETS AND FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES AND YOU IN TURN CAN HELP THEM JUST BY SENDING A LITTLE MESSAGE JUST TO SAY UR THEIR FOR THEM I THINK THIS WAS A FANTASTIC IDEA. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK I HAVE BEEN GETTING OFF PEOPLE AFTER SENDING IN MY SECRET. THANK YOU ALL!!!!!

  60. claire

    August 9th, 2006 at 7:36 pm

    postsecret is a really good site but it saddens me when in read it

    it makes me very aware that i have so many secrets i would love to tell everyone but i livein silence.

    i guess thats theproblem with a secret, to be one it has to stay silent

    i really do admire those that send them in tho i wish i could do the same

  61. Merryn

    August 10th, 2006 at 4:15 am

    when i try to view post secret it says i am not autorized to view it. Why would this happen?

  62. Patty

    August 10th, 2006 at 5:10 am

    Merryn- I am having the same problem. I was there on Monday and it was fine, but now I can’t get on. Don’t know what the problem is- I hope they fix it soon.

  63. Tom

    August 12th, 2006 at 1:57 pm

    How do you post comments on post secret? I mean the ones people put re the postcards because there are one’s I want to comment on that are close to me.

  64. Amanda

    August 20th, 2006 at 6:17 am

    To Tom, I want to find out the same thing too.
    I really want to reply to one, badly.
    If you find out how, email me at moonwalk_avenue@yahoo.com and let me know.

  65. Nicole

    August 21st, 2006 at 10:23 am

    i secretly wish that me and the guy i liked a long time ago still talk even thow our “relationship” ended horribly :(

  66. ..

    August 21st, 2006 at 10:35 am

    when im watching movies and a person dies it doesnt fase me, but when im watching a movie and an animal dies i cry.

  67. iPod

    August 25th, 2006 at 7:44 pm

    How do you post comments on post secret? I mean the ones people put re the postcards because there are one’s I want to comment on that are close to me.

  68. lissy

    August 28th, 2006 at 1:47 am

    when you left me i was already over you,it was only for our daughters sake that i stayed with you so long.

  69. Passing_through

    September 4th, 2006 at 12:07 am

    SENDING EMAILS TO POSTSECRET WEBSITE:

    If you want to know how to email the postsecret website, as many people are wondering, I have not tried it, but I think the answer is at the bottom of the site’s page, where there is that picture of the girl named Cassie. She writes her email to Frank at docdel dot com.

    Just click the little envelope icons found in several spots on the page (where you email the link to your friends). Instead of sending it to your friends, send the letter to Frank at docdel dot com.

    I’m pretty sure thats the way, because if you scroll down on the email page, you see all the member responses that were published on postsecret.

  70. Paul

    September 5th, 2006 at 6:19 am

    Im so afraid ill be alone forever

  71. Applesauce

    September 8th, 2006 at 11:17 pm

    If we break up, that gun’s to my head.

  72. Zoe

    September 10th, 2006 at 4:54 am

    I also love this website. I really want to be able to leave a comment on some of the postcards but can’t see any links to an email address. Any ideas of what it is?

  73. lovely

    September 12th, 2006 at 11:29 am

    im afraid he’ll reconize the picture & understand my secret.

    & not care.

  74. Katie

    September 14th, 2006 at 9:13 pm

    I tried Passing_Through’s suggestion we’ll see if anything happens and I’ll let y’all know if it does. the e-mail that Cassie sent to is frank@docdel.com

  75. Lisa

    September 19th, 2006 at 6:36 am

    i need to know… how do i post a comment on a particular postcard??

  76. jagits

    September 20th, 2006 at 10:41 pm

    Its nice to have a peek at other peoples lives through post secret. it makes you feel more human. and realize that you are not alone in suffering loneliness caused by this imperfect world.

  77. Passing_Through

    September 21st, 2006 at 10:47 pm

    1. Click on the envelopes on page

    2. address the email to frank@docdel.com

  78. KELLEY

    September 24th, 2006 at 8:15 pm

    [..

    August 21st, 2006 at 10:35 am

    when im watching movies and a person dies it doesnt fase me, but when im watching a movie and an animal dies i cry. ]

    ME TOO!!

  79. ap

    September 24th, 2006 at 9:18 pm

    http://photos1.blogger.com/blo.....rong.1.jpg if u didn’t do what u did that night i would have killed myself, thanx u really did save me, i’ll always remember u i miss u even tho i don’t know who u re

  80. Just

    September 28th, 2006 at 1:04 pm

    This made me feel better and I had been crying.

  81. hitler

    September 29th, 2006 at 9:36 am

    I like post secret.Mainly cause it helps people out with there secrets,that and it amuses me slightly.Some are just funny…:D

  82. RDB

    October 2nd, 2006 at 11:55 am

    I love postsecret. I check the website out every week. I’ve never actually sent my secrets to postsecret but most of them have already been there. I’m going to share on of my secrets here, for the 1st time I’m going to share this with someone either than myself:

    Those text messages he said he didn’t write, where really from him to me.
    I miss him.
    I hate that we don’t talk anymore.
    I wonder if he’s happy.
    I also wonder if he ever thinks of me.
    I still love him.

    I wish he would read this, and know it was about him, and maybe then we could atleast have a friendship again.

  83. Jessica

    October 4th, 2006 at 8:14 am

    the only thing i fear is that my mom will find out about me and dad.. first he started out raping me then i started liking it and now it is mutual

  84. Jessica

    October 4th, 2006 at 8:15 am

    i also fear that i will have his kid and it will be like my brother in a weird way

  85. Heather

    October 5th, 2006 at 5:35 pm

    I desperately want to send something to PostSecret. I have so many things to say, but I’m afraid that there will be too many, and someone will eventually become annoyed by my letters. I’ll put them here instead, and everyone will see.

    1. I’m more afraid of being an inconvenience than I am of actually doing something wrong.
    2. There is a blank spot in my memory from the time I was 5 to the time I was 7, and I’m terrified that my dad did something to me that I’ve blocked out.
    3. I have never let a friend stay over at my house because I’m scared that I’ll bore them.
    4. When I was 13, I took a needle, heated it over a candle, and burned the first letter of his name into my ankle, then covered it up with more burns. I told people that I fell on a pile of nails. I just got a tattoo over it, and it doesn’t make me hate him any less, or love him any less, but it makes me feel that it’s finally over, and I can move on.