A personal home page is a website where an individual posts information that is unique to him or her. This may include interests, pictures, or any other personally relevant information. Generally, a personal home page serves as a place where other people can find out about the web page’s owner. Many people desire a website with a personal domain name, but others care solely about the content of the page. Given that a personal home page is by its nature personal, there is no limit to what topics or items a person can put on this kind of web page.
The term personal home page is usually used to differentiate this type of site from other web pages, such as news pages, company sites, or even online businesses. Given the ubiquity of blogs and social networking sites, it is common for people who do not wish to spend money on a personal home page to use these services to serve as a main webpage. Even websites that include relatively static information like a resume sometimes incorporate social networking and blogging aspects into the home page.
Content on a personal home page is usually either informative about the owner or related to the owner’s interests in some way. Informative personal home pages might include physical facts, updates about family, or information about work. It is important to remember that this information is not always private, so no sensitive information should ever be posted on a website. Personal websites that deal with interests and hobbies are highly varied and may include documentation of projects or musings on topics of interest. These sites often provide a way for people with similar interests to connect to one another.
Most people think of personal home pages as being primarily text-based with supplemental pictures, but many people convey their interests primarily through images. It is also possible to include videos, games, and many other types of media on a personal home page. The page is limited only by the designer’s imagination and talent.
For some people, having a personal home page straddles the line between personal and professional use. For instance, celebrities who have personal sites use those sites to promote their image and brand and to provide accurate information to fans. Authors might use a personal site to make announcements about upcoming books or to let readers know about progress on books. While these sites do include personal information and are sometimes made by the celebrities themselves, they do have a highly commercial function. The difference between a personal and commercial home page is not always clear.