Dear Diary,
My crush was totally crushing on me, like for reals. Good thing my crush is my wife, but shhh, I don’t think she knows.
Did you have a diary or journal growing up? Do you still keep one now? I’m a firm believer in keeping a journal and I have done so since I was in high school. I was inspired to write regularly when I read my great-great-grandfather’s journal and learned about his life. It made me want to leave behind a legacy for my posterity.
However, writing a journal takes commitment and time. Plus, it can take a lot of effort to sit down and start typing. Isn’t it funny how it’s no big deal for us to write a blog post or post something on Facebook, but writing in a journal is difficult? What if journaling could be more like a social network?
And that’s just the idea behind Flava. This Korean startup has developed an app and web app that allows users to journal in a style that’s more like the social media posting style we’re all familiar with, yet the information stays private and confidential.
Sign up for a free account at www.takeflava.com. You’ll get a confirmation e-mail that has Korean than English. Don’t be scared off. The site and app are definitely in English and work great.
Once you’re inside, you will see a three-paneled screen. The middle panel shows your entries. The right panel shows a preview of the highlighted entry, and the left panel has filters.
To write a new post, simply click the red + Add Page button in the top-right corner of the page.
The composition window now opens and you can begin filling it with whatever you want. This is your journal. Now, Flava is a different kind of journaling experience. Sure, you can add an entry title, the date, time, etc. But you can also add tags and emoticon tags, which are really cool.
In the main app view, I get a running timeline of all my journal entries. Truthfully, the app is faster and easier to post in than the web app. Of course, the web app is very new, so I imagine over time it will get better.
As it stands, Flava is a great way to journal. If nothing else, it’s a fun way to catalog the things you do with friends and family in a platform that isn’t open to the whole world. Of course, if you decide you want to share a post on Facebook or Twitter, there are options to do that too. Give it a try and pour your heart out to your new digital diary.
That's a great idea. I would probably be better at actually journaling all the time if it were electronically. Thanks for the idea.
I have tried to keep up with journals for my kids, but got too far behind. This would be great- especially the mobile app for keeping track of the things they do and say.
Yes!! This is awesome. I have been looking for a digital/online journaling solution since Paul was born because I am SO much more likely to do it if I can type it. Signing up for this now!
I kept a journal as a kid and now my blog is like my journal. I have not heard of this site before but def. going to check it out and it can help me keep track of what I want to blog about. Sweet!
They really need to include an export option that is not just a link back to their website. I don't like where they are headed with their own "cloud" service. I need to be able to back it up on a dropbox, evernote, or at least an email. currently, there is no safe way to back up your info in case Flava does not survive long term. Otherwise, the app is great and fun to use. I just wish they would include an export option (as they once did).