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Vanity site

A vanity site is a website that is run by an individual or small group (such as a family) purely for their own amusement. That is, the site is not trying to sell anything, but may try to promote some cause or idea, though not necessarily.

A vanity site may be as simple as a single page (sometimes called a home page) or may be as elaborate as an online database with gigabytes of data. Many ISPs offer a few megabytes of space for customers to host their own vanity site.

Content of vanity sites vary from site to site and can, depending on the hosting server, contain anything that any other websites contain. However, typical vanity sites contain images, text and a collection of "favorite links." Many also contain short biographies, resumes and blogs.

Many vanity site runners run their site because it is the most effective medium to express their opinions or creative endeavours that simply would not have an outlet. These types of sites may contain short fiction such as short stories or samples of artwork.

Some celebrities, such as William Shatner, Carrie Fisher and Ming-Na, have websites. Were they not famous, these sites would generally be known as vanity sites. Due to their celebrity status, however, they are usually referred to as "Official Websites." Also, many other pop celebrities have web sites, such as Enya and Britney Spears have web sites that, in addition to other material, provide concert dates and locations.

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