Each December 1, World AIDS Day, the creative community observes A Day With(out) Art, in memory of all those the AIDS pandemic has taken from us, and in recognition of the many artists, actors, writers, dancers and others who continue to create and live with HIV and AIDS.

A Day With(out) Art was created by the group Visual AIDS in New York City.

For the last several years, Creative Time has organized a Day With(out) Art observance on the worldwide web, encouraging diverse website designers and administrators to darken their site and convey AIDS prevention and education information to their visitors.

In 1999, more than 50 webloggers took part in a project called a Day With(out) Weblogs. In 2000, nearly 700 personal weblogs and journals of all sorts participated. In 2001, the number was over 1,000. The personal web publishing community -- weblogs, journals, diaries, personal websites of every kind -- has continued to grow and diversify.

Once again, everyone who produces personal content on the web is invited to participate a global observance of World AIDS Day. In recognition of the variety of sites participating -- E/N sites, weblogs, journals, newspages and more -- and to differentiate it from other, similar endeavors, a Day With(out) Weblogs became Link and Think.

The idea is a simple one: On Monday, December 1, 2003 use your regular weblog or newspage to link to resources about HIV/AIDS -- treatment, research, survival stories, memorials, safer sex resources -- whatever piques your interest and you believe would be of interest to your readers. (Here's an example from the community weblog MetaFilter on World AIDS Day 2001.)

You may also choose to use your journal to tell a personal story about how the AIDS pandemic has affected your life or the lives of your family and friends. Perhaps you have created a unique remembrance of a loved one who has died, or a tribute to someone living with the disease.

The unique thing about journals and weblogs and the like is that each has a slightly different audience. Usually, it's just the family, friends and peers of the publisher, and Link and Think offers you an opportunity to reach out to that distinct audience and share what you know and what you learn about HIV/AIDS.

The people who create and maintain independent, personal websites are an enormously talented, generous and spirited bunch. And, among the myriad of us, we reach an significant readership. Won't you join us, for a day at least, in continuing to educate that readership about the global AIDS crisis and how they can make a difference?

We are incredibly grateful to the many volunteers, docents, programmers and artists who make Link and Think possible. And, of course, to all of the publishers of the participating websites.