[Dave Winer](http://radio.userland.com/discuss/msgReader$122?y=2005&m=3&d=4): "We're a commercial software developer and have done the product that we feel is appropriate for a commercial developer to do, in the Summer of 2000. What this will all look like in the coming months and years is anyone's guess. (That's why it's so interesting!)"
Nearly five years ago in the summer of 2000, Radio UserLand was an application that allowed you to play MP3s and share music playlists, all with an "open backend" that anyone could hook into with software or web services. While the app's primary purpose is weblogging instead of playing music, we're still building communities around central themes: podcasting, citizen journalism and more.
Take a moment to read through the discussion group message thread ([start here](http://radio.userland.com/discuss/msgReader$117)) and you'll find a fascinating time capsule of pioneers brainstorming about their new frontier. In fact, [this message from Vince Outlaw](http://radio.userland.com/discuss/msgReader$137?y=2005&m=3&d=4) in the thread describes what podcasting has become and might grow to.
Finally, [Mar nails it](http://radio.userland.com/discuss/msgReader$223?y=2005&m=3&d=4) with a post later in the thread that says:
> "As I see it, Radio Userland is about creating content. It is about documenting and publishing sublime information about music and how people experience it in their daily lifes. It collects information about what music people listen to and in what context they listen to it. The key difference between the Radio Userland software and companies like Real (as in Jukebox), and MP3.com who collect the information into proprietary databases, is that Radio Userland makes this information available to anyone to aggregate and put into use."
While the music reference doesn't apply any longer, it still makes senses. Radio allows you create, edit and aggregate content. That really reflects our goal for Radio in the future:
*Remove the barriers to get your content online.*
*Become your lightweight personal content manager.*
I heard a famous quote on Adam Curry's [Daily Source Code](http://www.curry.com/DSC/DSC-2005-03-03)--I'll have to paraphrase: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."