Family tree log on.

OurStory, a new Web site focused on collaborative life story telling, works something like MySpace for family history buffs.

Users can construct baby books, memoirs and private histories online, then allow a select group of people to access or contribute to their work. "The service provides an easy and rewarding way for circles of family and friends to collect, share, preserve and publish the important stories from life's journey," according to the company.

OurStory hopes to take advantage of the popularity of online genealogical research pioneered by sites such as FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com. The site is the brainchild of Andy Halliday, a former executive at Excite, and Chris Lunt, a former engineer at Oracle. The start-up site, still in beta phase, has more than $6 million in financial backing from E1 Dorado Ventures, Venrock Associates and Benhamou Global Ventures.

Users at Ourstory can tell their own life story for free, but posting multiple biographies requires a $39.95 premium membership. The site also has plans for advertising.

The site is currently featuring Aaron Spelling, who died last month, to provide an example of how the "proxy biographies" work. At www.ourstory.com, visitors can read a biographical tribute to Spelling, review a timeline of his career and access photos of his life and shows. They can also contribute memories about characters or shows. Participation requires free registration at the site.

Spelling told plenty of dramatic stories during his lifetime. The Los Angeles-based producer's early hits included "The Mod Squad" and "Charlie's Angels." In the 1980s he dominated the airwaves with shows such as "The Love Boat," "T.J. Hooker," "Fantasy Island" and "Dynasty." More recent successes were "Beverly Hills 90210," "Melrose Place," "Charmed" and "7th Heaven." Spelling was 83 when he died in Los Angeles.