especially if I know you well and you read this

[threeplusfire]

Originally a response to someone else's post, reproduced here for my benefit and possibly others.
______________

I have the feeling that my roommate reads my journal, and perhaps another person or two from my life. I know of at least three people who definitely do. That is a bit unnerving, because now when I write about my friends I find myself wondering if I should censor myself. I do not like that.

Granted, my journal is online for the world to read if they happen to have a net connection. It's not so much that I mind my friends reading. I dread the day when someone gets upset with me for writing about them or some situation in my journal. The more unpleasant possibility is someone reading who takes great offense to something I have written about them, something I probably won't say flat out for whatever reason.

This is my journal. This is where I write things out of my head. This space may be on a server and available to most people with a modem, but it is my writing. My writing is for me, and it will be whatever I choose it to be. If someone was truly bothered, I would be willing to change names. But I'm not going to stop writing or censor myself in my own head.

To any of my friends and loved ones reading this right now: you are free to read my journal. But know that these are my thoughts, and you have been warned. If you don't want to know, don't read.

Comments

[todfox.livejournal.com]

Good for you, Amanda. I think self-censorship is bad, especially in your own journal.

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

It's a difficult thing to deal with in this medium. Because on one hand, you're somewhat aware that the journal is publicly available to some degree, and perhaps there are things that need to be protected.

Having a paper journal as back up helps I think.

[todfox.livejournal.com]

If I'm worried about someone seeing a post and getting upset, I mark it friends-only. I also have a custom friends group that I use a lot, which seems to work pretty well.

[nnnslogan.livejournal.com]

Good luck.

The people I was talking about found out about my journal and it blew up in my face... over and over again.

Every time I post I censor myself and go through a self-analytical process concerning whether I should post or not and what security settings to use.

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Yes, and I imagine your situation is a text book ready example. :/

I dread going through the same thing. Perhaps I am lucky in that many of the people I speak about frequently, while computer literate, don't spend enough time online to hunt me down. (famous last words, I bet)