Online Diaries

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I'm tempted to start a 'personal' web page/diary thing again. What does anyone here think about these? (Not about me doing one, them in general).

― Tom, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I like them, I think they can be useful to people. I wrote a dissertation on the subject.

― jel --, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Though reading back said dissertation, I don't think I investigated the extent to which online diaries are written for an audience enough, and the subsequent impact this has on the honesty of the writing. If you know the people who are reading, do you hide certain feelings, or do you let it all out? And, what impacts do lurkers have on what people write? There is this whole concept of an invisible audience, who may or may not be 'nice' people, they may always be at the back of your mind. So, I feel that a censored diary written with a concious or even subconcious awareness of the audience, is well, hmmmm pointless, it's not a diary. This for me is the whole challenge of diary writing.

Anyway, these were my main conclusions from a study of 16-24 year old diary writers:

Young people gain the following from writing an online diary:

1.A chance to write about feelings, that are hard to articulate to friends and family, or events that cause upset or new emotions
2.A chance to talk about everyday life and things that make them feel happy or amused
3.A good system for self reflection, which can show how they’ve changed and grown over time, or be reminded of good or hard times
4.An opportunity to make and interact with new friends and receive support and advice.

All these seem fairly obvious to me now! And, I do so wish I'd investigated the audience/honesty angle more.

― jel --, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i think they're fine. i don't read any (surely we are not counting blogs are we? but then maybe there is overlap, so perhaps i do). ok, i don't think i read any that are purely of this type, but i would if any of my friends started one. they would be good to do if you travelled and stuff, and wanted to keep everyone back home informed, and also to look back and see all things you had done...

― gareth, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

My thoughts on both diaries and blogs in general, along with a list I really need to revise and update. I salute everyone who does one because I never could.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they're bad when people you actually know read them. People take things personally and overanalyze and gossip and oh it's just bad. When it's just for you and some Internet people it's good fun.

― Maria, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Personal web page you update every once in a blue moon with what's going on in your life, I think this is fine. Beyond that, a full- blown diary ain't for me (much for the reasons Ned listed). About two years ago, I tried keeping one (a private diary on my computer) up, which lasted for about a year. Then, one night, I read my past entries, and deleted it right then and there, and have never regretted it. I think Jacqueline Kennedy once said that she wanted to live her life, not write about it...well said.

― Joe, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i really like having an online diary, i've "met" some really choice people through mine (such as elisabeth and andrew). i try to keep mine as "honest" (meaning personal and relevant) as possible, but in doing so i find that i am restricted by the readership of my IRL friends. because if something very personal happens i can write about my feelings but i can't go into any detail about why i feel the way i do. so probably my online diary looks like that of an emotionally unstable person. but thats okay with me, i'd rather keep it emotional than write solely about day-to-day happenings.

― di, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think if I was doing one it would be exactly like the ones I used to do, i.e. not very personal at all and not particularly diaristic. I used to feel compelling reasons for not doing one - it took up too much time and seemed a bit of a crap thing to do.

― Tom, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually I pretty much just agree w/Di. There are things I don't mention (privacy/shyness/my readers) but sometimes I'll leave clues to remind myself of what was happening when/if I reread later... and so mine ends up being mostly a pretty dull listing of what I did today (usually nothing) and what records I bought. Yay. But I enjoy it, it's a nice routine 9cos ususlly I can't stang routine), and yeah I've "met" some great people through it. Hello Di. Hello Duane. Etc. So um go for it, but be wary maybe of revealing too much. The power of the internet is only growing.

― Andrew, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i use mine as the first level of my brain. its the place that has news,personal information etc, and this place germinates essays and poems.

― anthony, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

blogs are emo

― Chupa-Cabras, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think online diaries are great, because you can't lose them on a bus and never see them again.

― rainy, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i've had to think about these issues of late, because of starting my diary only recently. i was hesitant to do it at first. i think it is a very useful tool for letting your internet friends learn about you. in terms of diary/blog difference, i think it is a spectrum and each person falls somewhere in between. i have seen people who use their diaryland space for very bloggy ends, and of course there are the very personal ones. and i think all of these approaches are just fine. i think the matter-of-fact, what-i-did-today style is the most useful for sharing your personality with web buddies. some really personal stuff is too cryptic unless you are very close to that person already. i also like to sometimes post pictures. anthony has a cool picture blog.

also, beyond how personal the content is, there is a spectrum of how it is voiced: is the writer talking to himself or to an audience. it's not either/or, there are gradations. (haha, i just had to deliberate over whether to type "himself" or "herself")

― Ron, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

But then your dream partner wont find it, fell in love with the content and spend all of the time in search of you. And then when you meet youll fall in love and live happily ever after(thats how they put it in english?)

― Chupa-Cabras, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Once upon a time they lived happily ever after. : )

― lyra in seattle, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I like online diaries. I met lots of great people through diaryland - Di, Duane and what everyone in Dunedin (?) and now I get lots of mix tapes and stuff in the mail. And a certain wonderful Kimber doll from a certain wonderful Di! Oh and um I kinda met my girlfriend on diaryland oh dear so I can't really diss it. But I have also had scary returns of people from the past thanks to it. That's all over now thank god. I also like it cos I'm kinda shy and it's a lot easier to talk on the internet and blather away in an online diary then it is in real life, but maybe that's unhealthy.

― Elisabeth, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

It really depends, doesn't it? Sarah's blog is probably my favorite, and while it is personal she never gives you too much information or Sweet Valley High personal drama crap that makes some personal blogs so tedious.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

sarah gives away too much BUFFY information!! (ok all she does is link to the buffyspoilers site but that is EVIL TEMPTATION)

― mark s, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Too much is never enough, Mark! Of course I should blame Sarah too, she linked to the spoilerslayer and now I am sadly addicted.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

the performance aspect of the online diary lurks forever, i think. the whole process of putting words up on a server seals the deal -- it would be one thing if the words appeared online 'automatically' as they do on paper, but i think the whole way that online diaries are created, with pressing the 'submit' button and spellchecking and making sure you closed that tag, does add at least one dimension of performance. this may be why so many of them have tendencies towards embracing drama -- it's the medium.

nb tom i would love to see you writing more about personal (ie nonmusic) things - i was reading some of your archives the other day and thinking about this actually.

― maura, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Not enough like Sweet Valley High? MUST RETHINK!

Methinks the blog suffers from being written at WURK all the time so it is either madness or bored depressed ramblings, so glad some people like it anyway...

― Sarah, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I like online diaries/blogs/livejournals, but only if they are personal and reflective and not all about movies/music/books. And I like them best when there are some photos and stuff too because I like to know what people look like, how old they are, what sex they are and their sexual preferences so I can make stereotype based judgements about them.

― toraneko, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I would like if people could give opinions comparisons etc of diary hosters - diaryland and livejournal are the only ones I'm familiar with. Are there any less plagued with (a)indie "kids" (b)overuse of 'girl'/'grrl'/'boy' and all manner of cute/"cool" shite (c)people who start bands with each other worse than rabbits (that's "bunnies" for the girls and boys out there) breed? oh whoops these are all covered by (a). I guess this gives some idea why the online diary community I'm involved in (dland) often depresses me but maybe that is more a wider complaint with people. Diaryland though has bought me more (and in a different way than on ilx I guess) of 2 people's writing that I particularly admire/like/am affected by ( = Maryann & Rainy).

And hey can people dish on where your onlinediaries are???????

― halo halo, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

(c)people who start bands with each other worse than rabbits (that's "bunnies" for the girls and boys out there) breed

maybe you shouldn't hang out with musicians then liz.

― di, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

ps is there any of your friends that you won't insult?

― di, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh no...I like it that you start bands Di. I guess I've put my foot in it again.
Musicians = almost everyone anyway, esp where Indybla is concerned.
I guess why it (often) bothers me is I take it as a sign that other people are more similar to each other than I am to them - or that they will/can settle for a higher degree of conformity. I shld've perhaps qualified it with showing that I know it is like a problem- with-me thing rather than anything well justified.

― halo halo, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

ps is there any of your friends that you won't insult?

It's my opinion. I'd rather my friends expressed their opinions to me - even and perhaps especially if they were critical of me. True I seem to have a higher quotient of blunderingly insulting people where no insult was intended. What other friends have I insulted?

― halo halo, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

its too late, it doesn't matter anymore.

― di, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

― :(, Friday, 9 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

offending people is a natural result of being offensive

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you think offensiveness is something some people are ??? That's what your comment above (Ron) implies. I disagree. How could it be that simple?

― halo halo, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that they are good for helping people write better, if that's what they're trying to do (maybe if they're not too, but I mean that it's a good thing I wld think for people trying to figure out stuff abt writing, maybe for people who write in other aspects of their lives this would be different, like maybe it's when they let their writing relax more). Personally I use online dictionaries and thesauri more since having an online diary and I think I take note of unusual words and word meanings more.

― halo halo, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

no, i don't think you ARE offensive in your nature! i think what you said was offensive in that you were attacking people you didn't like, and it turned out that one of your friends shared some qualities with the faceless people you were complaining about. there is more than one usage of the verb "to be" and i'm sorry you have taken what i was saying wrong. you don't have to BE offensive to be offensive - aargh, you know what i'm saying. of course i was being a bit mean because of initial emotions from dianne feeling hurt.

i guess what it boils down to is that i've noticed you making negative comments about people before, and i was trying to point out that it's going to bite you in the ass sometimes, as it may have here. i don't know if this was a big deal or not, that's between you and di - i'm sure you'll work it out. and i'm not really trying to pick on you. I don't know you very well at all, but there are things i really enjoy about your personality, this is just one side that rubs me the wrong way sometimes.

so that's my opinion, for better or worse. no hard feelings i hope, i would like to be friends.

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah I did read it the wrong way, I see it now. Thanks.
Fair response, fair criticisms, I agree, I deserve extra tenfold dose of my own medicine and I'm sorry to hurted Di again. and not only Di.

― halo halo, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

let's all have a round of huggelz. oops maybe that's too twee in this situation ;-)

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

bunnies then!! oh, wait.... DANG IT!!

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

goodnight liz

― Ron, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Goodnight. Better keep a close watch on your bunnikins blankie!

I like doing and having an online dream diary much more than the "real" one - which reminds me, something I really like/ lean on with my diary is the fantastical element, if that makes any sense.
I get anxious over whether anybody reads my dreamlog & whatthey think. Even if they are just skimming for revealing stuff or for their name is okay! (there's lots of genitals and humping and stuff in it ! And if that's boring or y're avoiding that kind of thing well there's a good photo of some beautiful horses, at least)

― halo halo, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

kittens!

― jel --, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

people, unfortunately, do tend to be "girls" or "boys". This is hardly the diarykeeper's fault. This is LIFE, we must LIVE w/it. Have I missed yr point? How badly? Should I be more bitter?

― Andrew, Sunday, 11 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

hey liz let's start a band!

― unknown or illegal user, Sunday, 11 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

anyway all the diaries on diaryland are by duane!!

― mark s, Sunday, 11 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

why stop there? DUANE IS THE INTERNET

― Ron, Sunday, 11 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

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Online Diaries - C/D?