Friends only

[boundfate]

I'm thinking of making my journal friends only.

It is such a departure from me - the person who took such pride in not hiding anything she said and being out there for the world. But anymore I prefer the freedom to not worry about a coworker or future employer coming across something I didn't sanitize well enough. Maybe my passion to change the

Comments

[ladypoetess]

Originally I went FO because, after a visit with my father (with whom I was mostly still estranged), I realized I'd inadvertently given him enough information to find my personal LJ by giving him the link to the NaNo story I'd been working on (the link to my main journal was in the profile description of the novel journal). Because we were still on such strained terms, and because he knew so little of my life - my real life, not the one he probably imagined after not really being in my life from age 12 to 18+ - I didn't want him to be able to read everything I had in LJ. So, initially it was a panic decision

[browneyedgirl65]

I have gone back and forth on this one. (Here at LJ and on other venues.) I think in the end, do what seems best to you at the time. You can unlock later (for that matter you can go back and lock possibly problematic posts -- admittedly a more tedious process). Since you're writing for yourself, in the end, I've always figured you should do what you think best. Even if that changes over time.

[boundfate]

Thank you.

[_kit]

A desire to change the world doesn't mean that everything you think and feel and believe has to be in a public post. I don't see anything wrong with wanting to keep some things private and other things public.

[boundfate]

Thank you.

I love your icon btw.

[worldofcharlie]

In addition to making my LJ/DW journals friends only - I also make use of filter/friends groups pretty heavily.

It's not so much as a result of being defriended due to content (although I've had that)...but keeping asshats from making stalking comments on my journal (that was another system/multiple that I'm no longer friends with which I ended up banning).

But really the top reason?? To protect Carrie's singlet identity...Most of her close IRL friends know (smaller subset I've actually met) but she wouldn't want employers - former and any potential future bosses to know.

I make use of filters too - some of my plural & singlet friends don't want to hear about BDSM stuff - so some of it goes into a filter (not always, but I'll post behind cuts if anything).

I've had bad experiences of people cutting and pasting stuff from my LJ and then passing it on to someone else...

Carrie used to not lock down hers - but now she does...

Some posts I'll make public - birthdays, silly memes and Idol posts...

[ztrooper]

I made my LJ friends only for the precise reason that future employers routinely search out for facebook and LJ pages.

Unless you go with a LJ that absolutely has no identifiable link to you, in this day and age, friends only or private seems to be the way to go.