Blogging in private

[meristem]

Most of my posts are locked to my friends only. Besides the occasional one I forget to lock and the ongoing series of consumer stuff, I have chosen to share me & thoughts with a smaller crowd than the world at large

Comments

[mshathvri]

I've been known to create the occasional blog for the express purpose of creating a persona. None of them have ever stuck; how accurate it is or not, the Mshathvri identity is the richest and the closest to being me so far. I definitely, however, use a system of filters and choose what I'm going to say with an eye for how my posts represent me.

[mellivora]

This has been on my mind a lot. I was actually thinking yesterday about combing through much of my recent journal and making all but the least personal posts "friends only." But I'm not sure why. I know that the people I want to spend time with will understand the strange dynamic of public blogs and journals, and that they don't fully represent an individual, but then I also foresee hassles as a result of posting information that others might "use against me" (how, I have no idea - it's not like I'm planning a career in politics).

[theshadowdragon]

For me, I've become so much withdrawn in certain aspects of myself that even the blogs I post on Friends Only that are highly edited carnicatures of me. My inner thoughts, my dreams, my fears, are so tightly wrapped up in my need for self control that I cannot bear to reveal myself fully to others. The words that evolve show the outermost regions of my thoughts, not the maelstrom that is my heart. Perhaps someday I shall trust, completely and fully, but how does one correct something that over a lifetime has become as natural as breathing?

[sykotropic]

I actually did go through and lock most of my posts and lock my LJ to f-list only. Of course that doesn't apply to posts on public journals since any googler worth their salt can find what i've said elsewhere. But my reason for locking is that for the most part my f-list is made up of actual friends, people who know "me" or a good part of "me" and whom I don't think would be shocked or horrified to learn more about "me."

So, blogging is a medium that reveals and if you only choose to reveal to a selected group instead of the entire population of cyber space then isn't it possible that your desire for public affirmation is lower, but your desire to connect greater?

And, are you fashioning an identity or shaping the one you have?