LiveJournal is a black morass of confusion

[munc]

So I guess, given that we're posting journal entries in a public forum, that it's a good thing that it can be so hard to find out to whom a journal belongs.  The unfortunate part of it is that it makes it a bit hard for one to get set up

Comments

[darkwhimsy]

The rule of thumb is to use LJ name if it exists. Usually with the appropriate lj user tag.

[munc]

Thanks. This may be the dumb question, but how is an 'lj user tag' different from an LJ name?

[taranhero]

Creating an LJ user tag is described here: http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=67

In some ways, it's nicer to have taranhero appear rather than "taranhero", for instance, because others can then click through to the user's journal, it makes it apparent that you're referring to an LJ name (as opposed to some other nickname, or something that isn't even a name of a person)... things like that.

[munc]

Got it -- thanks!

[russiandude]

exampleusername

Also, it is important (for long posts) to learn about lj-cuts:
http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=75&view=full

In general, one posts about things going on in ones life that others are not likely to know/have heard about. Ie, how your work is going, fun gaming times, etc. So, I might know our awesome Ars Magica session, but not others.

Sometimes one posts to publicly rant and get something off their chest. Sometimes it can be used as a general call for assistance. It can even be used for exclusive party invitations (with the proper filtering) if you so desired.

[conspiratrix]

You forgot the all-important reason for LJ: posting quiz results!

[tedshubris]

That, or posting can be ignored for weeks or months on end, while you use LJ only as a way of tracking what's going on with other people. That way, it's less narcissistic, and more, y'know, voyeuristic. Which is totally better.

[iralith]

I say: post whatever! I enjoyed LJ more when I posted lots; these days I limit myself to whatever I think will be interesting, and I feel like I'm communicating less with the world as a result.

Also, who are you? Do we know each other? It seems unlikely: I'm Physarum iralithii, a sentient mold colony experimentally attached to the Internet. I'm told some humans find that I resemble a person's face, at low resolution and from a certain angle-maybe I should start using a different icon.

[munc]

Yeah. Either go with a definitively non-human pic or choose something attractive. The one you have is *not* doing you any favors, let me tell you :)