The Meaning of LiveJournal

[bcholmes]

A comment in jayasankarvs's journal got me wondering: do people post to LiveJournal to journal, to socialize, or to perform?

Comments

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

That's roughly the order for me: journal, socialize, perform. In theory, I write my own journal to keep a record for myself for later, and read my friends list to stay caught up on what my friends are doing (since a lot of what used to get posted to Usenet winds up here). In practice, I find that I get disappointed when I post an entry and no one comments on it, even though I theoretically "shouldn't" care.

[supergee.livejournal.com]

Socialize and perform, or perhaps perform and socialize.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

it's definitely a little bit of each.

i find that having an audience makes me better about my journaling. then again, i've kept journals on and off since i was 8 years old. usually, more on than off.

there's something about LJ though that makes me prolific about the happy stuff in my life. my handwritten journals were always about pouring out the angst, and if there was no angst, than no journaling.

so, for me, the audience makes my journaling more even. and the audience, overall, i find has been helpful to me, more helpful than just the journaling.

n.
babbling, because she hasn't had breakfast.

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

Socialize and discuss. Performance is a part of everyone's daily life, so I don't see LJ as being any different; whether less or more so.

All!

[mittelbar.livejournal.com]

When I journal for myself it's just notes so I can remember/refer to things (and I'm a lot more frank about my ugly feelings). Here it's like: "look, stories and snippets!" Or "foo, make me feel better!" Or "hey, I remember this! What do you think?" All. A recorded party conversation.

I never bother to try to write coherently in my private journals, unless I think someone's going to read them.

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Y'know, the more I think about this, the more I think it's the other way around. I've never had any success in keeping journals just for myself....

[firecat]

To perform as a form of socializing.
Also to socialize in the form of giving/receiving support.

[northbard.livejournal.com]

yes.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

I guess in reverse order: perform, socialize, and journal.

I don't mean "perform" in the sense of "look at me what a great writer I am" but in the sense that who I reveal myself to be through my journalling probably only bears a passing resemblance to what people might think of me who know me in mundane situations. Hah!

[purplesofa.livejournal.com]

Yup, performing is essential to my journaling. Socializing is a nice sideeffect.

My technically private posts are point-form records, and rare. But for stuff that I want to express clearly but privately, I have a list of "friends" who are complete strangers. I wish they would comment.

YMMV.

Zines

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

How is journalling similar to or different from zine-making?

Re: The Meaning of LiveJournal

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

yes. :)

though i mostly do it to socialize, and what little performance there is, is probably inherent in socializing for me. my actual journalling has always been private; though i am letting more seep through into my public journal than i used to.

[ex-helygen254.livejournal.com]

I don't think I fall under any of those.

[angilong.livejournal.com]

To socialize, and to seek and give support. And to vent and Process Stuff.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

So why do you journal?

[jayasankarvs.livejournal.com]

To perform, perchance to socialize.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

I'm terribly slow at writing things by hand. That's always been a barrier to me for journalling by hand. I'm a damn fast typist, however, and I really take to journalling online.

But I can't compare the two because I've never done the long-term hand-written journal thing.

[ex-helygen254.livejournal.com]

Sending one specific message. A fuller answer will be posted in my journal eventually.