I still check your LiveJournal from time to time, but I confess that you're the only person I know who uses this site. But I understand the reasoning behind it, you said it in a comment here:
"I've always preferred using LJ for personal stuff due to the anonymity. It's kinda nice to be able to speak one's mind without attaching my real name to it if that makes sense? "
It is kinda nice to have a forum for yourself, and interact with good people you've met online. It's another audience, separate from friends and family IRL, and enables other kinds of topics and dialogue.
I'm not up-to-date with the market position of LiveJournal or any wading popularity, but I can imagine that these last couple of years could have been hard on this site with its format and the rising popularity of different forms of social media, online and in mobile form. If you'd ever switch over to another site, I'd love to still follow and read your well-written insights and journal posts.
And in reference to this comment:
" ...and Onxyweapon (the only other Belgian on SO and in a 'OMG it's a small world after all' kind of way, we actually attended the same college and worked at the same company at some point in our lives). "
We do have a very weird, shared history of getting to know each other through ShinraOnline. And indeed, after that we walked similar paths (well, maybe sometimes the same literal path :D) in real life. Maybe we're not friends in a traditional sense, but I do feel that we have formed an unique connection together through all those years. I just checked our join dates on SO, can you believe that was over 15 years ago? Onward to the next 15 I say! :)
I can believe it 'cause I know I joined in the last month or so before I graduated from high school. I'm so old :p
I'm actually surprised to hear SO still exists. A while ago, I heard it went offline. Just popped over there and I'm amused that I'm one of the 'notable members' considering I haven't logged in there in years. I logged in just now and turns out my last post was from 2013.
I'm not up-to-date with the market position of LiveJournal or any wading popularity, but I can imagine that these last couple of years could have been hard on this site with its format and the rising popularity of different forms of social media, online and in mobile form.
Indeed. One thing that I find quite strange and fascinating is how much people's attitude towards the internet has changed. Back when I started my online life (somewhere in 1998 or 1999), the general opinion of the internet was that it was 'FULL OF PORN AND PEDOPHILES!!!'. No one would give their real name or give any personal details that would allow people to find them online. So LJ was perfect for that type of audience.
These days, it's the exact opposite : people share EVERYTHING on social media like Facebook : their home town, who their partner is, their former and current employers, their kids' schools, what they're drinking/eating/watching as they are doing it (I'm still waiting for the day Facebook implements a 'X is having sex with Y' option 'cause you know people would use it XD ), etc. If someone really wanted to, you could easily track someone down and show up on their doorstep unannounced. I do wonder if these people will regret posting so much personal info online.
I know it sounds mildly hypocritical of me to say so. Ten years ago, I put a lot of personal info about me and my family online in the journal I held on SO (and later switched to LJ). I don't regret keeping an online journal. It helped me through some rough times. But I do honestly regret putting so much personal info of certain family members on there. Looking back, I had *NO* right to do that and 'til this day, I can honestly say it's the one thing in life I do regret.
It's the main reason why I'll rarely post anything personal about my hubby or son on my LJ. Their lives are their business and it's none of mine to share it without their consent.
But I understand the reasoning behind it, you said it in a comment here:
"I've always preferred using LJ for personal stuff due to the anonymity. It's kinda nice to be able to speak one's mind without attaching my real name to it if that makes sense? "
It is kinda nice to have a forum for yourself, and interact with good people you've met online. It's another audience, separate from friends and family IRL, and enables other kinds of topics and dialogue.
I'm not up-to-date with the market position of LiveJournal or any wading popularity, but I can imagine that these last couple of years could have been hard on this site with its format and the rising popularity of different forms of social media, online and in mobile form.
If you'd ever switch over to another site, I'd love to still follow and read your well-written insights and journal posts.
And in reference to this comment:
" ...and Onxyweapon (the only other Belgian on SO and in a 'OMG it's a small world after all' kind of way, we actually attended the same college and worked at the same company at some point in our lives). "
We do have a very weird, shared history of getting to know each other through ShinraOnline. And indeed, after that we walked similar paths (well, maybe sometimes the same literal path :D) in real life.
Maybe we're not friends in a traditional sense, but I do feel that we have formed an unique connection together through all those years.
I just checked our join dates on SO, can you believe that was over 15 years ago? Onward to the next 15 I say! :)
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I'm actually surprised to hear SO still exists. A while ago, I heard it went offline. Just popped over there and I'm amused that I'm one of the 'notable members' considering I haven't logged in there in years. I logged in just now and turns out my last post was from 2013.
I'm not up-to-date with the market position of LiveJournal or any wading popularity, but I can imagine that these last couple of years could have been hard on this site with its format and the rising popularity of different forms of social media, online and in mobile form.
Indeed. One thing that I find quite strange and fascinating is how much people's attitude towards the internet has changed. Back when I started my online life (somewhere in 1998 or 1999), the general opinion of the internet was that it was 'FULL OF PORN AND PEDOPHILES!!!'. No one would give their real name or give any personal details that would allow people to find them online. So LJ was perfect for that type of audience.
These days, it's the exact opposite : people share EVERYTHING on social media like Facebook : their home town, who their partner is, their former and current employers, their kids' schools, what they're drinking/eating/watching as they are doing it (I'm still waiting for the day Facebook implements a 'X is having sex with Y' option 'cause you know people would use it XD ), etc. If someone really wanted to, you could easily track someone down and show up on their doorstep unannounced. I do wonder if these people will regret posting so much personal info online.
I know it sounds mildly hypocritical of me to say so. Ten years ago, I put a lot of personal info about me and my family online in the journal I held on SO (and later switched to LJ). I don't regret keeping an online journal. It helped me through some rough times. But I do honestly regret putting so much personal info of certain family members on there. Looking back, I had *NO* right to do that and 'til this day, I can honestly say it's the one thing in life I do regret.
It's the main reason why I'll rarely post anything personal about my hubby or son on my LJ. Their lives are their business and it's none of mine to share it without their consent.
Reply
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