What is your opinion of personal blogs and online journaling?

Question

My friend and I have been discussing personal blogs and online journaling. She feels that personal feelings and such should not expressed in such open forums. I see no problem with it. Share your thoughts:

1. Do you blog or journal?

2. Do you prefer face to face expression of feelings over written communication?

Answer 1

No, I do not blog or journal, but I disagree with your friend's idea that personal feelings shouldn't be expressed. The whole point of a blog or a journal is to express your personal opinion and your feelings to others who will listen and be affected by them. Your feelings involve everything - otherwise you would just be listing off things you have done or seen, and not why they were meaningful.

Face to face expression of feelings is sometimes better - since you can't see the other person's actions through written communication, it's harder to know what they actually think by looking at their body language. Written communication is much easier to do although, and you're able to think about what you want to say and how to say it in a (in my case) non-offensive way.

Answer 2

I like journaling a lot.  I use free open diary and none of the  I hardly ever go on there, but the best part is that it doesn't censor your cuss words!

Answer 3

As a rule of thumb, don't write anything in an online journal that you wouldn't want your parents or the local gossipers knowing. Inevitably, someone you know will find the thing and tell everything that is in it.

I do have a blog but I don't post anything I can't tell a person to their face. My secrets stay in a ratty little notebook in my bedside table.