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Online journals are spreading through my social circle about as fast
as Pilots did. Everyone was talking about Ceej's journal
today -- specifically about Clarion, and if her Clarion experiences
were representative. Somehow this spread into a larger discussion of
why we read the diaries we read. I pointed Bryant to Gabby and to Nigel. He cursed
me for making his reading list longer, but he seems to be reading both
sites now.
Inevitably, of course, the people I know have started writing as well
as reading.
-
Liralen has been doing occasional public journal entries for
years, but now she's actually writing daily.
- Bryant angsted for a while about the ethical and moral questions
of doing a journal. He decided instead to do 1000-words,
which lets him write daily without worrying too much.
- Bryant talked about 1000-words to some people online, which
apparently inspired Kit to put her writing
on the web.
Is that it? Will more of my friends feel the need to start doing an
online diary? Is it just a phase? Will everyone give up after a few
weeks? Will they be discouraged by writing daily for an audience, or
will they get so involved in the community that they slide away from
the rest of the online crowd?
I'm curious, curious, curious. I see why they're intrigued -- it's the
same reasons I'm intrigued. But does it mean anything, or is it only a
blip on the screen?
More people I used to only know in person have started mudding --
Rachel, Harold, Al. It makes me incredibly happy in a sense. I'm able
to talk to Rachel while at work, instead of only once a week! I can
tell Al my latest Mage ideas soon after I have them! There's none of
the formality of email; telling people things on a mud is like dropping
them casually in conversation. I can mention things without worrying
that they'll be unduly weighted. There's a spontaneity to the
interactions that lets me see a new side of these people.
On the other hand, it makes me feel like my world, already small, is
getting steadily smaller. Where does it stop?
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